In 1961, Mercedes-Benz showed an open-top version of the 220 SEb sedan coupe.
It was the successor of the 128 convertible, a model that was no longer produced since 1960.

Unlike their predecessors, the W111 and the W112 were planned to be true four-seated vehicles. To get that, the car-maker used the same chassis from the sedan, with the same wheelbase. Unlike the sedan though, it didn’t feature the same tailfins. The success of the car showed by the German car-maker, convinced the management that it will be a successful model. And it was.

The headlights and the radiator grille were the same as for the 220 SEb sedan with gasoline engines. On the sides, the longer doors were similar to the coupe versions but the rear was unlike the other two. While the four-door featured tailfins, the coupe had them lowered and the convertible didn’t feature them.

Inside, the car featured leather and chromed all over the place. The luxurious interior was meant for rich people with high taste and big expectations. The car was fitted as standard with a 4-speed automatic transmission just to enhance the driving experience.

Under the hood, the W111 cabriolet featured a choice of engines with mechanical fuel injection built by Bosch. The rarest version was the 300 SE with a 3.0-liter inline-six engine with only 708 units produced. The top model featured the 3.5-liter V8 unit, which was produced in 1232 units.