Originality Police

I have an early 6.3 (#0022) that I am certain was delivered somewhere in Europe, no idea where. On occasion I see cars that have the single lens euro headlights installed, my car has the euro version of the stacked headlights. Were the single lens versions ever an option on these cars?

'70 280SEL 45k miles - for sale
'68 300SEL 6.3 #0022
'70 300SEL 6.3 #3216
'73 300SEL 4.5 -for sale

There was a handful of cars that were supposedly delivered with the single piece lamps at the buyer's request, such as the Shah of Iran car. but at the time this would have been a lighting performance downgrade.

When the 6.3 came out, non-US market cars were delivered with dual headlamps that looked similar to the US dual sealed beam setup, but instead of being fitted with sealed beam lamps, they came with special Bosch lamps that could take advantage of the newly available H1 halogen bulbs. These early halogen bulbs were a single filament design, so they couldn't be used in headlights that required a dual filament bulb, one each for high and low beams, such as the BiLux P45t base bulbs used in the single lens lamps. To give the 6.3 the added performance of halogen lighting, Mercedes came up with a twin lamp system, where the top lamp had a H1 bulb for the low beam, and the lower lamp also had a H1 bulb for the high beam. These were made so they fit in the same lamp housings that had been used on US cars since the first W111 fin tails.

Eventually in 1970, the H4 dual filament halogen bulb was introduced, and this was first used in the R107 SL, followed by the W116 S class.

These days you can get dual filament halogen bulbs with a P45t base that fit in the single lamp units, so you can sort of have your cake and eat it too if you want. Although to European Mercedes fans having the single lens lamps is an indicator of a lower spec car, while the dual lamps is seen as an upgrade.

The standard Euro lighting setup for an early 6.3 would be like this. H1 Bosch low beam on top, H1 Bosch high beam below. Clear "city" light in the inner segment between the main beams. Amber turn signal in the outer segment. Auxiliary driving lamps on the panel between the main headlamp and the grill. At some point the driving lamps were changed to fog lamps, and instead of putting the city light in the inner segment, it was incorporated as an additional smaller bulb inside the high beam lamp.

Thanks for the info, great insight. My car has the lights exactly as shown in the photo I has always presumed they are as-delivered originally, however on occasion you see a 108/109 with the single lens light
My curiosity is satisfied, thanks much.

'70 280SEL 45k miles - for sale
'68 300SEL 6.3 #0022
'70 300SEL 6.3 #3216
'73 300SEL 4.5 -for sale