The Mercedes-Benz A-Class W168 ran from 1997 to 2004 and was the first A-Class to reach production. It became famous in 1997 when it failed a moose-avoidance test and rolled during the manoeuvre, prompting Mercedes to recall and retrofit electronic stability control across the range. That story made it one of the most discussed car launches of the decade. The W168 uses the sandwich-floor design with a raised body over a low floor structure, which was the main engineering feature of its era.
Part number 864216 is the Recaro direct-fit sub-frame for the W168 A-Class. It attaches to the factory floor fixing positions in the W168’s front row and provides fore-aft sliding adjustment. The sandwich-floor construction means the seat mounting sits at a different height to a conventional floor, and the sub-frame geometry reflects the W168’s specific arrangement rather than a standard passenger car layout.
The A160 and A190 were both used in small-car motorsport in the early 2000s. The W168 A-Class is now a cheap classic, and fitting a Recaro seat is a practical improvement for a car where the standard seat has usually accumulated significant wear given how long these cars tend to remain in service.
This sub-frame fits Recaro seats only and covers base-mountable bucket seats and reclining sport seats. Side-mounted competition shells are not covered. Pricing is for one frame, one seat. Contact us with your Recaro model before ordering.
