Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Closed on Sundays and public holidays.
Mondays by appointment.
We will be closed from December 24th to January 1st.
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Closed on Sundays and public holidays.
Mondays by appointment.
We will be closed from December 24th to January 1st.
The Mercedes-Benz 220 SE was released in 1958 and it would be the final Ponton in the series that Mercedes-Benz would make. The Ponton and this Mercedes 220 SE represented luxury and showed that speed and performance did not necessarily have to be the defining characteristic of a luxurious car. Though, this does not mean that the car was not equipped with innovative mechanics: the arrival of the 220 SE also meant the arrival of fuel injection, which was groundbreaking at the time.
‘Das beste oder nichts’, was the Mercedes-Benz slogan, and this became clear in the quality with which their cars were - and still are - manufactured. The bodywork of the 220 SE was largely handcrafted, durable and aesthetically pleasing. The design - which was available in a bi-colour scheme to emphasize the elegant lines - was partly based on its predecessors in the Ponton series. Nonetheless, Mercedes-Benz got inspired by American car manufacturers and decided to bring a convertible version of this last Ponton on the market.
Under the hood there is a 2.2-liter six-cylinder in-line engine that produces 118 horsepower, yet the sportiness was eclipsed by prestige and luxury, as was the intention. This car was not fed by carburettors, as was common at the time. Mercedes-Benz was a pioneer in mechanical fuel injection, and this 220 SE was the first Mercedes-Benz ever to be equipped with mechanical fuel injection, or ‘Einspritzung’ as the Germans call it. In addition, the car had independent suspension on the four wheels and was also one of the first to have a crumple zone, which is still used in today’s cars.
The Mercedes-Benz ‘Fintail’ is the successor to the 220 SE, after two years of production, marking the end of the beautiful Ponton story, which lasted almost a decade. Almost 4,000 units of the 220 SE were built in total. There was a sedan, a coupe, and a convertible.
This Mercedes-Benz remains a car that has shaped the future. Also, this car is hand built and thus it is highly sought-after among aficionados. It has seen its price rocketing over the years, although, it still is a good investment.
Technical information:
Body work
Mechanics