1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 b

By 1950, Mercedes-Benz was making plans for a new top-of-the-line car, something that could continue the legacy of the pre-war 770K Grosser. The new car was introduced to the public in April of 1951 at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Later that year, it entered production. Initially, it was available in only two configurations, limousine or convertible sedan. The list of owners included architect Frank Lloyd Wright and actor Yul Brynner. They were also popular with royalty and heads of state, which included such figures as the Shah of Iran and West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, in whose honor the closed version of the car would come to be referred to as simply 'an Adenauer.'

The Mercedes-Benz 300 was introduced at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 1951 and owed the design of its independently suspended oval-tube chassis to the 170S of 1949, and later provided the mechanical basis for the 300SL sports car. The company's top-of-the-range luxury saloon received additional refinements that included an improved steering mechanism and remote electrical control of the rear suspension ride height. The three-liter, overhead-camshaft six-cylinder engine initially developed 115 bhp (DIN), later increasing in power for succeeding models, producing 125 horsepower in the 300b built between March of 1954 and August of 1955. Further refinements and improvements included larger brakes (with servo-assistance from 1954) optional power steering and three-speed automatic transmission as standard on the 300d.

The styling was conservative and the Mercedes-Benz 300 was one of the few contemporary vehicles capable of carrying six passengers in comfort at sustained high speeds. Priced at DM24,700 in 1954, the 300b Cabriolet D was among the world's most expensive - if not the most expensive - automobiles of its day.

The 300 four-door cabriolets were produced in smaller quantities than the closed cars. From 1951 through 1955, over 6,000 closed cars were built. During that same time frame, just 591 convertible sedans were built. The 300 b was introduced in 1954 and remained in production until late 1955. They had higher compression and modified carburetion which resulted in an additional 10 horsepower. Further, the hydraulic brakes received the added benefit of vacuum assistance.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2014