| At the first international automobile fair in Frankfurt in April 1951, Daimbler Benz unveiled the passenger car models 220 and 300. Both had a brandnew six-cylinder engine with overhead camshaft. Except for its 2,2-litre engine with 80 bhp, the 220 model was based mainly on the 170_S. The chassis and car body were almost identical, the headlights were integrated into the front mud guards which had been modified accordingly. In order to do justice to the significantly higher engine power, the front wheels of the 220 model were equipped with duplex brakes. Like the 170_S, the 220, which first went into serial production in July 1951, was offered with tree different car bodies - saloon car, convertible_A and convertible_B. Both convertibles, which were positioned as an exclusive sports-type travel car, replaced the corresponding versions of the 170_S, production of which ended in November 1951.
Apart from the body types already mentioned, which were available to all drivers with the necessary finanfical means, 41 open touring cars were produced for the police forces between August 1952 and May 1953. At a first glance there seems to be a strong resemblance between this versionand the convertible_B. However, in contrast to that car, this version was available as a four-door car and it had a cape hood without storm bars, as was typical for traditional touring cars. Moreover, the 220 model was also available as chassis for special car bodies. In October 1952, eight ambulance cars were produced at Lueg in Bochum and between October 1952 and July 1954 more than 30 police radio cars were built by the body maker Binz in Lorch on the basis of the 220 chassis.
In November 1953, the straight front window of the convertible_A was replaced by a slightly curved one, in order to underscore the sports car characteristics of this model. From December 1953, ,after repeated requests of some important persons" as it was put in a circular letter of the sales manager, another car body type was produced: a coupe, which, because of its high price and small manufacturing scale became the most exclusive version of the 220 a model. Technically as well as stylistically, the coupe was based on the convertible_A; from April 1954 onwards, both types were fitted with a more powerful 85 bhp engine, with a higher compression, which had been developed for its successor model 220_a, production of which started in June 1954.
In May 1954, production of the 220 saloon car ended, after the last convertible_B had rolled off the conveyor belt at the works in Sindelfingen one year before - oviously many potential customers preferred the saloon car, which was about 2.500 DM cheaper and had a sunshine roof. Production of the coupe as well as the convertible_A continued until July and August 1955 respectively.
More than a year passed until both car body types of the new 220 model, were available with the new pontoon body, too.
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