M153
Inline-6- 153 2.3 L · 2,289 cc
56 PS
41 kW · 55 hp at 3,500 rpm
137 N·m
101 lb·ft at 1,800 rpm
- 153 S 2.3 L · 2,289 cc
58 PS
43 kW · 58 hp at 3,800 rpm
141 N·m
104 lb·ft at 1,800 rpm
Mercedes-Benz Large Sedan · Typ 230
W153
Facelifted 230 for the last peacetime and wartime years.
- Production
- 1938–1943
- Built
- 4,262
- Body
- Sedan & roadster
- Chassis
- W153
A facelifted 230 for harder times — the W153 carried Mercedes-Benz's six-cylinder saloon line through the last peacetime model years and into wartime production without pretending the world had not changed.
Mercedes-Benz updated the Typ 230 for 1938: revised styling, refined six-cylinder mechanicals, and a body range that still ran from closed saloons to cabriolets even as factory priorities shifted toward military contracts. The W153 shared the fundamental architecture of the W143 it replaced but read as a cleaner, more modern car — the final evolution of the pre-war six-cylinder mainstream.
4,262 were built on the W153 chassis between 1938 and 1943. It was the last substantial six-cylinder passenger program before postwar Mercedes-Benz began an entirely new design language.
Every model.
3 distinct series across 1938–1943 — each identified by its chassis and engine numbers from period factory data.
| Model | Model years | Chassis | Engine | Transmission | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 230 Sedan | 1939–1943 | 153 | 153 | 4,210 | |
| Type 230 SV Roadster | 1938–1939 | 153 | 153 S | included above | |
| Type 230 SV Roadster | 1938 | 153 | 143 S | 52 |
* The published production figure covers every series of that model; the source does not break it down further.
Engines.
The M143 and M153 as fitted to the W153.
M143
Inline-6- 143 S 2.2 L · 2,229 cc
58 PS
43 kW · 58 hp at 3,800 rpm
139 N·m
103 lb·ft at 1,800 rpm