Post War Mercedes at the Cincinnati Concours

Much of Germany was rocked and struggling following World War II. Like many manufacturers, especially automobiles, during the war Mercedes Benz turned their factories toward making materials for the military. And, like many manufacturers, Mercedes was slow to return to making automobiles following the war. Their big break came in 1958 when a deal was struck with Studebaker to sell their luxury and new sports cars in North America. Many of these post-war automobiles became luxury standards. The Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance created a class for these cars, those made between 1949 and 1980. Among the cars in this class was a 1971 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet. These were the last of the hand-built Mercedes and only 679 were ever made. The car has a 3.5-liter V 8 engine that generates 200 horsepower and reaches at top speed of 130 miles per hour.

Paul Bracq designed this 1967 300 SE Cabriolet. Bracq, a Frenchman, is credited with designing some of the most memorable Mercedes automobiles. Only 708 of these were ever built. It features a three-liter inline six-cylinder engine the puts out 195 horsepower. 

Another of Paul Bracq's designs was this 1967 250 SE Cabriolet. At the time this was one of Mercedes most expensive and exclusive offerings. In fact, only 954 were ever made. The car features a 2.5-liter inline six-cylinder engine that creates 150 horespower.

Here is a beautiful 1952 220 Cabriolet B. Only 997 of these were ever made. The current owner's family purchased the car in Munich, Germany in 1958 for $700. The car has a 2.2-liter inline six-cylinder engine that puts out 80 horsepower. This car is a previous concours Best in Class winner.

Safety and durability have always been hallmarks of Mercedes-Benz and this 1960 190B sedan helped to introduce a significant safety feature, crumple zones. Nicknamed the "Ponton" due to its pontoon shaped fenders, the car has a two-liter inline four-cylinder engine that generates 95 horsepower. 

In 1971, this 280 SE 3.5 coupe was the flagship offering from the Stuttgart based company. This year was the last time all Mercedes were hand built. The car has a 3.5-liter V 8 engine that turns out 200 horsepower. This car won a concours Best in Class title in 2023.

Here is an ultra-luxury 600 SWB. This car is the forerunner to the current Maybach models. (Wilhelm Maybach was the engineer for Carl Benz's partner, Gottlieb Daimler.)  Fewer than 2200 SWB or short wheelbase models were ever built. The car has a 6.3-liter V 8 engine that creates 250 horsepower.

This is a 1980 230 G. Also known as a G-Wagon, it was an early luxury SUV style vehicle. It was built in Austria and is a very rare two door convertible version. It sports a 2300 cc inline four-cylinder engine that creates 90 horsepower.