Showcased At Mercedes-Benz Museum, A One-Off Model Of The Mercedes-Benz 300 ‘Adenauer’

‘Close-Up: Cars, Architecture and Exhibition Design’ tells a surprising, exciting or behind-the-scenes story by shining a light on details of a vehicle, an exhibit or an element of architecture and design.

This time, said exhibition at the Mercedes-Benz Museum shines a light on a one-off model of the Mercedes-Benz 300 ‘Adenauer’ as a measuring car, from 1960.

To give a little context, this representative vehicle is called as such due to the first German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer’s preference for the model.

Unique, this Mercedes-Benz 300 ‘Adenauer’ located in Legend Room 5 of the Mercedes-Benz Museum is particularly striking. 

Firstly because of the long cable connecting it to a Mercedes-Benz 220 S (W 111) and then because only one half of the car looks like a normal ‘Adenauer’. 

Notably, the difference begins behind the B-pillar, from that point back stretches an elegant, elongated rear end generously glazed with panoramic windows, reminiscent of an estate car. 

Paired with beautifully shaped tail lights, along with exhaust tips integrated into the bumper, the whole rear layout really catches the eye. 

Then the surprise inside, where numerous measuring instruments are found as well as two individual seats with narrow, wickerwork backrests, rather like garden chairs.

Tailor-made, this so-called measuring car or ‘Messwagen’ in German, was an individually constructed and equipped vehicle decisively configured for its intended use. 

Mainly because this one-off model was built by Mercedes-Benz in 1960 as a measuring car for the development engineers in the testing department. 

Significantly, the elegant Mercedes-Benz saloon in the W 189 series was chosen as its basis because of the need for a fast and large vehicle. 

After all, the measuring car not only had to follow other vehicles effortlessly, it also had to be able to transport the voluminous measuring equipment.

Elaborating further, for many years, the converted Mercedes-Benz 300 was used successfully as a rolling measurement laboratory. 

For this purpose, it was connected to another vehicle via a cable up to 30 m long, a kind of early ‘local area network’ (LAN) that transmits sensor data to sensitive measuring devices in the rear.

Constantly improving, this ideal has driven vehicle development at Mercedes-Benz since the invention of the automobile in 1886. 

However, there was a problem, the measuring instruments in the 1950s were large, heavy, and sensitive. 

Thereby, in the development vehicle itself, they would influence the driving characteristics and also be shaken around a lot, e.g., on the ‘boneshaker’ track.

As such, the solution was ingeniously simple. Mercedes-Benz split the sensor technology and the acquisition of measurement data between two vehicles, and so the measuring car was born. 

Done so by guiding the prototype through the dynamic handling tests, where the steadier rolling laboratory followed at a distance to receive the data, e.g., from the shock absorbers, via the cable. 

Despite all the equipment fitted, a look inside the measuring car shows that the engineers did not enjoy top comfort. 

Most noticeably, the headroom is limited, and the two seats at the back have simple garden chair backs in woven rattan. 

Plus, the glazing probably not only let a lot of light into the interior on sunny days, but also created something of a greenhouse climate. At least the body has ventilation openings on the sides.

Aforementioned, aside from being stable, this special Mercedes-Benz 300 ‘Adenauer’ also needed to keep up on the road, meaning to be fast. 

Therefore, it is powered by the injection engine from the later version of the W 189 (1957 to 1962), which develops 118 kW (160 hp). 

Mercedes-Benz states that it has a maximum speed of 120 km/h, whereas, a normal ‘Adenauer’ with automatic transmission could reach 165 km/h.

The measuring car was used until the 1970s, mainly on the test track in Untertürkheim. But it also has road approval, and thus a registration number: S-MH 867.

Today, the entire data acquisition system travels with the prototype, as modern sensor and computer technology make this possible, that is being lighter and smaller. 

Certainly, the developers’ hunger for knowledge is greater than ever, but this also remains their motivation to make the car of tomorrow even better with every new Mercedes-Benz.

That said, for interested enthusiasts, the Mercedes-Benz Museum is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9 am to 6 pm.