By Colin Wood
Jun 8, 2020
Ever notice how high some speedometers go? Most cars won't ever reach that top number on the gauge due to mechanical limitations (and, of course, because of the speed limit), but this 1973 Mercedes-Benz 280 E really can actually max out its 220 kph speedometer—that's roughly 136 mph—thanks in part to the Autobahn.
6/8/20 11:47 a.m.
I used to get a kick out of the kids who'd come over and look at one of my cars that had a metric speedo in it (it had been an Italian home market car).
They'd go something like "Holy Crap! This car will do 300 mph! (we went metric up gere in 1970 so you'd think that kids in this millennium would be able to figure that out....)
6/8/20 8:43 p.m.
Oh man that brings back memories.
Gramma had a 280 w114 in bright yellow that I drove for a while in highschool.
I was able to hit an indicated 120mph on a newly opened section of freeway (A porkbarrel project from the late great John Murtha) that was between my house that my girlfriend's. Heady stuff for somebody who had only driven a '72 mustang up to that point.
It was fantastic and I was in love. With the car-the girlfriend was gone by the next summer.
6/8/20 8:58 p.m.
We did 250KM (150 MPH) in a big old V8 early 1980s Mercedes 4 door sedan , not sure why , my buddy just wanted to show off........Autobahns were fun back then before most got speed limits......
6/9/20 11:49 a.m.
One thing I can say about the old Mercs - they were pretty solid at high speed compared to trying the same thing in a large Amercian barge of that time, which wandered and lurched when attempting to find top speed (we were never sure if it was road surface, wind or something else).
Probably due to being designed for a country with open speed autobahns (only in certain sections, mind you).
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