Mercedes W115 220D Sedan Review

The Stroke-8 (W114/W115: 1968-1976)
With its antiseptically clean and simple styling, the 1968 W114/W115 looks contemporary and elegant even in the 21st century. And with the replacement of that archaic swing axle rear suspension with a new trailing arm, fully independent system, it finally had a suspension worthy of a Mercedes.

The W114/W115 (the W114 was a six-cylinder model, the W115 had fours) was a wholly new midsize Mercedes expanded to include models with four-, five- and six-cylinder engines. In fact, there were times during the model's life that up to 15 separate models existed inside the midsize Mercedes family, including a two-door variant. The "Stroke-8" name arose when it was necessary to distinguish the new car from the old Fintail that continued in production during 1968 and carried the same model names. During '68, a 200D was likely a Fintail, while a 200D/8 was definitely a W115. Even after the Fintail was gone, that Stroke-8 heritage persisted in the informal world of nicknames.

A lower hood line led to a wider, lower grille shell on the Stroke-8 models, while thinner pillars and a two-inch longer wheelbase than the Fintail gave the cabin an open, airy feel. But despite the wheelbase stretch, the Stroke-8's 184.5-inch overall length was actually two inches shorter than the car it replaced. Further, thanks to a robust unibody structure and new safety equipment like a padded dash, the Stroke-8 weighed in about 300 pounds heavier than its predecessor.
The Stroke-8 was wildly popular, with Mercedes building 1,833,442 of them before ending production during 1976. That's a stunning 77 percent of all Mercedes passenger-car production during that time. It would be a tough act to follow.
Ref: By John Pearley Huffman
Date Posted 02-25-2003 at edmunds.com