Mercedes-Benz S-Class I (W187) gallery (1951–1955)

First luxury predecessor series Mercedes-Benz 220 (W187), produced from 1951 to 1955 powered by an overhead-camshaft inline-six engine.

All photos 1765 I (W187) 0 1951–1955 II (W180/W128) 0 1954–1959 III (W111/W112) 0 1959–1971 IV (W108/W109) 0 1965–1972 V (W116) 0 1972–1980 VI (W126) 98 1979–1991 VII (W140) 18 1991–1998 VIII (W220) 30 1998–2005 IX (W221) 181 2005–2013 X (W222) 1300 2013–2020 XI (W223) 104 2020

The Mercedes-Benz 220 sedan, internal designation W187, premiered at the Frankfurt Motor Show in April 1951, marking the post-war inauguration of Mercedes' flagship luxury line. Built on a traditional chassis frame with classical separate wing styling and integrated headlamps, the W187 catered to high-ranking executives with handcrafted wood and leather cabin appointments. The model range comprised a four-door luxury sedan (W187), a stylish two-door coupe, and 2-door/4-window convertible variants (Cabriolet A and Cabriolet B) featuring insulated soft tops.

The engineering milestone of the W187 was its modern 2.2-liter overhead-camshaft (OHC) M180 inline-six gasoline engine outputting 80 horsepower (later bumped to 85 hp in 1954). This engine produced smooth power delivery, enabling a top speed of 140 km/h. Power was transferred via a column- or floor-mounted four-speed manual transmission. Production ran until 1955, establishing the technical foundation for future flagship S-Class generations and cementing Mercedes-Benz's leadership in high-end automotive manufacturing.