1961 Mercedes Benz 220SE sedan fintail

1961 Mercedes-Benz Other

This 1961 Mercedes-Benz 220SE was used as a demo vehicle before it was sold by The Nelke Motor Company in New Haven, Connecticut, in November 1960. It reportedly spent nearly four decades with its first owner in Wyoming before it changed ownership and was relocated to Arizona, where it was acquired by the seller in February 2022. The car is powered by a fuel-injected 2.2L inline-six paired with a four-speed manual transmission, and it is finished in red over gray cloth upholstery. Equipment includes 13″ steel wheels, bright bumpers and trim, a heater, and an AM/FM radio. This 220SE is now offered with its original sales invoice, a data card, manufacturer’s literature, and a clean Arizona title in the seller’s name.The car left the factory finished in light blue, and the seller notes that it was painted red in the 1980s and refinished in the 2010s. Equipment includes bright bumpers and trim, a driver-side mirror, and twin exhaust outlets.Steel 13″ wheels wear hubcaps with body-color accents along with 175/80 Milestar Touring SLE tires. A non-matching full-size spare is located in the trunk. A wheel cylinder was replaced in 2020.The cabin features bench seats that were re-trimmed in gray cloth under prior ownership. Appointments include a heater, a lockable glove box, and an AM/FM radio. The seller notes that the dashboard was repaired in the 1980s and the headliner was replaced in the 2010s. The VDO clock does not work.The white two-spoke steering wheel shows wear and is equipped with a chrome horn ring. Vertically oriented instrumentation includes a 120-mph speedometer and auxiliary gauges. The five-digit mechanical odometer shows 50k miles, approximately 300 of which have been added under current ownership. Total mileage is unknown.The 2.2-liter M127 inline-six features Bosch mechanical fuel injection. Service in July 2020 included replacing the spark plugs, ignition wire set, and the distributor rotor, condenser, and cap.A sales invoice from The Nelke Motor Company in New Haven, Connecticut, shows that the car was sold as a demo vehicle on November 18, 1960. Additional documentation accompanying the car includes a data card and manufacturer’s literature.Power is sent to the rear wheels through a column-shifted four-speed manual transmission.