WELL-PRESERVED PONTON
The lines of the 1956 Mercedes 220 S are deeply satisfying. From behind the large steering wheel the bonnet is more aggressively curved than it looks from the outside. It creates definite channels between the wings and leads the eye to the iconic three-pointed star emblem mounted atop the radiator.
Owner Harindra ‘Harry’ Pilapitiya says that this was all quite deliberate. Not to put too fine a point on it, Mercedes designers thought it helpful for drivers to have a gunsight to aim through when piloting their cars.
LIKE A PONTOON
From the outside, the front of the car has a friendly, unthreatening face, and the lines flow harmoniously to a neatly rounded and tucked-in tail. The modest tail lights are no more than what was considered necessary at the time. The slightly longer lines, subtly accented by chrome trim, all flow together and work just a bit better in this W180 than in the previous, shorter, four-cylinder model, the W120. To create the W180, that body was made longer in the front to accommodate the six, and another few centimetres were added to the rear passenger compartment, giving it generous foot room. The extra rear quarter-light that this made room for is the easiest way to spot the difference between the two models.
Chrome trim highlights the bulges over the wheels, following the
