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A few weeks ago I checked out one of my favorite Mercedes-Benz ever, the Adenauer. I just think for the money you pay and what you get, it is one of best values in the market for the mature post-war classic that you bring out for that special occasion. When the Adenauer production started in 1951, Mercedes also produced the W187 220 in saloon, coupé and cabriolet form. These were still full-size luxury cars, but not nearly as large in size compared to the imposing Adenauer. Today, I wanted to check out a 1952 220 Cabriolet B up for sale in California to see how it stacks up to the big brother Adenauer. What I found was that despite being a lesser model, doesn’t mean it is any less impressive and any cheaper.
Following World War II and the near complete destruction of the Mercedes-Benz production capacity, the company nursed itself back to life with the pre-War 170 model. Production of that model would pave the rebuilding of the Sindelfingen plant that would launch the company’s resurgence to the top of the market. The new ‘Ponton’ model would be introduced to the public in the fall of 1953 and would remain the bulk of production for the remainder of the decade. It would be available in an amazing sixteen different model configurations, ranging from 4-cylinder sedans to 6-cylinder cabriolets. The Ponton represented a technical leap forward from the company who had invented the automobile, with independent suspension and an available automatic clutch dubbed “Hydrak” being the big headlines. Mercedes-Benz also steadily improved the performance over the model run, and when it came to the 2.2 inline-6 in the 220S, dual Solex downdraft carburetors helped to develop over 100 horsepower. But it was style, not performance, that helped to set the Ponton models apart and especially in Coupe and Cabriolet form, they were special cars indeed:
