Unveiled alongside the 300 ‘Adenauer’ at the Frankfurt Motor Show in April 1951, the W187-series 220 and its 3-litre stablemate were the first post-war models from Mercedes-Benz to benefit from straight-six engines.

For most of its career, the W187 was available as a saloon, two plus two Cabriolet A and four-seater Cabriolet B, while a tiny number of coupés were also built from 1954 to 1955.

Of these four variants, the Cabriolet A enjoyed the longest production run but was a very exclusive machine: only 1,278 were built (compared to 16,154 saloons).

Equipped with coachwork by Sindelfingen, this example was completed on 18 March 1952.

The build sheet indicates that the car was finished in Blue with a contrasting Grey interior, an attractive combination that it retains today.

Despatched by train to Philipsons in Stockholm on 21 April, it was registered on 30 May—just in time for top-down drives beneath Sweden’s midnight sun.

Over the next 64 years the Mercedes was enjoyed by only f...