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Photo of a Mercedes-Benz 220

Mercedes-Benz 220

Prewar curves and a new SOHC six: Mercedes-Benz's six-cylinder comeback in 1951.12

Researched November 1, 2026 from 34 sources

At a glance

0100200
79–84 hpPower
012.525
21 s0–100 km/h
0100200
140–150 km/hTop speed
0150300
142–157 N·mTorque
07501,500
1,325–1,460 kgWeight

The coral arc spans the family, from its mildest version to its wildest.269101112

Engine
2,195 cc M180 SOHC inline-six; oversquare 80 x 72.8 mm126
Layout
Front-longitudinal engine, rear-wheel drive6
Gearbox
4-speed column-shift manual; 3.68/2.25/1.42/1.00; final drive 4.44:16
Built at
Sindelfingen plant, West Germany23
Units built
18,514: 16,066 sedans; 1,278 Cab A; 997 Cab B; 85 coupes; 41 police; 47 chassis24

The story

Conceived to bridge the 170 S and flagship 300, the W187 220 paired familiar bodywork with an all-new, oversquare SOHC six. That engine began a line still powering S-Class models in the 1970s.123

1948: 220 and 300 development begins19481951: April: Frankfurt's six-cylinder return · July: series production on an X-frame19511952: Monte Carlo's best-team trophy19521953: November glass, December coupe19531954: April: more power for A and coupe · May: sedan yields to the Ponton19541955: July: coupe; August: Cabriolet A19551956: July and October: 220S successors1956 Mercedes-Benz 230 (W143): 1937–1941Mercedes-Benz 230 (W153): 1938–1943W153Mercedes-Benz 170 S (W136): 1949–1952Mercedes-Benz 220 (W187): 1951–1955Mercedes-Benz 220a (W180): 1954–1956Mercedes-Benz 220S Cabriolet and Coupé: From 1956Mercedes-Benz 220S Cabriolet and Coupé 194019501960197019801990200020102020
GenerationsBefore and afterMilestones25718192021
Show the numbers
YearWhat happened
1937–1941Mercedes-Benz 230 (W143)
1938–1943Mercedes-Benz 230 (W153)
1949–1952Mercedes-Benz 170 S (W136)
1951–1955Mercedes-Benz 220 (W187)
1954–1956Mercedes-Benz 220a (W180)
From 1956Mercedes-Benz 220S Cabriolet and Coupé
1948220 and 300 development begins
1951April: Frankfurt's six-cylinder return
1951July: series production on an X-frame
1952Monte Carlo's best-team trophy
1953November glass, December coupe
1954April: more power for A and coupe
1954May: sedan yields to the Ponton
1955July: coupe; August: Cabriolet A
1956July and October: 220S successors
  1. 1948

    220 and 300 development begins

    The 220 and 300 projects began while steel and even pencils were scarce; Wilhelm Haspel, Fritz Nallinger and Rudolf Uhlenhaut had resumed their posts.4

  2. 1951

    April: Frankfurt's six-cylinder return

    The 220 and flagship 300 shared their Frankfurt debut, restoring six-cylinder passenger cars to the Mercedes-Benz range.25

  3. 1951

    July: series production on an X-frame

    Series production began with an oval-tube X-frame, independent coil-spring suspension and duplex front drum brakes.567

  4. 1952

    Monte Carlo's best-team trophy

    Karl Kling, Rudolf Caracciola and Hermann Lang took three 220s to the January Monte Carlo Rally and won the team trophy.8

  5. 1953

    November glass, December coupe

    Cabriolet A gained a curved windshield in November; its coupe derivative followed in December. Only 85 coupes were built.59

  6. 1954

    April: more power for A and coupe

    Higher compression gave Cabriolet A and the coupe 84 hp, using an engine developed for the incoming 220 a.25

  7. 1954

    May: sedan yields to the Ponton

    The sedan ended production in May as the Ponton-bodied W180 220a took over; Cabriolet A and the coupe continued.12

  8. 1955

    July: coupe; August: Cabriolet A

    The coupe finished in July and Cabriolet A in August. Neither body style had an immediate replacement.5

  9. 1956

    July and October: 220S successors

    The Ponton-bodied 220S Cabriolet arrived in July and the coupe in October, restoring both body styles after the production gap.2

Every generation

  • Mercedes-Benz 230
    W1431937–1941
  • Mercedes-Benz 230
    W1531938–1943
  • Mercedes-Benz 170 S
    W1361949–1952
  • Mercedes-Benz 220
    W1871951–1955
  • Mercedes-Benz 220a
    W1801954–1956
  • Mercedes-Benz 220S Cabriolet and Coupé
    Mercedes-Benz 220S Cabriolet and CoupéFrom 1956

Versions

10 versions worth knowing, with their power.

