The Mercedes-Benz 240 D 3.0 Introduced 50 Years Ago

 

The Mercedes-Benz 240 D 3.0 (W 115) with the 59 kW/80 hp three-litre five-cylinder OM 617 engine made its debut on 12 July 1974. It was the most powerful diesel passenger car of its time and also the world’s first five-cylinder series-produced passenger car. Shot of the crankshaft with five pistons. 

12 July 1974 – 50 years ago

Premiere of the first five-cylinder diesel engine passenger car in the 240 D 3.0 “Stroke Eight”

• The world’s most powerful diesel passenger car to date had an output of 59 kW (80 hp)
• Technically closely related to the four-cylinder 240 D model
• The suffix “/8” was added to all new models in 1968

The Mercedes-Benz 240 D 3.0 with the 59 kW/80 hp three-liter five-cylinder OM 617 engine is one of the sought-after representatives of the “Stroke Eight” model series 114 and 115, production of which started in 1968. On 12 July 1974, 50 years ago, the 240 D 3.0 was presented in Frankfurt/Main and Hockenheim. The mid-size saloon of the E-Class tradition was the most powerful diesel passenger car and also the world’s first five-cylinder series-produced passenger car. The engine had the same stroke-bore ratio and the same cylinder spacing as the four-cylinder engine of the 240 D with 48 kW/65 hp. From 1974 to 1976, 53,690 units of the 240 D 3.0 were produced. The OM 617 continued to be built in the 300 D of the 123 model series until 1985. The term “Stroke Eight”, which is commonly used in classic car circles today, was created due to the addition of “/8” in internal Mercedes-Benz publications for all models released in 1968. However, the abbreviation is only used for the 114 and 115 model series in classic car parlance.