The Old Car

This 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300c Cabriolet D has spent 60 years in a family’s loving care

Article Dave Abrams

Images David Gooley, Susan Morehouse

At some point during 1957, Bill Zimmerman acquired a rare 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300c Cabriolet D in Los Angeles; Bill is the father of my wife, Amanda. The original owner had purchased the car new at a dealership the previous year, but then had run into some financial difficulties and was forced to sell the stately automobile. The 300c has remained in my wife’s family ever since.

Bill Zimmerman

The story told by the family is that Bill bought this elegant machine for about $10,000, a significant discount off the original sticker price of almost $15,000, but still a handsome sum in those days. On the other hand, the Mercedes-Benz 300 – the Adenauer – was the finest and most advanced luxury automobile available in the 1950s.

Bill was 30 years old when he bought the 300c. He had recently moved out to sunny Pasadena from the Cleveland, Ohio, area to take an executive role with Avery Label Corporation, the predecessor of the company known today as Avery Dennison. Bill really enjoyed driving his Mercedes-Benz; he used the Cabriolet D as his daily driver for many years. In fact, when he later became president and CEO of Monogram Industries, he continued to take the car on an even longer commute to Santa Monica. 

In the early 1980s, Bill had the four-door convertible repainted from the factory-applied light blue to the vehicle’s current yellow tan, an original color. At the same time, he had the car’s interior refreshed with front seats reupholstered in red leather matching the existing hides, and new carpeting. Otherwise, the 300c remains completely original.

Amanda has many fond childhood memories of family trips in the 300c, including an unforgettable ride with the top down to famous old Twohey’s drive-in restaurant in Pasadena. Once at Twohey’s, everyone ordered hamburgers and milkshakes from the carhop, and ate an open-air meal sitting in the dignified automobile with the serving trays hanging off the side.

I first met Amanda in 1991; not long afterward, Bill took me out to the garage and showed me his prized Mercedes-Benz, which was carefully covered with a tarp. It obviously had not been getting much exercise of late.

‘The Old Car’ 

In 1996, Amanda and I purchased a new house with a larger garage in the San Diego area. Bill asked if we would like to take the 300c along with us when we moved. Of course, we said “yes!” We loaded the old Mercedes-Benz onto a trailer and towed it down to our new home. Once settled in, we drove the car on weekends and explored the area around our neighborhood, Scripps Ranch. But we stayed close to home; the Cabriolet D was sadly less than fully reliable in those days.

In 2003, we returned to the Pasadena area and brought the elderly 300c back with us. However, raising kids, growing businesses and tending to other hobbies limited the number of outings we took in what we affectionately began calling “The Old Car.” Once again, the 300c sat for many years, getting little regular use other than an annual check up and the occasional guest appearance in a local parade or charity event.

In 2014, Amanda and I decided that we finally needed to give The Old Car some care and attention. We determined to look for a skilled mechanic who could properly care for our aging automobile. After all, the old Cabriolet D was practically a member of the family.

A thorough inspection

As a first step, we asked the helpful staff at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Irvine to perform a thorough inspection of the 300c. After they were finished evaluating the car from top to bottom, the Classic Center team generated a daunting to-do list of mechanical issues that needed attention. 

We realized that we did not want to put the 300c through a complete restoration; that would only make the car too perfect, and  then we wouldn’t want to drive it anywhere. So, we redoubled our efforts to find an expert mechanic who understood vintage Mercedes-Benz vehicles, someone who could repair and maintain our car and make it a reliable driver once again.

Rehabilitation by Rene 

Then a local friend of ours, Aaron Weiss, introduced us to Van Nuys Sports Cars Inc., where we met master mechanic Rene Luteraan. During the next six months, Rene worked his way through all of the car’s mechanical systems – fuel, electrical, drivetrain, exhaust – in fine detail. He repaired and rebuilt components as he proceeded, sometimes having to machine replacement parts for originals that were no longer available.

When we retrieved the Cabriolet D in June 2016 – just in time for the San Marino Motor Classic – The Old Car was running like a Swiss watch. 

Coming full circle

Confident that it will take us where we want to go and get us home again, we now take the trusty 300c regularly on jaunts and make it available for parades and shows in our community. It is not fully restored – we’ve done nothing to the Cabriolet D cosmetically other than wash and wax it. Sure, the car has a few dings, scratches and rust spots; we view these as badges of honor attesting to its long service. The good news is we’re not afraid to drive the old beauty around town or pile a bunch of kids in the back and whisk them off to prom.

Amanda’s father, Bill, is now 90 years old. Unfortunately, he suffers from dementia. But when I showed him one of the beautiful pictures of his old Mercedes-Benz photographed in preparation for this article, Bill’s eyes lit up. He pointed to the picture and exclaimed, “That’s my car!” 

I am looking forward to Bill seeing the finished article – I know it will really make his day. And, thank you for the opportunity to share the story of The Old Car with other members of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America.

Owner’s manuals, like the rest of the 300c, are seasoned by decades of use and care.

The 300c is defined by gentle curves and subtle lines.

Built in an era fast succumbing to gaudy automotive excess, the dignified Cabriolet D exhibits understated, beautifully proportioned details seamlessly integrated into a cohesive, sweeping design. The Abrams’s 300c came equipped with an optional Borg-Warner automatic transmission, first offered in 1956.

Despite the patina of time, the Cabriolet D’s evocative interior of wood, chrome and leather still appears ready to convey statesmen and diplomats on matters of great importance. Konrad Adenauer, first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (1949-1963) used six custom 300 models over the years.

The graceful rear of the 300c hides a spacious trunk capable of swallowing enough luggage to satisfy an entire family.

The car’s advanced engine was designed to provide effortless performance and durability at a wide range of speeds and loads.

Amanda and  her father, Bill Zimmerman, with “The Old Car."

Specifications: 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300c
Cabriolet D (W186)
TYPE: Four-door, four-passenger cabriolet
ENGINE: M186 2,996cc, 6-cylinder overhead camshaft
TRANSMISSION: 3-speed automatic with steering column selector
HORSEPOWER: 136 at 4,500 rpm (SAE Gross)  TORQUE: 174 lb-ft at 2,700 rpm
LENGTH: 199.4 in  CURB WEIGHT: 4,202 lb  FUEL EFFICIENCY: 13.7 mpg
PERFORMANCE: ZERO-60 mph 17-18 sec  TOP SPEED: 99.5 mph