Designated model W186, the 300 was the first major new model created by Mercedes Benz after the destruction of industrial Germany in the Second World War. Launched in late 1951, the type was remarkably advanced and refined for its time. Indeed, some are of the view that it is the finest engineered saloon car of its era, particularly when one compares the sophistication of its chassis and engine with other premium marques in the same period. Indeed, the W186 is a true 'landmark' design, not just for MB, but in the history of motor car engineering. This view is clearly supported by contemporary reviews of the vehicle . Certainly in its time it exemplified the MB philosophy of volume-produced excellence which persists to this day with models such as the S-Class.

The W186 is also important in that it spawned other closely related and now highly-prized types such as the 300S and, in particular the 300SL: the famous 'Gullwing'. Ironically, this pedigree has not meant that the W186 achieves the market value of these other types: a 4-door 300 will perhaps be worth just 20% of a contemporary 2-door 300S with which it is so similar in design and appearance. Nevertheless, the time will come when others realise that this 'Cinderella car' deserves a much greater level of attention. Indeed in Germany, the vehicle is recognised not necesarily for its excellence but for its links with Konrad Adenauer, the first post-War German Chancellor who used 300s extensively, so much so that the type unofficially carries his name.