The 1960 Mercedes-Benz SE 220SE Convertible; have you ever laid eyes on such classic beauty, graceful styling and technological advancement, all in one model?
During the 1950’s, these beautifully built Mercedes cars found themselves longed for and loved by the stars and starlets on the Côte d’Azur and Hollywood, with many a drive boasting the elegance of a Mercedes-Benz ‘Ponton’, as it was also known, accrediting its front suspension sub-frame design likened to a pontoon or bridge.
Here at Signature Car Hire, we own and store a collection of Supercar and classic cars, ranging from the Jaguar XK 120 to a Porsche Carrera 2.7 RS.
One model close to the heart of Dee Bhatia, CEO of Signature Car Hire – a passionate lover of all things Mercedes, as clear from our extensive range of Mercedes hire options? – was a classic Mercedes-Benz 220 Ponton, which, up until the 30th November, was on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Brooklands. In November last year, Dee donated his Mercedes-Benz Ponton to be auctioned at Mercedes-Benz World, where it was sold for close to £100,000.
So, how about a little history of our own Mercedes-Benz SE 220SE Convertible?
Introduced to the market in the 1950’s, the Mercedes-Benz Ponton provided an abundance of luxury ahead of its time, and was priced, even then, at approximately 70% above the original 220S saloon. Hand-built, these excellent automobiles are still very much driveable today, built with additional floor reinforcements to compensate for the absence of a roof, as well as being lighter in weight, thus resulting in better overall handling of the car.
Production stopped only 4 years later, leaving only around 2000 models of the Mercedes-Benz Ponton having been manufactured. Dee’s own Mercedes-Benz Ponton was originally finished in Graphite Grey, with cream leather upholstery, matching carpets, and a burl walnut wood trim. It’s Hydrak Auto Transmission defines it as, not only a rare and classic car, but a limited edition model of the Mercedes-Benz Ponton. The strikingly excellent condition of this model is a result of laborious and dedicated restoration works; the final cost totalled around $20,840, with work carried out including bodywork, brightwork, exhaust system and interior during 1979 to 1981.
If you would like to capture an elegant self-drive car hire experience, book a Chauffeur service, or make an enquiry into our wedding car hire services, please contact us to discuss your needs.