The company's most expensive and exclusive automobiles, the elegant, hand-built 300 S (1951-1954) and its successor 300 Sc (1955-1958) were the pinnacle of the Mercedes line of their era.

The pair's conservative styling belied their technological advances,[2] sharing numerous design innovations and mechanical components with the iconic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing", including engine, suspension, and chassis.

Although mechanically similar to the much larger contemporary four-door 300 (W186), the additional craftsmanship, visual elegance, and 50% higher price tag elevated the W188[4] to the apex of its era's luxury cars.

Designed to give reliable service under prolonged hard use, the engine featured deep water jackets, an innovative diagonal head-to-block joint that allowed for oversized intake and exhaust valves, thermostatically controlled oil cooling, copper-lead bearings, and a hardened crankshaft.

Following the high-performance 300SL Gullwing's lead a year earlier, the Sc's inline-six received a version of its mechanical direct fuel-injection, which delivered a significantly detuned 175 PS (129 kW; 173 hp) at 5400 rpm.