"The 220 was Mercedes-Benz’s bread and butter model comprising the majority of its production in the 1950’s. First introduced in 1951, the 220 was comfortable, well-built and attractive. The 220S would arrive in 1956 with duel carburetion and the engine been given a higher compression ratio. Offering more style and options than the typical saloons of the day, the 1957 Mercedes 220S Coupés and Cabriolets offered a wealth of options. These were also some of the last Mercedes-Benz that offered a manual transmission. The cars basked in the reflected glory of Mercedes-Benz's legendary return to Grand Prix racing in 1954 (Fangio won back-to-back World Championships) and it's winning of the 1955 World Sports Car Championship. The kudos which surrounded the model range cannot be understated especially since Mercedes-Benz insisted on direct correlations between its road cars and competition cars. The 220S is part of that tradition and remains one of the most desirable motorcars of its day.
At the top of the range was the S Cabriolet, a stylish and graceful tourer, of which this is a fine and particularly rare righthand drive example. The car was first registered in the UK on 15th July 1957 and is one of very few produced in righthand drive, it is believed to be one of only eight that remains in the UK. The car was purchased on 22nd May 1973, for £500, by its long-term previous owner based in Yorkshire who kept it until 2015; some 42 years. Throughout his ownership and after, the car has been cherished and just prior to the car being sold in 2017, 167 EVJ was the subject of considerable expenditure which included a full retrim of the interior and a new, fully lined, mohair soft top as well as the bodywork being completely repainted. More recently, the current owner has spent about £6,000 on the car including new tyres. This lovely 220S Cabriolet is supplied with a V5C registration document and a file containing the bill of sale from 1973 along with its original instruction manual and sales brochure, various bills and receipts from specialists such as Werner Karasch and Company and a copy of the build sheets. Unusually rare and with recent expenditure breathing new life into this car, this fine cabriolet reflects, in abundance, the glamour and chic of the 1950s."