Mercedes-Benz stirred the world of premium carmakers when it introduced the 300d at the 1951 Frankfurt Motor Show, and that wasn’t all; it offered it in an open-top version as well.
After just six years since the end of WWII, the German carmaker was back on its feet. It understood that it had to continue its mission with luxury vehicles that brought it fame before the war. It gathered all the specialists it had and created a unique car that became a must-have luxury vehicle. It wasn’t Rolls-Royce, but it was pretty close in terms of advanced engineering and comfort.

The era of wide fenders and narrower and taller engine compartments was closing to an end, but the carmaker was not yet ready to take that step. But it enhanced the concept by including the headlights in the front fenders and tilted the radiator’s grille. Its curved fender lines were extended over the front door, while the rear doors sported a curved lower side that emerged into the rear quarter panels. At the back, the curved, sloped-down trunk made the car looks more dynamic. For the canvas-top, the carmaker used the same solutions from the pre-war convertibles, including the exposed metallic parts for the retracting mechanism.

Inside, Mercedes-Benz used two individual seats for the front occupants and a wide bench for the rear ones. It was a car built for comfort, and that was reflected into the rear legroom, where the passengers couldn’t complain. Although, they had to work their muscles to help cover or uncover the vehicle.

Under the hood, the carmaker installed a 3.0-liter inline-six engine paired as standard to a four-speed manual gearbox. Thanks to its independent suspension in all corners, the vehicle provided a higher comfort level than most of its competitors, who were still relying on a rigid rear axle.