Description
It is not always appreciated what a stir Mercedes-Benz road cars made in the 1950s. Leaving aside such obvious stars as the 300SL ‘Gullwing’, there were headlines like ‘Magnificent Mercedes’ when a new saloon came out. It is not hard to see why: the company introduced new levels of build quality to even its most mundane models.
Take the 220S, here was a discreetly styled saloon with a top speed of 100mph – when it was introduced in 1956, 100mph was beyond some sports cars. It was superbly assembled at a time when most saloons were of dubious quality and it had such features as servo-assisted brakes and an overhead camshaft engine.
It also basked in the reflected glory of Mercedes-Benz’s legendary return to Grand Prix racing in 1954 (Fangio won back-to-back World Championships) and it’s winning of the 1955 World Sports Car Championship. The kudos which surrounded the model range cannot be understated especially since Mercedes-Benz insisted on direct correlations between its road cars and competition cars.
With the cars it introduced in the 1950s, Mercedes-Benz began to move to its present market niche. It was a decision which paid off as Mercedes-Benz has become an extraordinarily successful company on the back of matchless engineering and build quality. The 220S is part of that tradition and remains one of the most desirable motorcars of its day.
This very beautiful 220S cabriolet was delivered new in 1957, and is still presented in very good condition today. The car is finished in a very stylish shade of light grey, with a contrasting red leather interior.
We are pleased to note the 220S is still fitted with its original motor and manual gearbox, and a column-mounted shifter. The car has been checked over by the vendor, who confirms it is ready to be used and enjoyed on the road.
Offered with all EU taxes paid, this is a beautiful and very stylish car which can be enjoyed straight away.
