Chassis 186 014 4500489
Motor 186 920 4500359
Aufbau A186 014 4500037

Delivered new to Teekanne
In the Wiesenthal Collection since 1995

Mercedes-Benz cars have been coming off the production lines in Sindelfingen and Untertürkheim since 1946. However, even in luxurious S version the 170 was a mere shadow of what the brand stood for prior to the War. The first hint of the „Wirtschaftswunder“ also saw automobile production gradually ramp up. Prosperity was returning to the old world – but there were few automotive ways to show it.

Mercedes-Benz changed all that in the spring of 1951. No fewer than two new 6-cylinder models were unveiled at the IAA: the 220 for the upper-class and the 300 for the uber-class. This latter car was more than just a subtle hint. It was a statement with force, with 3 litre engine displacement across six cylinders and 115 horses enabling it to reach 160 km/h. This made it the quickest German-made car on the autobahn - even leaving British thoroughbreds in its wake.

A certain German Chancellor chose the 300 as his favourite, not least due to the headroom, as legend has it. The car still owes him his nick name today: Adenauer. This keen hat-wearer was served by a grand total of six of the cars until he left office: whether they were open-topped, with a fixed roof, in the form of a landaulet, with a short wheelbase or a long one, they were always tailored to special order in Stuttgart.

Development work continued in Stuttgart on the 300, despite low sales due to its high price. The 300 b followed the 300 in 1954. A new carburettor and higher compression boosted the horsepower by 10, while bigger brakes featuring a booster for the first time kept this power in check. As early as 1955, a new rear axle and a larger rear window turned it into the 300 c, with this also being available an automatic transmission. The 300 d finally followed in 1957, bigger and stronger, with fuel injection but without a B pillar, perfectly in line with the tastes of the New World.

In addition to the saloon, there was the Cabriolet D, as four-door cabriolets, idially suited to represent, were called already before the War. With a price of scarcely under DM 25,000, buyers were also just as scarce – 125 in case of the 300 b, to be precise. The Cabriolet D was the last of its kind. From Kennedy onwards, the preference was for a fixed, or partially fixed, roof. The Adenauer Mercedes retired along with the old man. They have both kept their place in their respective history books to the present day.

This black Cabriolet D left the factory in Untertürkheim on 20 July 1954. It had been ordered via the Dusseldorf franchise, but the customer himself came to Stuttgart to pick it up. He had arranged for five additional safety tires to be supplied for the drive back. His destination was the Rhineland, or, specifically, Viersen, as the customer was Teekanne GmbH.

At the company, the cabriolet fulfilled the task it had been designed for, namely, acting as a stately car for the executives of the family-run company. It arrived just in time for the opening of the company’s new headquarters in Dusseldorf.

After having spent some time in the US, the cabriolet made its way back across the pond in the mid-1990s. Through Wiesenthal‘s US franchise the gap in the collection’s line-up of 300s was finally to be filled.

Once the car had arrived in Vienna, only its interior was refreshed. Apart from that, nothing asked for attention. It was registered on 21 September 1995, too late to wear a black number plate. It has led a calm life in the collection ever since, as can be seen all around. today The red leather still looks fresh as new, while the paint shines in the deepest shade of black.

The Cabriolet D is probably the most exclusive of all open-topped modes of transport produced by German carmakers since 1945. It saw the new accomplishments of the post-War years be paired with the outstanding quality and ceaseless durability of the pre-War era. It was only produced for a year or so in the 300 b version, this car being the 37th of 125 to be made, with its story starting and (to date) finishing at the most respected addresses.