Don Holder’s 1960 Mercedes-Benz 220SE seems like a member of the family. His father-in-law, Mac F. Cahal, bought it on June 15, 1961. Holder’s wife Carolyn is Cahal’s daughter, and she inherited the car when her father died in 2001.

 The Mercedes was a very special car to Cahal. When he began looking for a 220SE convertible, there were only four in the country. Fortunately, one was at the dealership in Kansas City. Cahal did not drive the car a lot, but he always kept it close. Even after he moved into a retirement community, he parked his beloved 220SE in the garage. Rarely, if ever, did he let anyone else drive it. The one exception was Holder’s son Christopher.

 The 220SE is quite a desirable convertible.  The 2.2-liter, six-cylinder engine cranks out 134 horsepower. The 220SE, with a 106.3-inch wheelbase and a 185-inch overall length, is about the size of a Chrysler Sebring convertible.

 With Cahal’s passing, the Mercedes changed hands. Holder said the car had always intrigued him, even though he had never driven it. “We wanted to keep it in the family,” he said. But years of sitting meant at least a partial restoration was in order.

 Holder took the car to Terry Schaffner at George’s Imports. A complete engine rebuild wasn’t necessary because the car only had 43,00 miles. Schaffner replaced the water pump, hoses and some of the wiring. He also recoated the gas tank. Once the fuel injection system was tuned up, the car ran fine.

 With the mechanical items taken care of, Holder had the body stripped to bare metal. Small rust spots were repaired and a new coat of Signal Red paint was applied. A new top is in place, as is a set of replica Michelin tires.

 Reupholstering the seats is the only thing that remains for the restoration to be complete.

 This 220SE is so special to the Holders that they added a new garage to their house so the car would have a place of its own.