Ok, this may be a silly question, but I found a 1958 220S for sale. Its a little more than I wanted to spend, but I am in love with this car. My question is, are the 50's era pontons classy enough to make some extra cash chauffeuring weddings on the weekend? Would the commong joe appreciate their apperance like I do, or be put off on the lack of A/C?

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74 240D
84 300D Euro

with the right marketing, I think you've got a winner there!
But New Mexico without a/c? Perhaps evening events?

I'd love to see a picture!

best wishes...

Steve/san fran

I have thought about this as well. I'm not familiar with pontons, so I don't know if the back seat is big enough to be desireable, but I will say that good AC is sine qua non for any sort of hire car business. People generally like the idea of old cars, but they're probably pretty reluctant to give up on any of the creture comforts they're used to in newer cars. If old Mercedes are a rarity where you live, I would think that there would be a market for cool old cars to do proms and weddings and such in lieu of the common vulgar strech Town Car. Ditto if you're fortunate enough to live in a senic touristy area that attracts a high-end clientele like, say, the Door County or Maui; there's probably more money to be made doing tours.

If I were seriously going to have a go at the recreational hire car business, I'd probably use a 280SEL 4.5, decked out with all the fancy 109 trim. Bigger back seat, standard air, more power, better parts availability, still dripping with class and charm, etc.

I've not looked into the financial or regulatory end of the idea at all, so there's no telling if it is feasable or not. But I really like the idea.

Tom

Better yet, 1959-61 Adenauer 300...... for tricked-out backseat bar, champagne, roses, etc. Some of the Adenauers even came with privacy glass for passengers in back seat.

LOL, has anybody been to antique carshows and seen the really primitive limos where the driver sits outside in front of boxed coach?

By early 1959, the first Mercedes to be offered with AC, as well as power steering and automatic, was the Adenauer 300d. The AC evaporator/blower unit was mounted in the trunk, like some early '50s American cars.

A few years back, there was a '58 220S from Nevada, on Ebay, that had a hang-on AC. Would have liked to see how they shoehorned in the compressor bracket and AC lines as the twin Ponton heaters, coolant plumbing and remote power-brake servo take up much of the extra underhood space on those cars. The S-class Pontons do have about 3 or 4 extra inches of legroom in the back seat but still aren't as roomy as a Fleetwood or TownCar.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW