1966 Mercedes-Benz 220SE Cabriolet

Mercedes-Benz replaced the hand-built two-door Pontons at the top end of the range with a new line of luxury models based on the new Finnie floorpan. Carrying the designation W1111, the 220SE range debuted at the 1961 Geneva Salon and featured elegant, transatlantic styling by Paul Bracq, in either pillarless coupe or cabriolet configuration. Powered by the M127 fuel-injected six-cylinder engine, the 220SE was offered with either a four-speed manual or optional four-speed fluid-coupled automatic transmission and the upmarket specification included front disc brakes as standard, plus the option of power steering. The pressed steel coachwork of the cabriolet was hand built at Sindelfingen to the most exacting standards, with a soft top that provided the equivalent weather protection to a regular hard top and triple layer construction with proper headlining. The 220SE coupes and cabriolets also benefited from more luxuriously appointed interiors, with genuine leather upholstery, the option of a polished walnut dash and seating for five adults. Remaining in production until October1965, the two-door 220SE models were produced in tiny numbers, with a mere 2,729 cabriolets built and surviving examples are now keenly sought out by aficionados.