Beautifully Functional
Classic & Sports Car|March 2017

Hand-built for discerning buyers, the Mercedes Universal and Vanden Plas Countryman are the zenith of ’60s estates.

Andrew Roberts
Beautifully Functional

There are a number of parallels between the two exceptionally rare and desirable shooting brakes basking in the magnificent grounds of Stonor Park in Oxfordshire. Both are coach built, both are derived from middle-class saloon cars that made their debuts in 1959 and both have Belgian connections. But that is almost where the comparisons cease, because the Mercedes-Benz 230 Universal and the Vanden Plas Princess 3-Litre Countryman are quite different forms of motoring life.

It is sometimes forgotten that Daimler-Benz would not offer a factory-built wagon until the W123 in 1977, but 20 years earlier the Borgward Isabella Combi had established the estate car as a respectable form of transport with no light commercial overtones. From 1955 the Mercedes Ponton had been available with a station wagon conversion by Binz of Lorch, and this tradition continued with the introduction of the four cylinder W110 190c and 190Dc Fintails in 1961. Importateur des Moteurs et d’Automobiles (IMA) of Belgium – which had been assembling Mercedes saloons for the local market since 1954 – created its Universal estate in 1965, and in ’66 West German dealers began to offer it as the first ‘official’ Mercedes station wagon.

The initial Universals were based on the 190 and 190D, and then, after the facelift of the Fintail range in the autumn of 1965, the 200, 200D, 230 and 230S. Floorpans and doors were shipped from Sindelfingen and the engines from Untertürkheim. In addition to fabricating a new roof, rear panels, inner rear wings and tailgate, IMA also used several Belgian-sourced materials, such as the glass. The weight penalty compared to the saloon was a mere 105kg and all Universals, apart from the 190, had an IMA-developed self levelling air-suspension system to compensate for any extra load. Options included a third row of seats, a 60:40 split rear backrest, a bench front seat and automatic transmission.

Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA CLASSIC & SPORTS CARSe alt
Mick WALSH
Classic & Sports Car

Mick WALSH

'Had someone said that this worn-looking titan would win the most famous old-car event, we would have laughed'

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
ALFA ROMEO STELVIO QF
Classic & Sports Car

ALFA ROMEO STELVIO QF

Rewriting the rulebook on what an SUV can do, and how it can make you feel

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
FLOATING INTO THE FUTURE
Classic & Sports Car

FLOATING INTO THE FUTURE

Citroën's DS-replacing CX was at a cutting edge so sharp it still looks fresh today, and it had the drive to match - as five superb survivors reveal

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2024
"It's a car for posing in really"
Classic & Sports Car

"It's a car for posing in really"

Broadcaster Michael Buerk reflects on more than three decades with his beloved Jaguar E-type S1 3.8 fixed-head coupé

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2024
HONDAS DECK THE HALL
Classic & Sports Car

HONDAS DECK THE HALL

The Japanese firm's Los Angeles collection is now on public display for the first time in two decades

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2024
ABSOLUTELY buzzing
Classic & Sports Car

ABSOLUTELY buzzing

Honda's Si Civics brought agile, cheap fun to motorists long before the Type R name got anywhere near a hatchback

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2024
THE FEMININE TOUCH
Classic & Sports Car

THE FEMININE TOUCH

In 1955, General Motors styling guru Harley Earl brought 11 talented women into the male-dominated world of automotive design. What was their lasting impact?

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2024
Out on a limb
Classic & Sports Car

Out on a limb

Panther's innovative Solo 2 was something completely different, both for its maker and the sports car market

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2024
Restyles with substance
Classic & Sports Car

Restyles with substance

Panther Westwinds blended a passion for pre-war designs with modern-era mechanical usability and remarkably fine coachbuilding

time-read
10 mins  |
November 2024
Dead ringers
Classic & Sports Car

Dead ringers

The Maserati Kyalami and De Tomaso Longchamp share much, having emerged from the same stable, but are poles apart at heart

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2024