1952 Mercedes-Benz 220 Sedan

For consignment, a 1952 Mercedes-Benz 220 sedan, sold new at Autohaus Hornung in Garmisch-Partenkirchen Bavaria, Germany and the car wears a metal and enamel dealer tag on the car. The dealership, at the base of the German Alps, is still in business and still selling Mercedes-Benz.

Exterior
Dark brown fenders and roof sandwich a tan body. A tall and broad grille with mesh is flanked by the extended front fenders housing single headlights rather low and wide on the car while mismatched fog lights ride on the bumper just inside of the conical turn signals. Side strake trim pieces flow along the long engine cover sides where the A-pillar flows into the seam of the reverse opening front doors. The rear doors open traditionally and contour to the rear fender while the height of the cabin is accentuated by the brown roof which waterfalls to a C-pillar around a smaller rear window. Like some American cars at the time, the taillights are tiny in comparison to the sheer real estate of the rear of the car, mostly consisting of a bulbous trunk lid. 15-inch steel wheels are painted a different shade of brown, they may have been tan before, and wear Mercedes embossed dog dish type hubcaps. The car is unrestored and the paint and brightwork show their age. Imperfections are many and include checking paint, large chips that have been touched up, scratches, cracking and crackling, numerous scratches, missing paint, some pitting on the metal, scratches or missing paint on the wheel paint.

Interior
Tan cloth covers the doors, and in most cases, shows staining from possible water intrusion. The seats are covered with a striped texture cloth and look to be in decent shape as two low back buckets fill the front and a luxurious bench seat rides in back like a living room sofa. It's here we note some staining as well. The horn ring and metal spokes of the steering wheel could benefit from restoration and the dash shows patina as well. Meanwhile, the gauges on the glossy brown panel show some cracking and discoloration but are unique in their design and an AM radio is housed in the middle with brown switches and robust metal knobs with a slight art deco design influence. The glove box door is slightly askew but wears a handsome handle that once restored, will be a gleaming beam in the interior. Tan fitted carpet mats cover the floor and the headliner above is drooping in some areas. The tall, wide trunk is unfinished and contains a shelf under which the spare tire is situated.

Drivetrain
The underside of the hood is dirty with soot and peeling paint, but the engine itself is relatively clean. It's a 134.2ci SOHC inline 6 cylinder fueled by a 1-barrel Solex carburetor and rated at 80 horsepower. The car is set into action with a 4-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear wheels and 4.44 gears. Drum brakes are found on each corner.

Undercarriage
The solid looking construction underneath shows its age with surface rust and just general discoloration. We note some oil on the intricate rear axle and some residual oil on the pan, but it does not appear to be actively leaking. If Germans are known for their over engineering, it can certainly be evidenced by the intricate joints, linkage, and pivot points in the front steering and suspension componentry. Although a bit dirty, it's easy to see there's a lot going on under here. Meanwhile, coil springs are used up front and a swing arm with coil springs are used in the back. A single exhaust meets a stainless steel muffler before exiting out the back with a straight tail pipe.

Drive-Ability
The seats are soft, more luxurious than sporty, which sums up the car a bit. The ride is tall and there's a long stretch of hood ahead and that warrants the use of the Mercedes star hood ornament as a guide for steering around the test loop. Watch out for the blind spot on the right side, there is no side mirror, and the C-pillar is wider than the Berlin wall. The car runs well and tracks straight, and gauges, lights, horn, signals, and radio all work as intended. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.

Here's a rare ride that has great bones, tolle knochen I think the Germans might say. With some caring, restorative efforts, this could be a show stopper! It's uniquely European and immediately distinct. No major dents and no rust makes this car a worthy car for consideration. Someone needs to turn this saure nierchen into an apfelstrudel!

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