This 1971 Mercedes-Benz W115 is one of the loveliest cars I’ve driven. It belongs to a German friend, one who currently hosts the Suzuki Swift convertible in his garage, and it’s been in his family since new.
A few months ago, as I was in Germany, I had a chance to check out the Benz and have a little drive around the smallish town. Armed with my trusty brown camera and a nifty-fifty lens, I snapped a few detail shots to accompany the post.


The Benz had sat in its garage for a little while, so we drove casually to the nearest self-serve carwash to get the accumulated dust off. It was a rainy, cold, breezy day, but still the W115 deserved a little care – along with some fresh fuel.


When you think of it, it’s amazing how simple yet ornate the W115’s design is. There isn’t much there, but what there is has been beautifully done.


Inside, it’s all wonderfully welcoming. The details are intricate, the seats are sturdy yet comfortable, and the ride is somehow otherworldly. It’s not a magic carpet, but it takes all the road imperfections without emotions and nothing transfers into your spine.



The four-speed automatic fit the car’s appearance perfectly. It shifted very tidily, for something over 40 years old. The steering, on the other hand, was curiously heavy, and it didn’t lighten up much while on the go. Taking corners required steering effort instead of letting the car just follow its course. Beni, the car’s keeper said it had been like that as long as he remembered, so it might have been a characteristic rather than an outright fault.



“Clap hands” wipers and unfussy controls.

The brown materials are just exquisite to look at.

The service records have survived to this day.

Having taken the W115 for a drive, I now feel an experience richer. This is how they felt in the 1970s, as the car was in no way tired, and it had somehow escaped the fate of being just driven without care to the mechanicals. It’s like a family heirloom, but it was advanced enough and well-made enough in its day not to feel fragile or obsolete today. The 100-something horsepower M115 four is a suitable workhorse engine for the car, as it has enough guts for cruising to feel effortless.

And that roof rack? It’s a Zastava one.
[Images: Copyright 2015 Hooniverse/Antti Kautonen]