Unimog-powered 1953 Mercedes-Benz 220A Cabriolet Is a Stunner
Sharing the same engine later used in the Unimog, this classic Mercedes-Benz is as tough as it is beautiful.
There’s a certain understated, yet regal beauty to Mercedes-Benz’s early postwar efforts. Despite the company’s precarious financial state, they never let their quality slip. They never let the cracks in their foundation show.
Instead, they continued making handsome, luxurious, and dependable cars, hoping it was enough to rebuild their reputation and fortune in the wake of the Second World War. One of the cars they built their postwar reputation on was the 220A.
This 1953 cabriolet model we found on Hemmings spent its early life in Germany before coming to the USA with its second owner. Here, it spent most of its life in Detroit. Currently, it resides in Houston, Texas at Driver Source.
The two-seat cabriolet variant seen here is a particularly rare variant, with just 1,278 produced. By comparison, over 16,000 sedans were produced. A four-seat cabriolet was also an option, which outsold the two-seater.
To us, the most interesting aspect of the 220A is not its beautiful body, but the drivetrain. The rugged M180 inline-six that found its home between those swooping fenders would later go on to power the Unimog 404.
The Unimog 404 is perhaps the best known of all Unimog variants, and was produced from 1955 all the way up to 1980. It’s impressive that the same engine that powered this cabriolet also went on to power a one and a half ton truck that was used by various military forces and fire departments around the world.
It’s a perfect example of the sort of rugged, reliable, and overbuilt Mercedes-Benz cars that defined the brand. Cars like these seem to transcend traditional luxury. It’s almost as if they were designed to last forever, to be passed down from generation to generation like a treasured family heirloom.
If you’d like to add this piece of history to your garage, it will likely cost you dearly, as evidenced by the lack of a listed price. We’re sure that the old adage of “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it” applies here. Still, if your pockets are deep enough, you can buy something that will likely outlast your time on Earth, as it has for the previous owner. What’s that worth to you?
Photos: Hemmings/Driver Source
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