1966 Mercedes-Benz 300 SE

Sammlung Sonderklasse - Auction

Lot 022: 1966 Mercedes-Benz 300 SE Coupé

Vehicle description

ONE OF ONLY 2,419 COUPÉS EVER MADE

ONLY THREE REGISTERED OWNERS TO DATE

BEAUTIFULLY PRESERVED ORIGINAL CONDITION

Technical details

Year: 1966

Chassis N°: 112.021-12-009220

Engine N°: 189.987-12-001041

Body N°: 00072

Paint: 181 LIGHT BEIGE

Interior: LEATHER RED

Options

401 SINGLE SEATS

503 OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR, LEFT

516 BECKER RADIO GRAND PRIX LM/MW/SW/USW

Options according to OPTION tag in engine bay

Provenance

18/03/1966 PROF. NICO DOSTAL, SALZBURG, AT

04/04/1969 DR. ROBERT WENDECKER, WIEN, AT

23/01/1986 KARL SCHWEIGL, NEUNKIRCHEN, AT

Documents

AUSTRIAN EINZELGENEHMIGUNG (1966)

About the model line

W 112

The hardships of the post-war years were finally over by the late 1950s. Germany’s Wirtschaftswunder was in full swing, and those who had made it wanted the world to know. Mercedes-Benz, too, needed something new—an entirely new generation of automobiles that would embody the country’s newfound confidence and capture the spirit of the age.

In 1959, the new upper-class Mercedes made its debut, internally designated W 111. Inspired by contemporary American styling, two modest tailfins rose from the rear, far more restrained than those adorning Detroit’s chrome-laden land yachts, yet distinctive enough to give Karl Wilfert’s design an unmistakable identity. The public soon coined its own name: Heckflosse—the „Fintail.“ Mercedes, however, preferred to call them „parking aids,“ as they were intended to make manoeuvring easier.

Far more important, however, was what lay beneath the sheet metal. Safety engineer Béla Barényi had fundamentally reimagined the automobile. For the first time, a production car featured a rigid passenger cell surrounded by defined crumple zones. The steering column, door locks, dashboard—virtually every component was scrutinised for its behaviour in a collision. Today this is taken for granted; at the time, it was nothing short of revolutionary. Safety was no longer a matter of chance but an integral part of the car’s design. Technically, too, the new model range was at the top of its game.

Independent suspension all round, disc brakes—initially at the front, later on all four wheels—powerful fuel-injected engines and a level of build quality that further cemented Mercedes-Benz’s reputation. The W 111 was no sports car, nor did it aspire to be one. Its true talent lay in effortless long-distance travel. Cruising the new Autobahn for hours at 160 km/h, without haste and without ever feeling as though the car was being pushed—that was its natural habitat.

Success came quickly. Few Mercedes models before it had captured the spirit of their era so perfectly. Yet as the venerable 300 series approached the end of its career, the company once again lacked a true flagship. That void was filled in April 1961 by the W 112. At first glance, it appeared to be little more than a W 111 fitted with the engine from the old 300. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Beneath its familiar bodywork lay an entirely new technological masterpiece. Mercedes-Benz had developed a sophisticated air suspension system designed to maintain a constant ride height while delivering exceptional comfort. From the outset, the 300 SE also featured four-wheel disc brakes, a new four-speed automatic transmission, power steering, a limited-slip differential and a rear-axle compensating spring that prevented excessive wheel rebound. Lavish amounts of chrome further distinguished the W 112, making the already elegant W 111 seem almost understated by comparison.

Less than a year after the saloon came the Coupé and Cabriolet. The recipe remained unchanged. The bodies were derived from the W 111, while the mechanicals—including the air suspension—came from the 300 SE saloon. As with the saloon itself, demand fell short of expectations. At the end of 1962, Mercedes introduced a hand-built limousine stretched by 10 centimetres, an attempt to lend the model range a little more exclusivity while bridging the gap until the W 100 was ready for production. Konrad Adenauer was not alone in finding the W 112 a little too ordinary. For the time being, he remained faithful to its predecessor, the car that had become popularly known by his own name.

The modest production figures reflected the compromise that had defined the W 112 from the very beginning: it was too expensive, yet not quite exclusive enough. Mercedes had created a niche that scarcely existed. With the arrival of the mighty 600 in 1964, industrial magnates, film stars, presidents and potentates once again had the state limousine they truly desired.

In 1965, the W 108 and W 109 succeeded the W 111 and W 112 saloons. The 300 SE Coupé and Cabriolet were granted another two years of production, while their W 111 siblings continued for even longer. They had always looked more modern, more elegant and, above all, more timeless. Little wonder they continued to sell remarkably well.

Auction information

Auction: 07 November 2026, 14:00

Auction house: Humer Granner & Co

Starting price: 10,000 EUR

Reserve: No reserve

Viewing: 05. November 2026 10:00 – 18:00, 06. November 2026 09:00 – 18:00, 07. November 2026 ab 09:00

Location: Gewerbeparkstraße 17, 4101 Feldkirchen an der Donau, AT

Bidding: In person · Online live · Telephone · Written bid

Auction registration: Schriftliches Kaufangebot, Als Telefonbieter, Online - live

Contact: Wolfgang Humer, +43 650 7262524 / Reinhard Granner, +43 699 17127272

About the auction

This Mercedes-Benz is part of the Sammlung Sonderklasse, one of the largest private Mercedes-Benz collections in Europe. The entire collection will be auctioned from 5 to 7 November 2026 in Feldkirchen an der Donau, Austria. All 83 cars are offered without reserve.

The collection also includes around 1,000 automobilia items and several fully furnished rooms, which will be auctioned on 6 and 7 November by Ni-Cola Classics. Please note that if you want to bid on automobilia, you must register in advance at nicola-ac.de. You can also view all lots at https://auction.nicola-ac.de/

The car auction starts on Saturday 7 November at 14:00, and you can bid in person or online. The cars can be viewed on Thursday 5 November from 10:00 to 18:00. Please note that if you want to bid on this car, you must register in advance with Humer Granner at https://hg.auction/auktionen/auktion-november-2026/.

You can order the catalogue at metropole-auction.com. It also serves as your admission ticket for two people. The catalogue does not replace registration with the auction house.

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Auction overview

Auction catalogue