This spectacular cabriolet cruiser is the result of a 3,000+ hour concours quality restoration, expertly finished in 904 dark blue paint over parchment leather with a burl wood dash and desirable European headlamps. An over-the-top, ‘nut-and-bolt’ restored W111 Mercedes-Benz that stands alone as the most thoroughly restored 220SEb that we have ever come across. Fitted with power and braking enhancements for driving enjoyment through mechanical upgrades with original components included in the sale, this open air Mercedes dream is ready for concours showing and/or daily driving enjoyment.
Highlights
- 3,000+ hour concours restoration
- 1st iteration of the Paul Bracq W111’s
- Final year of production Mercedes 220
- Chassis no. 111.023-12-078593
- Upgraded with 250SE engine
- Original 220SE engine included
- Upgraded to 4-wheel disc brakes
- 4-speed automatic transmission
- 904G dark blue paint
- Parchment leather interior
- Euro headlights and rear lights
- Becker Europa radio
- Blue German canvas soft top
- Books, jack and tools
- 7,005 kms (4,352 miles) of use
An Elite German Cruiser
Debuting at the Frankfurt International Auto Show in 1961 and produced through October of 1965, the elegant Paul Bracq designed 220SEb Cabriolet was the first open-air iteration of the famous W111 chassis Mercedes-Benz line of cars. In total, just 2,729 Cabriolet versions of the 220SEb were built over the 4 year production run of the model; a car featuring modern body styling without tail-fins that was longer than its pontoon fender predecessors while providing a sleeker appearance that now featured a wider grill, wrap around windscreen and vertically positioned headlights. As new, the 220SEb cabriolet’s possessed a 2.2 liter fuel-injected inline 6-cylinder engine which produced 120bph yielding a top speed of 107mph with 60mph attained in 14 seconds. Front disc brakes were originally fitted in the front of the car with hydraulic drum brakes in the rear and a 4 speed manual transmission was standard though automatics were available via special order.
As a European delivery car, this superbly restored final year of production Mercedes-Benz 220SEb has lived much of its life in California and was most notably purchased in 2003 by Peter Lyrintzis of Los Angeles. Mr. Lyrintzis, a Southern California purveyor of fur coats and other other fine dress adornments, has supplied several custom fur coats to the likes of pop icon Madonna in addition to countless other fine apparel items provided to society’s elite over the years, a professional career in line with a taste for luxurious classic cars. At the time Lyrintizis purchased this 220, it was still wearing its factory original paint and and retained its original leather; it was the ideal for restoration under the guise of his long time friend Daniel Landeros, expert restorer of W111 Mercedes-Benz. In 2016, a long time collector of fine Mercedes-Benz living in Newport Beach, California purchased the car from Lyrintzis and has since put about 6,000 kilometers on the car.
This spectacular, final year of production 220SEb Cabriolet is the product of an exhaustive, 3,000+ hour restoration performed over the course of several years by Mercedes-Benz W111 expert Daniel Landeros of Santa Paula, California. Very few, if any, 220SEb Cabriolet’s have been restored to this level, and it a safe assumption, if not an outright understatement, to say that our company has never seen another 220SEb W111 chassis Mercedes so thoroughly refurbished for show and driving use. The paintwork worn on the car today has been completed to a very high level during the restoration, finished in the period correct color of 904G dark blue on top of a bare metal body with extreme attention to detail paid to the finish. The chrome compliments the paint with superb fitment and mirror quality finish throughout. Every chrome molding piece, exterior and interior, has been re-chromed during the restoration, performed by Christensen Plating of Los Angeles, Ca.
The interior of the car, equal in quality to the high standards set by the exterior, has been expertly upholstered during restoration using correct Mercedes-Benz parchment leather. Rather than purchasing a cost saving leather seat kit as is so often the case in restorations of 60’s and 70’s Mercedes, the seat patterns on this special 220 were crafted from scratch, using the original seat covers as a pattern for the current upholstery. The luxurious and still pristine carpets, indicative of careful use since completion of the restoration, have also been tailored specifically to this car similar to the custom interior leather. A brand new set of burl wood for the interior was purchased from Mercedes Benz by restorer Landeros circa 1986, with full intention that one day good use for the wood would eventually be found. This beautiful burl wood dash is now installed in this 220SEb Cabriolet today. Further to the thoroughness of the interior refurbishment, blue German canvas and original headliner materials were used to rebuild the soft top frame from the bottom up, and a custom fit leather tonneau now covers the top when it’s down.
To further set off the stunning appearance of the paint, chrome and interior, a set of no-longer-available European headlights and tail lights have been installed along with a professionally rebuilt original Becker Europa radio accompanied by a brand new Hirschman electric antenna, also an item that is extremely rare if available at all today. All brand new factory Mercedes glass was purchased specifically for this project and installed, including a brand new windshield to compliment new moldings. The door handles and trunk lock were also purchased new from Mercedes, as were all other parts that were possible to buy in pursuit of such a precise W111 restoration effort.
At the time of restoration, the original 220 engine (2.2 liter) was pulled from the car in order to add additional power for driving enjoyment through the installation of a 250 engine (2.5 liter). The added “pop” of the 250 engine is noticeable during use, while the original 220 engine remains with the car and comes with it as part of the sale. Mechanically, the engine, transmission and rear end have all been rebuilt during restoration, as has the front suspension, using new parts from Mercedes-Benz in every instance where the part was available. The injection pump was rebuilt by Gus Pfister, founder of Pacific Fuel Injection in Northern California, a firm regarded at the time as the best place to get these injection parts serviced. The rear differential has been upgraded with disc brakes are now installed on all 4 wheels for better braking performance. Brand new rotors and calipers have been installed, as have brand new Bilstein shocks all the way around. Five brand new Phoenix tires were fitted onto the car, a new master cylinder, all brake brake hoses have been replaced, and the radiator has been re-cored. The under carriage and trunk have been completely restored with cad plated fuel and brake lines along with all new brackets to hold them up. The engine bay has also been fully restored to factory specifications using every original hose clamp available from that era.
With well over 3,000 hours of refined restoration expertise built into this unusually well-restored Mercedes-Benz 220SEb Cabriolet, this beautiful color combo 904 blue over parchment W111 chassis would be equally at home on the show field or on a the road during a weekend summer with family or friends. This is certainly the finest example of its kind that we have come across in our many years buying, selling and restoring classic German cars.
