1973' Mercedes-Benz 220

Mercedes-Benz W114 and W115 was the designation used for the generation of 5-seat sedans and three-box coupés with front engine and rear-wheel drive introduced on the market in 1968 and designed by the Frenchman Paul Bracq, who was responsible for the design department of the Mercedes-Benz W114 and W115. Mercedes from 1957 to 1967. Bracq would later be responsible for the designs of BMW from 1970 to 1974 and Peugeot from 1974 to 1996.
The models succeeded the W110, launched in 1961, and were built until 1976 when the W123 was launched.
The W114/W115 were distinguished from each other by the engine capacity designation at the rear. While the W114s used 6-cylinder engines, the W115 models used four-cylinder engines and were designated 200, 220, 230, and 240, with the diesels using the “D” designation to distinguish them from the gasoline models.
When Mercedes launched the W114/W115 in 1968, it divided its sedans into two classes depending on size (W114/115 and S-Class) and advertised the W114/115 range as “New Generation Models”.
Mercedes also used the designation “/8” on the nameplates of the W114/115 models, relating to the year of launch (1968), and gave the cars the nickname “Strich Acht” (in Portuguese “slash eight”).
The W114/W115 were the first post-war Mercedes production models to use an entirely new semi-sliding trailing arm suspension, a suspension that would be used by all of the brand's passenger car models until the 1980s with the development of “multi-link” rear suspensions.
Mercedes also launched its first 5-cylinder diesel engine (OM617) in this chassis.
The Mercedes W115 has always been known as a car of great reliability and durability. In 2004, Greek taxi driver “Gregorios Sachinidis” donated his 1976 240D with 4.6 million kilometers to the Mercedes museum, a car that was recognized as being the Mercedes-Benz with the highest mileage to date.