Classic Mercedes-Benz 230S Remains a Four-Season Daily Driver

There are still plenty of W126 Mercedes-Benz sedans in daily use, and finding them on the road doesn't take much effort. But what about a much older Mercedes sedan as a daily driver, and not just as a summer car but year-rounder?

The W111-generation Mercedes-Benz 230S, seen in these photos, is not only a summer car but also isn't afraid of some light snow as well as big city traffic. Something of a local automotive legend in Washington's Georgetown neighborhood, this Heckflosse, or "fintail" sedan also sported a color we rarely see on Mercedes sedan models of this vintage.

Produced between 1959 and 1968, the six-cylinder 230S W111-generation sedan was the more luxurious flavor of the similar but four-cylindered 200 and 200D gas and diesel twins, and featured a double vertical headlight fascia compared to single units on the more affordable models. In fact, the 230S was merely the middle offering of the W111 lineup, positioned below the six-cylinder 300SE and its long-wheelbase variant. Far above them all, but still below the Pullman, was the Mercedes 600 sedan playing the role of the plutobarge.

Of course, this also means that while the 280SE coupes and 300SE sedans were sometimes preserved, later receiving concours restorations, the lower-ranked models were seldom given such treatment. And quite of few of them had departed by the time the still-ubiquitous W123 arrived on the scene.

Still, the 230S offered such amenities as an automatic transmission, front disc brakes and drums out back, along with a four-wheel independent suspension. This was also a time when the badge actually denoted the displacement, so a 2.3-liter six-cylinder good for 120 hp could be found underhood. (Isn't it nice how that system worked?)