The Mercedes-Benz W187 is a luxury car produced from 1951 to 1955 as a saloon, coupé and cabriolet and sold as the 220. It used a single overhead camshaft 2.2-litre M180 straight six.
Mercedes-Benz 220 at a glance
| Production | 1951–1955 |
|---|---|
| Model name | 220 |
| First shown | Frankfurt Motor Show, April 1951 |
| Engine | 2,195 cc M180 straight six, single overhead camshaft |
| Power | 79 hp (80 PS) |
| Bodies | four-door saloon, Cabriolet A, Cabriolet B and coupé |
| Saloon production | to 1954 |
| Cabriolet production | to 1955 |
| Coupé | from 1954, priced at 22,000 marks |
| Coupés built | 85 |
| Cabriolet A built | 1,278 |
| Cabriolet B built | 997 |
| Police tourer | 41 OTP cars, 1952–1953 |
This article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Mercedes-Benz W187. Free photographs of the 220 were not available, so the record keeps its earlier picture.
History of the Mercedes-Benz 220
In the depressed years after the war Mercedes-Benz had built only four-cylinder passenger cars, despite its pre-war reputation for luxury. The W187 220 and the flagship W186 300 Adenauer, introduced together at Frankfurt in April 1951, were the first Mercedes-Benz cars to have six-cylinder engines again. The new 2.2-litre M180 engine was the first new engine the company had presented in more than ten years, and the motoring press took great interest in it even though the body looked old fashioned.
The saloon’s body strongly resembled the 1938 W153, and despite its modern engine it looked dated to many observers on its introduction. Two years earlier the Borgward Hansa had shown that design had moved on since the 1930s, and the company’s own 1953 W120 Ponton confirmed that modern European cars were following the North American trend towards lower and wider bodies. That is often seen as the reason for the W187’s unusually short production run. The 220 saloon resembled the 170 S, with the 170’s freestanding headlights integrated into the wings, and it had duplex drum brakes for the extra power of what was a heavy car by the standards of the day.
Two two-door cabriolets were built, similar to those of the 170 line: the opulent Cabriolet A, which echoed the exclusive W188 300 S, and the much plainer Cabriolet B, a dedicated 2+2 closely resembling the saloon. During 1953 the Cabriolet A’s flat windscreen gave way to a slightly curved one, and in December a coupé derived from it was announced for 1954, fitted with a steel sunroof and priced at 22,000 marks, nearly twice the saloon. In all 1,278 Cabriolet As, 997 Cabriolet Bs and just 85 Coupés were sold, and between August 1952 and May 1953 forty-one special open OTP touring cars were built for the West German police.
Design and features
- Return of the six: the first six-cylinder Mercedes-Benz after the war.
- New M180 engine: 2.2 litres and 79 hp, widely praised.
- Old-fashioned body: a shape inherited from the 1938 W153.
- Rare coupé: only 85 built, at nearly twice the saloon price.
Mercedes-Benz 220 versions
- 220 saloon: the four-door, built to 1954.
- Cabriolet A: the opulent two-seater, 1,278 built.
- Cabriolet B: the plainer 2+2, 997 built.
- Coupé (1954): 85 built with a steel sunroof.
- OTP police tourer: 41 open cars for the West German police.
The W187 was the smaller companion of the 300 Adenauer and was replaced in spirit by the Ponton sixes. More in the Mercedes-Benz collection.
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz W187, English Wikipedia: engine, bodies, production numbers, police cars
