 Chronicle
180/D
190/D
219
220a
220S
220SE
220
Coupes
220
Convertibles
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After
the war, my birthplace in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim was nearly completely
destroyed. Almost
no Mercedes-Benz were born. Starting laboriously in 1946 with my cousins, the
pre-war designed models 170 V, the production of Mercedes-Benz vehicles
began from nearly zero. In 1949 followed the type 170 S with a larger body
and in 1951 the type 220 with an all new 6-cylinder engine made a big
surprise. This engine displayed all the qualities and sophistication that
Mercedes-Benz stands for . The very same engine that powers me! But more
about that later on.
Cars of this size were exclusively reserved for the new upper and
middle-class in "Wirtschaftswunder"-Germany and elsewhere in the
world. All these cars had in common that they were designed in the old
fashioned way, meaning the car was composed of a divided frame and an
attached body. Most other major car companies had already changed to the
body design we know today as "Ponton" body.
So the responsibles at Mercedes-Benz for development got under pressure.
In 1951 they decided to design an all new car with the new body concept.
After almost three years of development my oldest brother 180 was born in
1953. His all new shape was revolutionary if one takes in account that
Mercedes-Benz was known for quality and understatement and not for
advanced fashionable designs.
The 180 had a touch of luxury and enough room for five.
Its typical large
steering wheel and the chrome horn-ring on the other side would have suited
a truck very well, too. His large trunk and the increased window area made
a drive with him a pleasure. Engine and drive train on the other hand were
obsolete.
In 1954 my cousin 180 D was introduced - as the humans say. Mercedes, the
first manufacturer to build diesel cars, had a great success with him. The
engine was extremely durable and economical. The 180 D used around 3 Liters
less than his brother 180 but was pretty lethargic. |
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