  • Standard

    220 Saloon

    1951–1954

    79 hp

    16,066 built

  • Standard

    220 Sliding-Roof Saloon (187.014)

    1951–1954

    79 hp
  • 220 Cabriolet A

    Standard

    220 Cabriolet A

    1951–1955

    1,278 built

  • 220 Cabriolet B

    Standard

    220 Cabriolet B

    1951–1953

    79 hp

    997 built

  • 220 Coupé

    Standard

    220 Coupé

    1953–1955

    85 built

  • Special

    220 Open Police Tourer

    1952–1953

    79 hp

    41 built

  • Special

    220 Binz Police Radio Car

    1952–1954

    79 hp

  • Special

    220 Coupé with Steel Sliding Roof

    1953–1955

    12 built

  • Special

    220 Lueg Ambulance

    1952

    79 hp

    8 built

  • Special

    220 Haspel Coupé Prototype

    1951

    1 built

How to spot one

Look for

  • Look for headlamps built into the front fenders, topped by chrome trim.7
  • Cabriolet A retains running boards beneath its prewar-shaped body.17
  • Rear-hinged doors are another period 220 clue.13
  • Cabriolet B adds rear quarter glass; Cabriolet A has one side window per side.713

Year by year

  1. November 1953

    Cabriolet A replaces its flat windshield with gently curved glass, giving a clear early-versus-late distinction.5

  2. December 1953

    A production coupe joins the range, sharing the Cabriolet A's styling.5

Don’t confuse it with

  • Mercedes-Benz 170 S

    Check the headlamps: the 170 S has freestanding lamps, while the 220's are built into the front fenders.2

  • Mercedes-Benz 220a (W180 Ponton)

    The earlier 220 keeps prewar-style bodywork and fender-integrated lamps; the later 220a has Ponton styling.118

Prices

Value today $67.2K–$156.8K2225

Price when newAuction saleValue todayPrices on a log scale
$1K$10K$100K$1M 1960197019801990200020102020 Value today: $67,200–$156,800 1954 · $4,175 · US starting price, 220 2016 · $126,500 · 1952 Cabriolet A, Motor City2023 · $40,000 · 1951 220 sedan, 27k km shown, TMU, BaT2024 · $129,251 · 1954 Yamagata 220 Cabriolet A, 10k km TMU, BaT2025 · $156,800 · 1952 Cabriolet A, show-restored, Pebble Beach Auctions2025 · $60,500 · 1952 220 Cabriolet A, 1k km shown, TMU, BaT2025 · $11,250 · 1953 220 sedan, 11k km shown, BaT2026 · $67,200 · 1953 Saloon, restored, Arizona2026 · $87,000 · 1954 220 Cabriolet A, 86k miles shown, BaT $156.8K Pebble Beach Auctions, 2025
3722253031323334
Show the numbers
YearPriceAmountDetail
1954Price when new$4,175US starting price, 220
2016Auction sale$126,5001952 Cabriolet A, Motor City
2023Auction sale$40,0001951 220 sedan, 27k km shown, TMU, BaT
2024Auction sale$129,2511954 Yamagata 220 Cabriolet A, 10k km TMU, BaT
2025Auction sale$156,8001952 Cabriolet A, show-restored, Pebble Beach Auctions
2025Auction sale$60,5001952 220 Cabriolet A, 1k km shown, TMU, BaT
2025Auction sale$11,2501953 220 sedan, 11k km shown, BaT
2026Auction sale$67,2001953 Saloon, restored, Arizona
2026Auction sale$87,0001954 220 Cabriolet A, 86k miles shown, BaT
2026Value today$67,200–$156,800

The rest of the story is in the app

The full file tells why each version matters, the legend behind the car and what to check before buying one.

