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Mercedes-Benz 260 D

Field	Value
image	Mercedes-Benz-Museum 2015-01 by-RaBoe 116.jpg
name	Mercedes-Benz 260 D (W138)
manufacturer	Mercedes-Benz
production	1935–1940
1,967 built
predecessor	Mercedes-Benz Stuttgart 260
successor	Mercedes-Benz 350SD
class	Full-size sedan
layout	FR layout
body_style	4-door sedan
landaulette
cabriolet
engine	2545 cc OM138 I4 diesel
transmission	three-speed gearbox with overdrive (Nullserie), four-speed with synchromesh on all ratios from 1937
wheelbase	3050 mm
length	4390 mm
width	1630 mm
weight	1530 kg

The Mercedes-Benz 260 D, coded Mercedes-Benz W 138 according to internal works designation, was the first passenger car with diesel engine in a series production. The 260 D was named in reference to its engine displacement. Nearly 2,000 vehicles were assembled until 1940 when the Daimler-Benz devoted itself almost entirely to military manufacture.

Pilot series

An early attempt by Daimler-Benz to install a 6-cylinder diesel engine in a Mercedes-Benz Mannheim chassis ultimately failed due to its unacceptable vibration. 1935 saw the successful installation of the smaller OM 138, 2545 cc overhead valve, 4-cylinder engine in a Mercedes-Benz 230 (W21) chassis. It employed the Bosch diesel fuel injection system and produced 45 bhp at 3000 rpm. The car weighed approximately 1530 kg and could attain a top speed of 95 km/h. Branded as the 260 D, the car was introduced to the public at the 1936 Berlin Motor Show, although 13 pre-production units were produced the previous year. The car proved to be a good seller.

170 pullman-landaulets based on the W21 chassis were built from 1936 to 1937, called the Nullserie and used only as taxis, with a three-speed plus overdrive transmission, without synchromesh on the first gear.

Second series

The second series was introduced in 1937, and included improvements from the Mercedes-Benz W143, with a four-speed fully synchronized transmission. The chassis was based on contemporary Mercedes technology and had transverse leaf spring independent front suspension and swing axles at the rear. The brakes were hydraulic. A range of body types were made including saloons, landaulettes and cabriolets. The car was noted at the time for its good fuel economy of 9 L/100 km, compared to 13 L/100 km for its gasoline powered counterpart.

Production was stopped in 1939 as a result of World War II. After the war, the production of diesel engined cars was resumed with the Mercedes-Benz 170D in 1949. In total, 1,967 units of the 230 D were built since 1935.

A surviving example of the car is displayed at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

References

"260 D (W 138), 1936 - 1940".
(1984). "The Motor". Temple Press Limited.
"February 1936: the diesel engine celebrates its premiere in the passenger car".
Ludvigsen, Karl. (2014-08-06). "MERCEDES-BENZ - Guide". Edizioni Savine.
"Legend 3: Mercedes-Benz 260 D Pullman sedan.".

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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