Mercedes was known for assigning chassis numbers to products and code W111 applied to cars like the seller’s “opera coupe.” The W111 code applied to some sedans built from 1959 to 1968, and also to coupes and convertibles between 1961 and 1971. This 1962 220E had a lot of work done before it went into storage under a portable carport and we suspect some of that may have to be redone since a fair amount of time looks to have passed. This dusty and dirty “Benz’ is in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, and is available here on craigslist for $10,000. But it looks like it could be a solid candidate to work with.
These cars were powered by a 2.2-liter M127 gasoline-fed inline-6 which we assume resides in the engine compartment of the seller’s machine. It’s paired with a manual transmission and comes with a sliding sunroof which we understand was not commonly ordered. No mention is made if any work was done to the drivetrain before the car went dormant, but the fuel tank, brakes, and some of the hoses were renewed. The indicated mileage is 1,500, so we surmise that’s in miles and not kilometers and the odometer has turned over.
All automobiles have a story, and some are more interesting than others. If this one could talk, it might say that it went unused for a long period, was revived, and then went unused again for another extended stay. “Home” appears to have been an open-sided building of some sort that it shared at a minimum with a riding lawnmower or a trailer. The body looks good and the paint might not be too bad, so you have to wonder what the 220E would look like with a bath and some detailing.
It’s hard to gauge the interior from one photo, so you’re not going to know without taking a trek to the Daytona area to check the Mercedes out. If everything is there as the seller says, could this car be running around the neighborhood after a few weekends of work?
Cha ching!
Probably a parts car. Too expensive to restore with that buckled left rear fender, corrosion, incorrect upholstery etc. These are very well built cars with expensive trim and lots of hand fit parts. Once unloved, tough to bring back.
The unicorn,,,,,sliding sunroof and a manual ..but..too far gone on the surface to make it pencil out imho. I had a’67 230 sl…..Euro version…unfortunately a slushbox but what a car. Almost the same engine I imagine…incredibly expensive to repair especially the fuel injection. I would pull the head light units and check out the level of rust. Thats a good indicator of the extent of the rust penetration. And of course it is in Florida. So….
This thing could be a winner if it wasn’t for the left rear, bummer.
My experience with old Benze (Benzes?)is that they are hard to find parts for, even if you can find a parts car of the same year and model, because the company changed parts during the year.
Definitely a parts car and it is a 220SE- no such thing as a 220E Coupe.
Crush it
Wow! I can’t believe this is on here! This was my neighbors, Al’s, car. Al owned this car for decades and was in the midst of restoring it when we had a tornado come through and the garage collapsed around it causing that damage to an otherwise PERFECT body. No rust, not dents, nada.
Among other trades, he was an upholsterer and had just finished up redoing the seats when the Groundhog Day Tornado hit. He was an old man by that time and once we dug it out of the debris and saw how bad that whack was, he just let it sit. Crying dog-gone shame, really.
He was a very interesting guy. One of his jobs was as a sky-writer for Rosy O’Grady. I asked him how he wrote those messages. “How do you do that?” He said, “With a compass and a stopwatch.”
That’s a very interesting story! Small world eh?
Suggestion to seller, get it running first then wash it before asking $10K. An 86 Mercedes is 37 years old. Asking price for 37 year old car should be around $5K non running $1K