MERCEDES-BENZ 250CE

2023-01-01 -

Football is a simple game. “Twenty-two men chase a ball around for 90 minutes, and at the end the Germans win,” famously said England hero and pundit Gary Lineker, reflecting on the ruthless efficiency of die Mannschaft. That reputation for peerless competence, refinement and elegance without flair surely has to be represented by a Mercedes-benz.

While it was the most expensive car here when new, and by some margin, the W114/115 Mercedes-benz, the ancestor to what we now call the E-class, was Mercʼs entry-level model throughout the 1960s. The range made its debut as Mercedesʼ first clean-sheet post-war design, and the carʼs chassis would be the basis for all new Benz models for the following 20 years. Crucially, the old rear swing-axles were replaced by a trailing-arm set-up, which allows this car to be hustled down a road with much greater confidence. In fairness, the comfort bias of the chassis doesnʼt encourage that behaviour – the springing is reasonably soft and the Merc is easily the most supple car here – but that ability to shrug off bumps also allows it to pick up the pace when leant on.

While the four-cylinder W115s served as respectable saloons and taxis, the aspirational model was the pillarless W114 coupé, as we have here today. The stylish Paul Bracq design, we note on our way to the photoshoot, gets approving nods and draws cameraphones out of passenger windows in a way few of its contemporaries can. It seems that the threepointed star attracts attention no matter what the age. Itʼs also the most powerful car here: the coupé was only offered with six cylinders and, while the 250CEʼS automatic transmission does curtail any sense of proper urgency, the in-gear acceleration isnʼt to be sniffed at.

Quite simply, the W114, a product of 1968, does a very good impression of a modern car, with NVH suppression levels the others can only dream of, allied to ability across the board. Its equipment was ahead of its time, too. There are electric windows and a powered sunroof, as well as interior luxuries such as armrests and a wooden dashboard, but most impressive is the dual-zone ventilation system, with which the driver and front passenger can set the cold/ warm air mix individually. Other touches, such as the perfect driving position and the impressive power of the brakes, generate further confidence in the 250ʼs abilities.

For all of that ability, however, it can be a bit too functional. Those levels of equipment and refinement add weight, and the 250CE feels every one of its 1400kg. You canʼt escape the sense that Mercedes could have bequeathed the car with a bit more brio, whether that be a steering rack with a touch more precision or a gearbox that doesnʼt feel like a lead anchor on the engine. Much like Germany at the World Cup, the Mercedes-benz isnʼt the one youʼll turn to for emotion, but it rarely puts a foot wrong and has quality across the pitch.