1953 Mercedes 220 takes a ride in North Van
Don Rutherford insists he’s not a gear head, just a hobby tinkerer, and he certainly wasn’t in the market for a classic car when his 1953 Mercedes-Benz 220 “found” him.
Rutherford was doing renovations at an elderly woman’s home in South Surrey. The car had been in her garage for a decade without once seeing the light of day.
Only the car’s second ever owner, the woman told Rutherford she had to get rid of it and he made an offer to rescue it.
Today, the car looks just as it did 60 years ago, unrestored but for a few light touch-ups here and there. It sports whitewall tires, suicide doors and what is perhaps the first ever dual climate control system for differing driver and passenger preferences.
Rutherford recently showed off his literally “prized” ride at the annual Mercedes-Benz in the Park, a gathering of Mercedes owners from across B.C. at North Vancouver’s Waterfront Park, where the car took home the title of oldest car at the competition, as well as runner-up in the peoples’ choice category.
But Rutherford says his isn’t just some weekend-warrior wagon, making the rounds of car shows collecting prizes. While the 220 only has 120,000 kilometres on it — an average of 2,000 kilometres-per-year — Rutherford drives it year round, clocking more than 3,000 kilometres in 2012.
“I drive it every day I can,” he says. “And it’s been such a nice summer.”
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