“Strich-Acht”, stroke-eight, is the nickname under which the vehicles of the Mercedes-Benz W 114 and W 115 series came to be known. The designation originated from the sales start in 1968 and identified the vehicles as successors to the W 110, the so-called “fintail”. The /8 series was designed by Paul Bracq and Bruno Sacco. The vehicles were equipped with petrol and diesel engines, which produced 70-110 kW (95-150 hp) and 40-59 kW (55-80 hp) respectively. The manufacturer differentiated internally between six-cylinder (W 114) and four-cylinder (W 115) engines. The chassis was a completely new development, which led to better road handling. Four disc brakes as standard and 26 crash tests prove that safety was paramount. As is still the case today, almost all equipment features were optional extras subject to surcharge. The typical centre console design was also new. In addition to the classic sedan, a variant with a long wheelbase and a coupé were offered. The solid basic substance and the superior build quality deserve special mention, as they often lead to seven-figure mileages, topped by a taxi to be admired at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, which covered a total of 4.6 million kilometres with three exchange engines. A total of over 1.9 million units of the /8 were produced.