A brilliant Mercedes-Benz 300b Limousine, seen in Beijing back in 2013 on the parking lot of my apartment building near Dongzhimen in central Beijing. The big Mercedes was in a fantastic shape, painted in an original red shade, a fitting color for China. The chrome and wheels looked great too.
The windshield wipers are modern, replacing the original chromed examples, likely to make it more drivable on the road. The radiator cap was not in place but happily it lay on the front seat.
Like so many great cars I saw there, this Mercedes belonged to a neighbor of mine. A somewhat secretive guy who somehow managed to get his hands on many great cars. They usually stayed on the parking lot for a few weeks and then they were gone again. Most of his cars were recent imports but some were bought in period. I believe he worked for a semi-state owned import and export firm, which apparently enabled him to run a little car business.
The W186 Mercedes-Benz was manufactured from 1951 until 1957. There was a sedan, a 4-d00r cabriolet, and a stretched limousine like the one we have here. Over the years it was updated twice. The first version was simply called ‘300’ or ‘Model 300’. The first update arrived in 1954, called 300b. The second update came in late 1955, called the 300c. Our red Beijing beauty is a Mercedes-Benz W186 300b.
The interior was in a perfect shape. The wood was as good as new, like it came from a tree cut down only yesterday. The instrument and buttons and switches were all accounted for an original. The steering wheel is gigantic, ready to steer a boat, with the gear selector mounted on the column. The seat layout is interesting, with a two-seat bench behind the steering wheel and a smaller single seat on the right.
The radiator cap.
The limousine version had a lot of space in the back, with a wide three-seat sofa-like bench and loads of leg room. The door handle and the crank for the window are tiny and elegant for the size of the car.
The Mercedes-Benz W186 300b limousine was powered by a 3.0 liter (2.996 cc) six-in-line engine fitted with two Solex carburetors. Output was 125 hp and 220 Nm. The motor was mated to a 3-speed automatic gearbox sending horses to the rear wheels. Top speed was 160 kilometers per hour, which was super fast for the time. With 17 seconds, 0-100 was slightly less impressive. Size: 5055/1838/1600, with a 3050 wheelbase and a 1770 kilo curb weight. Big numbers for big people; the 300b limousine was a popular car among heads of states and mega rich industrialists.
Whereas the front indicators were neatly integrated in the design of the front fender, the rear indicators were located in an odd place behind the rear window and above the rear fender. It almost looks like an afterthought, and very unlike Mercedes-Benz.
The chrome around the windows is thick and there is lots of it. The windows themselves are large and straight up, making for a very light and spacious interior.
Door handle design is, again, surprisingly subtle for a car like the 300b.
The ash tray in the rear cabin, just behind the window. It’s rather big, great to smoke a lot of Gauloise cigarettes.
A truly great car. Just like with all the others it was gone after a week or so. I never found out what happened to it. I don’t think it went to a museum, I’ve been in nearly every car museum in China and never saw the 300b there, so I guess it ended up in a private collection somewhere in the country.
May this old red Mercedes be well…