Mercedes-Benz W187

Mercedes-Benz W187
220

Mercedes-Benz 220 "Cabriolet B" W187
Overview
Manufacturer Mercedes-Benz
Production 1951–1955
18,514 built[1]

Saloon: 16,154
Cabr. A: 1,278
Cabr. B: 997
Coupé: 85
Body and chassis
Class Full-size luxury car (F)
Body style 1951–54: 4 door saloon
1951–54: 2-door "cabriolet B"
1951–55: 2-door "cabriolet A"
1954–55: 2 door coupé
Layout FR layout
Powertrain
Engine 2,195 cc (2.2 L) M180 I6
Transmission 4-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,845 mm (112.0 in)
Length 4,507 mm (177.4 in) - 4,538 mm (178.7 in)
Width 1,685 mm (66.3 in)
Chronology
Successor Mercedes-Benz W105
Mercedes-Benz W180
Mercedes-Benz W128

The Mercedes-Benz W187 is a full-size luxury car produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1951 to 1955. Introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in April 1951 it was powered by a single overhead camshaft inline six-cylinder M180 engine and available as a saloon, coupé, and cabriolet, all designated with the 220 model name.[2]

Despite its pre-World War II reputation as a manufacturer of luxury cars, in the immediate post-war years Mercedes-Benz produced only four-cylinder-engined passenger cars. The W187 Mercedes-Benz 220 and flagship W186 Mercedes-Benz 300 Adenauer introduced together in 1951 were the first Mercedes to once again feature six-cylinder engines.

History

Models

The styling was similar to that of the Mercedes-Benz 170S except that the 170's freestanding headlights were for the 220 integrated into the fenders for a slightly more modern look. Two different cabriolet models were built, conceived as exclusive sporting cars of exclusive character, but these only sold 1,278 and 997 for the "A" (2-door, 2/3-seat) and "B" (2-door, 4-seat) versions, respectively.[2]

In December 1953, just as the saloon and cabriolet "B" models were about to be replaced, a "Cabriolet A" derived W187 Coupé was announced for 1954. The Mercedes-Benz sales department let it be known that this development was a direct response to pressing requests from leading celebrities of the time. During 1953 the manufacturer replaced the conventionally flat windscreen on the 2/3 seater "Cabriolet A" with a slightly curved screen, which also found its way on to the new coupé: this was a way of highlighting the sporting nature of both models. Nevertheless, the coupé once fitted, as many were, with a steel sunroof, was at the end of 1953 offered for 22,000 Marks which was nearly twice the price for the standard W187 "Limousine", and only 85 of the W187 coupés were actually sold.[3]

Between August 1952 and May 1953 41 special soft top "OTP" [4] bodied W187 220s were produced for the police.

Engines

All 220s used newly developed M180 six cylinder 2195cc engine producing 80 hp DIN (86 SAE) (59 kW). In contrast with the rather old fashioned look of the car's body, the new engines attracted much attention in the motoring press, being the first new engine presented by Mercedes-Benz in more than ten years. The valves were operated by short rocker arms from an overhead camshaft. The engine was unusual in Europe at this time in having oversquare cylinder dimensions with a bore of 80.0mm and a stroke of only 72.8mm, which facilitated the design of an efficient cylinder head. The manufacturer was able to claim a top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph) for the saloons and 145 km/h (90 mph) for the cabriolets which was usefully faster than the 52 PS (38 kW) powered 170S Cabriolet which the cabriolet version of the W187 replaced and from which its bodywork was derived. The new six-cylinder engine would form the basis, repeatedly enlarged and upgraded as the years went on, for a long line of six-cylinder engines powering mainstream Mercedes-Benz models including the six-cylinder version of the early S-Class models in the 1970s.

Because of the extra power in what was, by modern standards, a heavy car, the W187 was equipped with Duplex drum brakes.

With the sedan/saloon bodied cars about to be delisted by the manufacturer in May 1954, in April 1954 the "Cabriolet A" and its Coupé derivative were fitted with a new higher compression 85 PS (63 kW) engine that had been developed for the soon to be announced Ponton bodied Mercedes-Benz W180. These faster sporting versions of the W187 continued in production for a further year.

The 220 saloon was replaced by the W105/W180 line in 1953. The coupé and cabriolet continued until August 1955.[5]

Production

The saloon went out of production in May, 1954; the Cabriolet models continued for another 15 months until August 1955.

The body of the W187 saloon was closely modelled on the 1938 Mercedes-Benz W153, and despite the modern engine that powered it, already looked old fashioned to many observers on the day it was introduced. Two years earlier, in 1949, the Borgward Hansa had served notice that car design had moved on since the 1930s, and the manufacturer's own 1953 W120 confirmed that "modern" European cars were following the North American trend to lower wider bodied designs. This has been seen as an explanation for the W187's own unusually short production run of slightly above three years for the saloon and less than five years for the longest lived of the Cabriolet models.[2]

The W187 was immediately replaced with the Ponton bodied six cylinder Mercedes-Benz 220a (W180). When the cabriolet was withdrawn in 1955 there was no direct successor. However, slightly more than a year later the all-new Mercedes-Benz 220S Cabriolet and Coupé appeared, respectively in July and October 1956, using, like the saloon on which they were based, a modern ponton style body.

Specifications

Timeline

ChassisType19511952195319541955
W187 saloon 220
coupe 220
cabriolet 220

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Werner Oswald: Deutsche Autos 1945-1990, vol.4, Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-613-02131-5, p. 16.
  2. 1 2 3 Oswald, Werner (1 April 2001). Deutsche Autos 1945-1990 [German Cars 1945-1990] (in German). 4. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag Pietsch. p. 16. ISBN 978-3613021310.
  3. ↑ Oswald, Werner (1 April 2001). Deutsche Autos 1945-1990 [German Cars 1945-1990] (in German). 4. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag Pietsch. pp. 16–17. ISBN 978-3613021310.
  4. ↑ Offener Tourenwagen Polize/Open Police Touring Cars
  5. ↑ Oswald, Werner (1 April 2001). Deutsche Autos 1945-1990 [German Cars 1945-1990] (in German). 4. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag Pietsch. p. 17. ISBN 978-3613021310.
  6. ↑ Oswald, Werner (2001). Deutsche Autos 1945-1990, Band 4 (1. ed.). Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-613-02131-5.

References

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Class Type 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s
6789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789
4-cylinder Sedan W136 / W191 W120 / W121 W110 W115 W123
Roadster W121 B2
6-cylinder Sedan W187 W105 / W180 / W128 W111 W114 W123
Coupé W187 W180 / W128 W111 C107
Large car Sedan W112 W116
W108 / W109
Coupé W188 W112
Limousine W186 / W189 W100 (600)
Sports Roadster W198 / W121 B2 W113 R107
Commercial Van L319 T2
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