  • Versions

    • Why each of the 10 versions matters

  • Legend

    • 13 stories from its legend
    • “Three 220s won Monte Carlo's team trophy”
    • “The Majestic put a Cabriolet A on screen”

  • Generations

    • The story of each of the 6 generations

  • Market

    • 3 things to check before buying one
    • Where prices are heading, and why
Read the full file in SPOT

SPOT is free on iPhone. Full car files come with SPOT Plus.

Sources

Every fact on this page links to the source it rests on.

See all 34 sources
  1. Cohort Outtake: 1952 Mercedes 220 Cabriolet A (W187) - A Classic In Its Time - Curbside Classic curbsideclassic.com
  2. Mercedes-Benz W187 - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  3. Mercedes 220: u progu nowej stylistyki - Auto Świat auto-swiat.pl
  4. 70 Jahre Mercedes 220 (W 187) und 300 (W 186/189) mail.freenet.de
  5. Typ 220 (W 187), 1951 - 1954 mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com
  6. 220 mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com
  7. 1952 Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet A | Motor City 2016 | RM Sotheby's rmsothebys.com
  8. Rallyes und Rekorde | Mercedes-Benz Media media.mercedes-benz.com
  9. 220 Coupé mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com
  10. Mercedes 220 (W187) – Datenblatt – Stuttgarter-Oldtimer.de stuttgarter-oldtimer.de
  11. 220 Cabriolet B mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com
  12. 220 Cabriolet A mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com
  13. Buyer Information Cabriolet A and Cabriolet B silverstarrestorations.com
  14. 220 Offener Tourenwagen mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com
  15. 1954 Mercedes-Benz 220 Coupe | Munich | RM Sotheby's rmsothebys.com
  16. 1951 Mercedes-Benz 220 Coupe Prototype | London 2013 | RM Sotheby's rmsothebys.com
  17. 1952 Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet A - Sports Car Market sportscarmarket.com
  18. Eugene Emmer's 1954 Mercedes-Benz Type W187 220 cabriolet A � www.mbzponton.org mbzponton.org
  19. Mercedes-Benz W143 - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  20. Mercedes-Benz W153 - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  21. Mercedes-Benz 170S - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  22. 1953 Mercedes-Benz 220 Saloon | Arizona 2026 | RM Sotheby's rmsothebys.com
  23. Mercedes-Benz W136 - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  24. Wolf-Dieter Bensinger - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  25. 1952 Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet A | Gooding Christie’s goodingco.com
  26. 1952 Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet A | Gene Ponder Collection | RM Sotheby's rmsothebys.com
  27. Bonhams Cars : 1952 Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet B Chassis no. 187013 0310552 carsd.bonhams.com
  28. Mercedes 220 A Cabrio mit Oldtimer-Note 1 – aber 35 Mängeln - AUTO BILD KLASSIK autobild.de
  29. Zentralschmierung W187 220 - Technische Fragen - vdh - Forum - https://vdh.mercedesclubs.de/ forum.mercedesclub.de
  30. 1954 Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet A for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $82,000 on May 4, 2026 (Lot #240,819) | Bring a Trailer bringatrailer.com
  31. No Reserve: 1952 Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet A for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $60,500 on October 9, 2025 (Lot #214,212) | Bring a Trailer bringatrailer.com
  32. No Reserve: 1953 Mercedes-Benz 220 Sedan for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $11,250 on August 24, 2025 (Lot #206,672) | Bring a Trailer bringatrailer.com
  33. No Reserve: 1954 Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet A Art Car by Hiro Yamagata for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $129,251 on December 18, 2024 (Lot #174,537) | Bring a Trailer bringatrailer.com
  34. No Reserve: 1951 Mercedes-Benz 220 Sedan for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $40,000 on May 29, 2023 (Lot #108,801) | Bring a Trailer bringatrailer.com
  • curbsideclassic.com
  • en.wikipedia.org
  • auto-swiat.pl
  • mail.freenet.de
  • mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com
  • rmsothebys.com
  • media.mercedes-benz.com
  • stuttgarter-oldtimer.de
  • silverstarrestorations.com
  • sportscarmarket.com
  • mbzponton.org
  • goodingco.com
  • carsd.bonhams.com
  • autobild.de

Photo credits

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