Mercedes-Benz W114 called in Poland “puchacz” or “transition” was a representative of the E segment, the upper middle class. It appeared in several interesting variants, which we want to look at in more detail.
Although officially the E-Class appeared only in 1993, as a slightly modified model W124, but this was related to the desire of Mercedes to organize the naming. In fact, E-Classes were already earlier models, such as W110, W114 or the legendary barrel, W123. In fact, all models that fall into the E class are iconic. Cars such as the W120 or W124 can also boast this title. For decades we have met and still meet its representatives, if only as popular cabs. Many of them even drove millions of kilometers. The E-Class was intended to be the “middle” model of the German brand, quite luxurious, but below the S-Class. In a few decades, several million copies of them were driven on the world’s roads
The Mercedes-Benz W114 was known in Germany as the “Strich-Acht” (Line Eight). It was actually a family of models, as a twin model W115 also left the factory. Under the hood of the latter we could also find diesels, although they were not very popular in cars at that time. In Poland, the W114/W115 model was commonly called “transitional” or “puchacz”. It entered production in 1967 as a successor to the well-worn W111 model. It was the first Mercedes-Benz model to use a center console, and it also had an upgraded suspension. The model received a facelift in 1973. The hood line was lowered and the grill was widened. The headlights were also changed, and after modernization they were more impressive. In addition, a horizontal ribbing was placed on them, which was supposed to minimize the formation of dirt. The manufacturer also decided to remove the triangular windshields and the pillars separating them in the front doors. This was to ensure better visibility. In addition, much larger exterior mirrors were introduced. The rear lamps were also changed. Inertia seat belts were introduced to improve safety. Production of the model ended in 1976 with the introduction of a new one – W123. In total, almost two million copies left the production belt, which is really a great success of the brand
Mercedes-Benz was available in several variants. The most popular, of course, was the sedan, which came under the designation W114/W115. You could also purchase an extended limousine (V114/V115) and a coupé (C114). The W114 version was powered by six-cylinder gasoline engines with displacements ranging from 2.3 to 2.8 liters that produced 120 to 185 horsepower. The same was true for the coupe version. The W115, on the other hand, had four- and five-cylinder engines under the hood, both gasoline and diesels. They may not have been speed demons, but they boasted decent performance for their time. This was not the point of these cars. They were to be, above all, comfortable, spacious and trouble-free cars, which would serve their users for many years
Motoring in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s had a magic, mystery and uniqueness about it that you don’t get with today’s cars. It was certainly a beautiful time in motoring, in which we received many great and, as it turned out later, legendary models. Many of them can still be found on the streets. They still amaze with the quality of workmanship, comfort and failure-free. Such is the Mercedes-Benz W114, which stands out from the crowd, delights and has something that cannot be expressed in words
(Photo: pixabay.com)
