The Mercedes 220 and 220S were part of the middle range
or Mercedes saloons built from 1958 to 1968.
The 220S
is considered by collectors to be amoung the best of the
group, a cut above the lower models and one of the first
cars to feature crumple zones and, from April 1962, a
dual hydraulic braking system (these two systems were
seen as the beginning of safety engineering in current
motor vehicles).
Born into an era when Mercedes were still in love with
the idea of the swing axle, the "Fintails" at
least had the low pivot type - favored by most drivers
and deemed to provide better road holding ability.
Today there are still many "Finnies" on the
road, such was the high build quality of these cars,
and because the fins that were to date the design of
the car so quickly are now seen as an excercise in
design and beauty the 220 and 220S are appreciating
in value.