(Albert) Finnie: ’64 Mercedes-Benz 220S Fintail

We guess because we have a Mercedes-Benz Fintail (Finnie) that we rave about; readers tend to send us Finnies of similar potential. Potential is the key word here. We rarely see for sale a Mercedes-Benz W111, referred to here in the states as a Fintail and in Europe as a Heckflosse, in totally restored, drivable condition. Either the owners of said Finnies (like us) don’t want to part with them or there aren’t that many surviving examples. We believe owners don’t want to part with them.  So when Mark G. sent us this one from eBay we took notice. Unfortunately, as with many ads, key bits of information are missing like what kind of transmission does this one have? We hope it is a standard either shifted on the column or on the floor. But we don’t have a decent interior shot to answer the question, how many pedals does it have? But geez, it looks pretty solid and we love the color. It is the color of many of the factory rally cars during the 60s. The guys at Classic Motorsports restored their Fintail to this color. One can’t count on pictures but it almost looks like you can buff this one out and be presentable! The interior isn’t as lucky but it is close. Fortunately, M-B Tex is available and it won’t be a giant investment to get that right. If it was our new acquisition, we would worry about the suspension, brake rebuild, replacing shocks and tires, new electronic ignition and a fresh battery. Of course a total fluid/filter and lubrication is key. Then we would drive it to see what will implode next. Hopefully not too much else. All we can say is the Fintail is a rare bird and people flock to it when you arrive. This one is pricey at $12,500 and we’ll bet it will eventually sell for substantially less. Click here for the eBay auction.