The Mercedes-Benz W128 was a 6-cylinder automobile that was available in sedan, coupé, or cabriolet body styles and produced from October, 1958 to August, 1959 (Cabriolet A/C and Coupé to November 1960). Its main model, the 220SE, was the last of the "Ponton" series which had design roots and styling cues beginning in 1953 with the Mercedes-Benz 180 sedan (W120 chassis).
The 220SE featured a unitized body/frame construction and fully independent suspension. All models were fitted with a 2.2 L (2195 cc) straight 6 gasoline engine (M127) with aluminum head, overhead camshaft, and Bosch mechanical fuel injection. An automatic clutch was available with the column-mounted 4-speed manual transmission.
At the time, the cabriolet was priced similar to Cadillac's Eldorado Biarritz (DM 23,400/$ 8,091). Nearly every interior surface of the coupé and cabriolet was covered in leather, and matching leather luggage was available. However, power steering, windows, air conditioning, and an automatic transmission were not available. In the S-Class lineage, the W128 was succeeded by the "Fintail" series starting with the W111 line.