Mercedes-Benz
300 S Coupé (W 188)

Why it matters

The 300 S Coupé is the closed two-plus-two of the 300 S family, a shortened and more powerful derivative of the 300 limousine that Mercedes-Benz presented in October 1951 as a sporting top model. The factory archive counts 216 coupés built between 1952 and 1955. RM Sotheby's ranks it among the most sought-after post-war Mercedes-Benz cars.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

• Mercedes-Benz 300 S Coupé (W 188) (Wikimedia Commons: Mercedes-Benz 300 S Coupé)
  Photo: MB-one · CC BY-SA 4.0
• Mercedes-Benz 300 S Coupé (W 188) (Wikimedia Commons: Mercedes-Benz 300 S Coupé)
  Photo: RL GNZLZ from Chile · CC BY-SA 2.0

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The archive records pre-production from September 1951, standard production from August 1952 and the end of production in August 1955, with a list price of DM 34,500 in June 1952. The press praised a top speed of 110 mph, and RM Sotheby's puts the starting price at 12,680 US dollars, roughly ten times a standard car. The total for all three 300 S bodies was about 560.

A 1954 coupé offered by RM Sotheby's in Paris was delivered new in January 1954 to a company board member in Germany and carries a rare steel sliding roof listed on its build sheet. It stayed largely unrestored until 2012.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

The factory type is 188.011 (design name W 188 I). The engine is the M 188 inline six with three Solex 40 PBJC carburettors, 150 hp at 5000 rpm. Wheelbase is 2900 mm, length 4730 mm and height 1510 mm, with a kerb weight of 1740 kg. The 300 Sc coupé that replaced it has fuel injection, swivel windows, bonnet louvres and an "Einspritzmotor" badge on the boot lid, which the 300 S lacks. A catalogue entry for a 1954 car quotes chassis number 188.011.4500006 and a build sheet as the identification document.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   300 S Coupé / W 188 I, 1952 - 1955 Level A Mercedes-Benz Public Archive (Classic M@RS)

   • Units produced : 216
   • Engine type : M 188 / 188.920 (Specifications)
   • Number of cylinders / arrangement : 6 / in-line (Specifications)
   • Total displacement : 2996 cc (tax classification: 2975 cc) (Specifications)
   • Bore x Stroke : 85 x 88 mm (Specifications)
   • Compression ratio : 7.8 (Specifications)
   • Valve operation : 1 overhead camshaft (Specifications)
   • Fuel system : 3 downdraught carburettors Solex 40 PBJC (Specifications)
   • Rated output : 150 hp at 5000 rpm (Specifications)
   • Rated torque : 23.5 mkg at 3800 rpm (Specifications)
   • Gearing : 4-speed manual transmission (Specifications)
   • Gear ratios : I. 3.68; II. 2.25; III. 1.42; IV. 1.0; R. 3.08 (Specifications)
   • Final drive ratio : 4125 (Specifications)
   • Driven wheels : rear wheels (Specifications)
   • Frame design : cruciform oval-tube frame with centre reinforcement / steel unit body (Specifications)
   • Front-wheel suspension : double wishbone (Specifications)
   • Rear-wheel suspension : swing axle (Specifications)
   • Brake system (foot brake) : hydraulic, from 1954 with vacuum booster, acting on front- and (Specifications)
   • Steering : recirculating-ball steering (Specifications)
   • Wheelbase : 2900 mm (Specifications)
   • Length : 4730 mm (Specifications)
   • Width : 1910 mm (Specifications)
   • Height : 1510 mm (Specifications)
   • Front / rear track : 1480 / 1525 mm (Specifications)
   • Kerb weight : 1740 kg (Specifications)
   • Maximum speed : 175 km/h (Specifications)
   • Acceleration 0-100 km/h : 15 s (Specifications)
   • Fuel tank: position / capacity : in the rear / 85 l (Specifications)
   • Fuel consumption : 13.8 l (Specifications)

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Roadster | RM Sotheby’s London 2020 Level B

   • 216 300 S Coupés completed

   Accessed 2026-11-11