Driving the Mercedes 220S Ponton (1957) with 'hydrak' clutch

After standing still for a long period (18 years), the car is finally back on the road again. It is a Mercedes 220s Ponton from 1957, with it original 6-cilinder inline engine and semi-automatic clutch ('Hydrak').

A video from a short trip trough Onderdijk and Medemblik, the Netherlands.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Mercedes
• Benz
• 220s
• 220
• Ponton
• six
• cilinder
• cilindre
• inline
• mbzponton

[helmuthoorn]

Waar hebben jullie haar vandaan ?

Nieuwleusen ?

Daar heeft lang zo eentje gestaan in de zelfde kleur; Amerikaanse import.

Moest E 10.000 opbrengen en was aan restauratie toe. Als dat de zelfde is; mooi werk !

[Molpe100]

We hebben 18 jaar een Zwitserse-import 220S gehad, die tijdens de restauratie in vlammen opgegaan is.

Na een advertentie geplaatst te hebben met de vraag of iemand een dergelijke auto als restauratieobject had staan, meldde een man uit Sneek zich met dit model uit Italië. Deze moest afgebouwd worden, wat uiteindelijk deze staat als resultaat opleverde.

[ragemanchoo82]

What does semi-automatic mean with a car like this? Was this model offered as a fully automatic? It seems like MB was slow to offer automatics in their cars.

[Molpe100]

Smi-automatic (Hydrak) means shifting without using a clutch. The clutch will be activated once you touch the lever to change from one gear to the other. This model was never equipped with a full automatic clutch, no.

In Europe people simply didn't felt like having cars with automatic clutches, what still never got popular there.

[ragemanchoo82]

Ah I see. How were the Hydraks for reliability? Can you shift with your foot on the gas pedal or do you have to let up first?

[Molpe100]

You are not forced to lift your foot from the pedal, but that's not recommended becasue it will slip the clutch; you get the same effect when you will shift a standard transmission while you keep your gaspedal pressed.

The fact that a lot of people swapped the Hydrak system with the standard gearbox says enough about reliability of this system. It's a nice piece of technique, but will only last with the right maintenance.

Google 'Hydrak Mercedes' and you get more info on the first link.

[jifisama]

Why on earth did you put the stupid music on instead of letting viewers hear the sound of the inline-6 ?

[jasndal]

This brought back good memories of my '57 220S Hydrak, which I owned and drove in Germany, while in the US Army in 1963. There has never been a more beautiful sight than looking down the hood of that car, from behind the wheel. No car I've owned since has surpassed that view. The Hydrak was great, until it developed a vacuum leak and became unpredictable, however I could start the engine with the trans in gear and drive without shifting. Slow, but possible.

[unimogman404]

It is not that MB was slow to offer an automatic tranny , it is because MB where made for european market and european preffer manual. Most of the european cars in that period where offered in manual. Automatic is for lasy peoples !

[ToxicHolocaust2050]

Dub the blimming music so we can hear the engine!!

[Sarahfreckle]

The dice and wipers obstruct the window view. Not good. Beautiful car though.

[helmuthoorn]

Gefeliciteerd. Prachtige wagen.

Heb zelf een 280S uit 1970, waar we gisteren mee uit Italie zijn teruggekomen. Volkomen probleemloos, maar de benzine wordt zo zachtjes aan ook in Duitsland akelig duur.

Voor dagelijks gebruik een (schrik niet !) Opel Agila op LPG.

In mijn garage 1 resto-object;

Opel Kapitan P2 1963

Drentse boerenschuurslaper, 37 jr tussen strobalen, carosserie; redelijk, technisch; slecht, interieur; RAMP!(ratten en vogels) Gaat lang duren en geld kosten.