During the late 1950s, Mercedes-Benz was evolving quickly and was well on its way to becoming the foremost manufacturer of luxury and near-luxury automobiles in the world. Much of its success during this formative period can be traced back to the 220, Mercedes-Benz’s bread and butter offering, particularly for export, during the second half of the 1950s. First introduced in 1951, the 220 was comfortable, well built and attractive. Its 80 horsepower single overhead camshaft straight-six, however, did little in the way of performance.

The 220S with dual carburetion much improved the cars performance from its introduction in 1956, and examples like this 1958 Mercedes-Benz 220S Cabriolet came with 120 horsepower. A very pretty restoration, it is finished in white and has a tan cloth top, red top boot, radial wide whitewall tires, full hubcaps and a red leather interior with tan carpets. An older cosmetic restoration, it has had a quality respray and the interior has been replaced. The interior features mostly original wood on the dash, a dash clock, and a column-mounted shifter for the four-speed manual gearbox.

Also included are a spare and the original jack. The original engine bay is tidy, and the original chrome still shines brightly. Finished in a pleasing color combination, this 220S Cabriolet is a sound, well-preserved and very usable example of a historically significant model, and is ideal for long drives or tours where it will deliver both comfort and style.