Mercedes-Benz 220 A Cabriolet (W187)

Vehicle Description

Mercedes-Benz 220 A Cabriolet (W187), year of construction 1954
– First delivery in Germany, then exported to Great Britain
– During 3 years extensively restored (costs £ 4,370), then part of a private collection
– 2018 re-comissioned
– 2019 re-imported to Germany
– 2.2 litre engine with 59 kW (80 hp) and steering wheel gearstick
– Unwarranted mileage of only 58,700 km
– Paint in ivory white (first paint in black) and black soft top
– Elegant interior in red leather
– Original “Becker AR 5065 radio
– Brakes and shock absorbers in front and back renewed
One of only 1,278 units built of this timeless classic

Immediately after WWII, Mercedes-Benz had only offered 4-cylinder engines in their passenger cars. This changed when at the Frankfurt Motor Show of 1951, the company presented two 6-cylinder models: One was the range-topping 300 (W 186), the other the 220 (W 187). The latter essentially used the chassis and body shell of the pre-war W 153, presented in 1938, just that the previously free-standing headlights were now integrated into the fenders in an attempt at making the car look more modern. In direct comparison to more progressively styled, ponton-bodied cars like the Borgward Hansa, the 220 still looked positively old-fashioned from the start. What was modern and received plenty of praise, however, was the inline 6-cylinder engine with overhead camshaft and oversquare dylinder dimensions. It provided a power output of 59 kW (80 hp), sufficient for a top speed of 140 km/h (or 145 km/h for the convertible). So it doesn’t come as a surprise that, while the W 187 had an unusually short production run, the basic layout of the M 180 engine lived on, with many modifications and power enhancements, until 1989. A total of 18,514 units of the W 187 were built, with the coupe – only available 1954 / 1955 – being by far the rarest model, of which only 85 pieces were manufactured.

Vehicle Overview