Mercedes-Benz was never one to give into styling fads until the last decade or so. However, the craze for tailfins in the 1950s led the styling team of the Stuttgart firm to introduce the fintail, or Heckflosse in German. These sedans were a restrained, German interpretation of a popular styling element that would last well past the tail fin craze left the US. The last Heckflosse left the factory in January 1968. Here is a clean, dual carburetor 220Sb outside of Washington, D.C. for sale.
The seller states:
1965 Mercedes Benz 220SB, 6 cylinder engine, automatic transmission. Always garaged, second owner. Original paint, great condition, compression is good, new stock transmission, all new brake lines, Original miles. Have maintenance records dating back 10 years, original books and man
While at the Mercedes-Benz Club June Jamboree in 2006, I remember running into a non-fintail 250S sedan in a similar gray on red color combination. I simply love the contrast of these period correct hues.
Incidentally, a few years before I came along, my father drove a 1967 230S, which was the final evolution of the Heckflosse, with a revised 2.3 liter, twin carb M108 six cylinder. It was black over parchment, with a 4 speed manual on the floor. We still have plenty of pictures of this car, one of which I sent to Mercedes-Benz for use in their ad campaign a few years ago “No One Ever Poses With Their Toaster.” You can see my father and his friends similar ’67 230S in white at 0:30 in the following video:
-Paul