1963 Mercedes-Benz 220 SE Cabriolet (W111)

Highlights

• A beautifully restored example
• Rare cabriolet and very rare in RHD
• Manual transmission
• Fascinating original documentation and correspondence
• Rebuilt engine, and much more

Overview

If you were a successful hotelier on the south coast of England in the early 1960s — once you had purchased your home in the desirable Sandbanks neighbourhood — you could show your impeccable taste by wafting about in a car of supreme luxury and superb engineering standards. So it was that in 1963 the owner of the Royal Bath Hotel in Bournemouth decided to part exchange her old Mercedes for a brand new fuel-injected Cabriolet.

Spending over £4,000 on a car at a time when you could buy a Morris Minor for a little over 500 quid was certainly a sign that you were doing well. And the ‘Fintail’ Mercedes W111 model showed you had impeccable taste for modern European styling and solid German engineering.

Just 2,279 W111 220 SE Cabriolets were built between 1961 and 1965 and of those just 192 were produced in right hand drive, so this car is a rare survivor. It is lucky to have been rescued from a period of neglect and restored over a five-year period. In that time no stone was left unturned, with the body being thoroughly repaired, repainted, and retrimmed. At the same time, the engine was stripped, machined, and rebuilt. The brakes, transmission, and most other components were restored or replaced.

So this magnificent Mercedes offers a rare opportunity to acquire a fully restored 220 SE with a Cabriolet body. Its metallic paint and polished chrome glimmer as the car sails along the highway, turning heads and attracting admiring comments wherever it goes.

History and documentation

• Registered 1 Jul 1963
• Original sales invoice from Majestic Garage, Bournemouth
• Purchased new by Phyllis Lee-Duncan, manager of the Royal Bath Hotel in Bournemouth
• This details the purchase price as £4,041 16s 8d, including purchase tax, number plates, delivery, a year’s Road Fund Licence, and optional centre arm rest
• The first owner part exchanged a 1958 Mercedes 220 convertible valued at £1,700
• There is a collection of original service invoices, showing that Mrs Lee-Duncan continued to have the car maintained by Majestic Garage until at least 1971
• Fascinating original typewritten correspondence between Mrs Lee-Duncan and the garage managers
• Even minute details are recorded such as £1 5s 0d for a ‘wash and hoover’ on 19 Dec 1967
• The car was later sold, stolen, and abandoned on a rooftop carpark
• After being bought by the current owner, it was fully restored over a period of five years
• Now exempt from MOT testing and Road Tax
• The car’s most recent MOT expired on 2 May 2024
• Extensive invoices on file for parts and servicing
• HPI clear
• Six registered former keepers
• The private plate MBZ400 is available under separate negotiation and is valued at around £3,500
• London ULEZ exempt

Interior

• Superb cream leather interior with deep blue carpets
• The car has been reupholstered to a high standard
• There is almost no wear to be seen on the seats
• Manually adjustable seats with deep padding
• The carpets have been replaced and retain a deep pile
• Beautifully veneered dashboard with plenty of chrome trim
• The lacquer retains a pleasing amount of light wear
• The steering wheel appears to be original, with its chrome horn ring and padded centre boss
• Large analogue instruments sit directly in front of the driver
• Kenwood stereo/CD player fitted in the glovebox
• Sliding heater controls on the dashboard
• Art Deco style clock
• Front seatbelts
• Storage space on the transmission tunnel
• Polished step plates on the sills, with fresh looking rubber trim
• Rear bench seat

Exterior

• This car has the commanding road presence of any 60s Mercedes
• The body has been subject to a thorough restoration, with many panels repaired or replaced
• There is an invoice on file for €2,493 of repair panels from Germany in Jan 2020
• Metallic blue paint finishes the car beautifully
• The paint remains in excellent condition throughout
• Plenty of chrome trim shines brightly
• Large, imperious front grille, with the three-pointed star proudly mounted atop
• Distinctive vertically stacked headlights
• The 14-inch steel wheels feature colour-matched, chrome-plated hubcaps
• Matching set of whitewall tyres
• No visible damage to the wheels
• A set of stainless steel bumpers were purchased in Aug 2019 for €3,215, the original owner having complained to the dealer about the difficulty keeping the original chrome bumpers polished
• In Feb 2020, €1,411 was spent on rear light clusters
• The folding soft-top roof is very smart, with no fading or damage that we could see
• A fitted tonneau keeps it protected when lowered
• All the rubber seals have been renewed

Mechanical

• 2,195 cc six-cylinder engine
• Produces 116 bhp
• The ‘E’ in ‘220 SE’ stands for Einspritzung: fuel injection
• Four-speed manual transmission
• Rear-wheel drive
• The sizeable engine bay leaves plenty of room for the lengthy engine, generously proportioned cast alloy inlet manifold, and the fuel injection pipes
• In October 2019 the engine block was rebored and sleeved, the block face was skimmed, and the cylinder head was surface ground, new valves and guides were fitted and the valve seats were refaced
• The seller lists the following as being either new, serviced, or rebuilt: brake system, fuel system, engine, clutch, gearbox, power steering pump and box
• Electronic ignition fitted
• It is said to drive excellently, with no known issues
• There is an enormous number of invoices on file for parts, servicing, and restoration

Summary

You don’t often get this close to experiencing a brand new 60s Mercedes. This recently restored example lets you relive the glory days of the British seaside resort, with plenty of European flair to liven things up.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in London.