111 Cpe/Cab body number?

[sweeny]

I'm caretaker of a '70 280 SE 3.5 cab with "000152" as the last six digits of its chassis number.

Since that's a relatively low number, I've always been interested in finding out what its production sequence was among 3.5 cabs.

I thought I understood that until the early '80's, MBAG carried the last six digits of the "chassis number" (ie, for 111 cps/cabs: 111 xxx xx, six digits) sequentially according to production order but, at least for 111 coupes and cabs, counting the last six digits from 1 regardless of whether the car being numbered was a coupe (ie, for 3.5's "026" for the xxx if a coupe and "027" if a cab).

In other words, MBAG had no records allowing you to tell in what order your coupe or cab was produced among coupes or cabs separately.

I just received a "Zertifikat" from MB Classic for the car.

To my surprise, it lists a "body number" (for my car, "111 027 12 90 020"), which is not found on my car's "Fahrzeug-Daten" (vehicle data card).

This is probably false hope, but the order of the digits in the body number could suggest that mine is the 20th (last three digits) of the "027" subset (280 SE 3,5 cab) of the 111 body series. But that doesn't explain the "90." I assume the "12" means the same (left hand drive, automatic, made in Germany) in the body number as it does in the chassis number.

Can anybody help in deciphering these body number codes?

Jim Sweeny
Pittsburgh

[Tom Hanson]

your chassis number does indicate the order of production, but there isn't a way to tell this between coupes and convertibles. Same principle applies to the 600 series, be it a long or short wheelbase, 6-door, landaulet, or what have you. Make it as tough as some family trees.