1953 Mercedes-Benz 300S Coupe

Mercedes-Benz unveiled its first new post-war flagship sedan in 1951 at the Frankfurt Auto Show, offered as either a four-door sedan or a four-door convertible. It was praised for its exceptional engineering and build quality, and its elegant persona was soon joined by a more sporting version - the 300S - the 'S' denoting it as Super. The 300S rested on a chassis that was shortened by 25 centimeters and offered with coupe, open-topped cabriolet, or disappearing-top roadster coachwork, and all were built at the Sindelfingen factory.

The S-specification cars were powered by an uprated 3.0-liter inline-six with 3 Solex carburetors and a boosted compression ratio. Output rose from the standard car's 115 horsepower, to 150. The engine was paired with a reliable four-speed manual transmission with a column shift. The suspension is independent in front with a swing axle arrangement in the rear, sprung with coils.

Expensive and exclusive, a mere 560 examples of the hand-built 300S were constructed between 1952 and 1958.

This Mercedes-Benz 300S Coupe - one of 216 examples - wears its original shade of DB180 Silver Grey over 1080 red leather upholstery. It wears an older, well-maintained restoration (performed in the mid-1990s) and features high-quality leather, burl wood trim, chrome fittings, a Blaupunkt Nurburg radio, and fitted suitcases in the boot.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2024