Lot Ended
Description
Super-cool Bond villain Merc; top spec 220S restored at a cost of over
£30k; 100bhp 2.2 straight-six with manual 'box; gleaming black paint with chrome
highlights; factory RHD; top quality Cold War classic
By the early
1950s Mercedes was best known for beautifully engineered but hugely expensive
cars like the 300 Adenauer series and the 300 S Sports Tourers which were
largely handbuilt using traditional body-on-chassis techniques.
Seeking to expand production and cut costs
without sacrificing quality, the new W180 range of 1954 used modern unibody
construction methods and was informally dubbed the ‘Ponton’ due to the way the
wings were smoothly integrated into the structure giving a pleasing
pontoon-shaped silhouette.
Another
major benefit of the unibody was that it vastly improved crash safety, the
innovative use of crumple zones allowing the rigid central cell monocoque to be
surrounded by bodywork that was designed to deform and absorb energy in the
event of an accident.
Available with a range of
engines, from a humble four-cylinder side-valve in the basic 180 to the
sophisticated 2,195cc six-cylinder fitted to the 220 models, the Ponton had
independent suspension all round with double wishbones up front and low-pivot
swing axles at the rear. All models used the same steering column-mounted
four-speed manual gear change.
By the time the
W180 was replaced by the W111 ‘Fintail’ range in 1959, over half-a-million had
been sold, almost half of them four-cylinder diesel models which were mainly
used as taxis thanks to their legendary robustness and engineering
integrity.
Dating from 1959, this handsome RHD
220S Saloon has the top spec 100bhp twin-carb 2.2 straight-six petrol engine
which could shove the car to 60mph in around 14 seconds on its way to a top
speed of 100mph. A top-quality machine with beautiful chrome accents on the
flanks, it is one of only 55,279 220S Saloons made (the vast majority in LHD)
although another 1,251 Coupe versions and 2,178 Cabriolets were also built
but the former would cost you at least five times as much and the latter ten
times as much so if you’re on a £10k budget you can only dream about those!
Nothing is known of the car’s early history, but
our vendor acquired it from Sedgefield Classic Cars of South Africa in June
2018, getting it shipped to UK with all duties paid and registered as 945 XVD in
December 2018. The sunny South African climate has clearly served it well and it
looks reassuringly straight and solid both above and below.
Our vendor has since spent over £30,000 getting the car into the
lovely condition you see today. There are many bills on file for numerous new
parts supplied by Niemoller of Mannheim although these are hard to decipher
unless you read German.
The engine was fully
rebuilt by AMS of West Sussex in January 2020 with new Mahle pistons, bearings,
con rods, timing chain, crankshaft etc, the cylinder head was also rebuilt
by a race engineer at the same time and the carbs were rebuilt.
There are also invoices for a brake system
overhaul; new alternator; recored radiator; new wiring harness; new water pump;
new clutch kit; new shocks; Pertronix electronic ignition; new rubber door
seals; exhaust sections; new set of tyres; rechromed bumpers plus much else
besides. The interior was also retrimmed with new red vinyl seat covers and door
cards, although there is no invoice for this.
The history file includes the V5C recording no previous owners; many
invoices; import documents; a copy of a 108-page workshop manual with another on
a CD; a Glenn’s 'Repair and Tune-Up Guide' plus much other useful
technical literature. Sundry useful spares are stored in the boot including
a gasket set and a radiator surround.
As you can
see in the photos, this Merc looks very smart indeed and the black paintwork
suits it beautifully. It has clearly been repainted to a high standard at some
point in the not-too-distant past and while it is generally very good, there is
the odd imperfection here and there.
Given an agreed insurance value of
£20,000 in 2020, we are told that it has covered some 3,000 miles since the
engine rebuild and drives beautifully, cruising happily at 60mph with
plenty more in hand if required. It has certainly been starting promptly and
running nicely as we have moved it around on site.
Just oozing Cold War cool, this 220S is a top-quality slab of
Germanic engineering that will be admired wherever it goes. On offer here at a
very tempting guide price, it is only reluctantly for sale because our vendor
has lost his garage space and the car is far too good to leave outside.
A gorgeous-looking machine which draws huge amounts of attention
wherever it goes, it will make you feel like the villain in a Bond movie every
time you slip behind that wonderful white steering wheel…
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 –
[email protected]