Details of Cars

Mercedes-Benz W128: the last Ponton, the 220 SE

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Mercedes-Benz 220 SE Coupé W128
A 1958 Mercedes-Benz 220 SE Coupé. Photo by Charles from Port Chester, New York, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Mercedes-Benz W128 is a six-cylinder luxury car produced as the 220 SE from 1958 to 1960, as a saloon, coupé and cabriolet. It was a more powerful version of the near-identical W180 220 S.

Mercedes-Benz 220 SE at a glance

Mercedes-Benz W128 key facts
Production 1958–1960
Model name 220 SE
Meaning of E Einspritzung, fuel injection
Engine 2.2-litre M180 straight six with fuel injection (M127)
Bodies saloon, coupé and cabriolet
Saloon production October 1958 – August 1959
Coupé and cabriolet July 1958 – November 1960
Based on W180 220 S
Cabriolet price DM 23,400, or $8,091
Interior wood and leather almost everywhere; matching leather luggage available
Not available power steering, power windows, air conditioning and automatic transmission
Successors W111 220 SEb saloon, coupé and cabriolet

This article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Mercedes-Benz W128.

History of the Mercedes-Benz 220 SE

The 220 SE took the fuel-injected M127 version of the 2.2-litre M180 six-cylinder engine used in the W180 220 S, and added an E to its name for Einspritzung, fuel injection. It was the last new model of the Ponton range, whose design and styling traced back to the W120 saloon of 1953 from which it was derived.

Mercedes-Benz 220 SE Cabriolet W128
A 1960 Mercedes-Benz 220 SE Cabriolet. Photo by Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

At the time the cabriolet cost DM 23,400, or $8,091, ten per cent more than Cadillac’s exclusive Eldorado Biarritz convertible. Nearly every interior surface of the coupé and cabriolet was covered in wood or leather, and matching leather luggage was available. Power steering, power windows, air conditioning and an automatic transmission were not offered, though an automatic clutch could be had with the column-mounted four-speed manual gearbox.

The saloon was built from October 1958 to August 1959, while the coupé and cabriolet were made from July 1958 to November 1960. The saloon was succeeded in 1959 by the W111 220 SEb Fintail, and the coupé and cabriolet in 1961 and 1962 by more subtly designed Paul Bracq replacements, also called the 220 SEb.

Design and features

  • Fuel injection: the M127 engine that gave the car its E.
  • Lavish two-doors: wood and leather throughout, with matching luggage.
  • High price: the cabriolet cost more than a Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz.
  • Last Ponton: the final new model of the 1950s range.

Mercedes-Benz 220 SE versions

  • 220 SE saloon (1958–1959): the four-door.
  • 220 SE coupé (1958–1960): two-door hardtop.
  • 220 SE cabriolet (1958–1960): the most expensive version.

The W128 was the last of the Ponton range and was replaced by the W111 220 SEb. More in the Mercedes-Benz collection.

Sources

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