A BIG, STATELY, EPITOME OF EXCELLANCE
CONVERTIBLE
After Mercedes Benz’s great success with the post-war “Ponton”
sedan, coupe, and convertible models, the successor’s lineup
had big shoes to fill. The luxury marque’s response was the W111
chassis, which initially debuted as the
iconic Heckflosse (meaning “Fintail”) sedan at
the 1959 Frankfurt Auto Show.
Based on the Ponton’s blueprint, the W111/W112 track was widened,
the greenhouse was enlarged for increased visibility, and the
overall shape was boxier with a more upright front and rear design.
The new chassis focused heavily on safety, featuring front and rear
crumple zones and retracting seat belts, both of which were quite
advanced for 1959.
By 1960, the sedan-based coupe was added to the lineup, with a
two-door cabriolet version following shortly after—both the fixed
roof and drop-top were designated as 220SE. By 1965, the 220SE was
replaced with the 250SE, which gained Mercedes’ latest M129 2500cc
straight-six engine. The new 150-horsepower engine dramatically
increased performance.
The sedan, coupe, and cabriolet proved to be another lineup design
score with great sales success for Mercedes-Benz; production lasted
from 1959 to 1971, with more than 370,000 units produced.
