Country Codes

[JLO]

Hello
Someone can explain Country Code 0 ?

Thanks

Jean-Luc

[rwmastel]

Hi Jean-Luc,

You're a full member.  Is it not in the Tech Manual?  https://www.sl113.org/wiki/DataCard/Start

[BobH]

Hello, this question has been asked several times, with no answer being given

Can you tell us exactly where this "0" is shown, is it on your data card, perhaps post a picture so we can get to the bottom of it

[WRe]

Hi,
The question of the country code "0" was also discussed several times in the German pagoda forum Pagodentreff, also with the participation of MB. Unfortunately, no answer was found here either.
...WRe

[rwmastel]

Jean-Luc,

Sorry, I didn't look at the Tech Manual myself.  I assumed it was complete and would answer your question!  Also, it seems you tried some time ago to get an answer from us without luck.
https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=32586

Form what BobH and WRe say, this appears to be a difficult problem to solve.  Please tell us more about your car.  Do you know its history?  Do you have a data card for it?  Is this country code on the ID plate on the inner fender?  Can you share any pictures with us?

[Pawel66]

I remotely recall discussions about those being Daimler HQ ordered demo cars or exhibition cars - was it not about cars with “0” country code or I remember it wrong?

As we say here: I can hear the bell, just do not know in which church…

[JLO]

https://www.dropbox.com/t/F6V6VfJ0jeK7K6us

[BobH]

There it is in black and white, well, grey and grey

Hopefully someone, somewhere may be able to shed some light on it

[JLO]

https://www.dropbox.com/t/F6V6VfJ0jeK7K6us

You will find two pics : the data card of my car and the identification plate

Thanks

[JLO]

https://www.dropbox.com/t/TOaESKuIGIWVxLKZ
My Data card

[rwmastel]

I'm getting errors downloading or previewing in those dropbox links.  Is there a reason you don't want to attach an image in your post?

[BobH]

Just to muddy the water slightly, the 1967 (actually November 66 build) car in our tech manual also has a "0" on the body and paint plate, but the data card code 712 is delivery to the US

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1967-mercedes-benz-230sl-22/

[rwmastel]

Bob,

You say "the 1967 car in our tech manual" and then post a link to BAT.  Are you saying pics from this auction are in the Tech Manual?

Looking at the auction pics, the data plate does have that 0 country code.  Also, it has no option codes listed!  I find that interesting.  It has a power steering reservoir, so it should have some option code listed.

[MikeSimon]

Could it be, that the "0" identifies a special ex-factory delivery, e.g: Military, and the car has the specs for the destination country?

[BobH]

Bob,

You say "the 1967 car in our tech manual" and then post a link to BAT.  Are you saying pics from this auction are in the Tech Manual?

Looking at the auction pics, the data plate does have that 0 country code.  Also, it has no option codes listed!  I find that interesting.  It has a power steering reservoir, so it should have some option code listed.

Yes, some of the pictures are in the tech manual as a reference for originality

https://www.sl113.org/wiki/Originality/1967230SL

[Pawel66]

JLO, please consider not publishing pictures containing your steering lock key code, especially if you have this key with this code (Lenkungschloss).

It has also special wish option 740, which we, I think, do not know what is neither (I do not think it is the black soft top).

I stick to my supposition that it is Daimler HQ special order for some event, exposition or internal use.

[MikeSimon]

It has also special wish option 740, which we, I think, do not know what is neither (I do not think it is the black soft top).

 

Pawel, that field is not "special wish", it is "rarely/seldom ordered" and it usually contains the soft-top color code. My car also has code "249" for heated rear window in that field

[Pawel66]

Yes, sorry, wrong expression. Thank you for pointing.

Yes, it was often about soft top color, but not always.

On my datacard I have wenig gewunscht 249 and 836, where

249: from 01.02.1966 to 30.06.1972 ” REAR WINDOW, ELECTRICALLY HEATED (HEAT-INSULATING GLASS)
836: from 01.08.1962 to 30.09.1970 FIRE EXTINGUISHER

For 740 we have: from 01.08.1972 TOILE DE CAPOTE 9001 BLACK

We do not have its interpretation for the 60ies, that is why I think it may not be about black soft top.

[JLO]

Hi all
I was finally able to solve the riddle of code 0 (country code):
The country code 0 was used for vehicles whose destination was not yet determined at the time of production. These vehicles were destined for internal stock (factory warehouse): "ORDER FOR STOCK". As far as my pagoda is concerned, it is the 51st 280 SL that rolled off the assembly line on December 29, 1967, put into internal stock and assigned to an engineer from Mercedes-Benz Stuttgart (Cannstatt), on June 10, 1968.
I hope that these elements will help us to get to know the pagoda better.

[Pawel66]

Thank you for sharing that information!

I think I was fairly close...

Any idea about code 740?

May we ask, if you can share, where was this information obtained? perhaps there is a source somewhere we can explore in the future?

[MikeSimon]

Pawel: Why are you so opposed to "740" standing for the soft-top color? It is listed like this in the TM in the color code section. The field "Wenig Gewünscht" can have up to 4 entries. Mine has two. 746 and 249.

[JLO]

I have this information from the manager of the Mercedes Benz SL Club Pagoda, it is Johannes Lietz Main strasse 12, 45219 Essen. johannes.lietz@sl-club-pagode.de
For my part, I remain convinced that the code 740 is the black 9001 color of the soft top.
Yours sincerely.

[Pawel66]

Thank you for sharing this information. Sounds like a very reliable source.

I am not opposed the 740 being a black soft top color. I thought it might be the case. We just did not have it documented, I think. We do not have a document describing clearly this option code. I think it is quite likely that it is about black soft top color.

[MikeSimon]

In the Tech Manual, in the Option Code section and Color Codes, it says 740 is Black Soft Top

[Pawel66]

I see it under 720 there....

Maybe I am too old for this...

[DavidAPease]

I'd say you're both correct.  Under Softtop Color Codes in the Tech Manual is the following:

1963 to February 29, 1968:
720   Verdeckstoff 872 schwarz   Softtop 872 black
...
March 1, 1968 to 1971:     
740   Verdeckstoff 9001 schwarz  Softtop 9001 black

         -David

[BobH]

I think there are some errors or omissions  in the lists of option codes and some other codes listed, otherwise MB deliberately threw in a few spurious codes to keep us guessing some 50 odd years later, when they know a bunch of people on a car forum would spend hours aimlessly looking for answers which aren't there, they must have known they'd be nothing on telly but repeats and reality TV shows

The original poster's car is December 1967 build, so should have soft top code 720, as Pawel says, but it has code 740, which according to the TM soft top list wasn't introduced until March 68, a few month's later.  740 isn't in the option code list at all, which is why i say there may be some omissions in these lists

The more complete VDH list of codes doesn't have 720 listed as an option for roof fabric at all, it shows roof rails, or wheels.  740 in the VDH list is for soft top fabric, black, but no date is shown, it also has the 7** codes for the other soft top colours, so it's all very strange and confusing, but then i'm easily confused!

I should just add that i am by no means criticizing this fantastic manual, it's put together by enthusiastic volunteers based on the information available at the time, which is why it's regularly updated as new details are discovered

[Pawel66]

But then, given there are some indications of 740 being code for black soft top before 1972 here and there - this code is most likely for that soft top color. So that is fine until we find out for sure that it is not somewhere.