1953 Mercedes-Benz 300S

Originally introduced in 1951 at the Frankfurt Show, the Mercedes-Benz 300 range was very much a flagship designed to promote the Stuttgart manufacturer as a producer of the finest luxury cars; a design it undoubtedly achieved, ultimately offering imposin

Originally introduced in 1951 at the Frankfurt Show, the Mercedes-Benz 300 range was very much a flagship designed to promote the Stuttgart manufacturer as a producer of the finest luxury cars; a design it undoubtedly achieved, ultimately offering imposing and elegant six seater coachwork, in either closed or open form, allied to a smooth and powerful engine, fine road manners and cockpit-adjustable ride height.

Using a separate tubular cruciform chassis, the 300 boasted independent coil spring suspension all round, together with supplementary torsion bars at the rear and servo-assisted drum brakes, while transmission was a four-speed manual with column change. Power came from a 2996cc, straight six cylinder engine which, via a single overhead camshaft and twin Solex carburetors, produced 100 bhp — sufficient to propel the big four-door limousine, which weighed some 4,000 1bs, to a 98 mph top speed and 0-60 mph in 16 seconds.

During the...