Mercedes-Benz 190 Db Ponton

Vehicle Description

– Mercedes-Benz 190 Db “Ponton”
– from last year of W121 production, 1961
– robust and thrifty 1.9 litre 4-cylinder Diesel engine
– 4-speed manual gearbox
– bordeaux exterior and brown leatherette interior
– beige folding roof
– with the same owner for the past 29 years
– large number of new spare parts purchased and fitted over the years
– cavity and underbody sealed (Tuff-Coty Dinol) in 1992
– engine revised in 2000, since then about 5,000 km travelled
– new set of tyres in 2017
– German registration documents, valid technical approval until 07/2020 and historic plates

While other car manufacturers had quickly followed the pioneers Citroen and Opel, who started using unitary construction designs as early as the mid-thirties, Mercedes was a late adopter: Their first unibody car, the model 180 of the W120 series, appeared in 1953. Originally available with a 1.8 litre petrol engine only, Mercedes added a Diesel powerplant to its lineup in 1954, which – while not being a true first – essentially contributed to the widespread use of this engine type in passenger cars.
In 1956 the family of the “small Ponton” grew larger again by the appearance of the 190 from the W121 series. While Mercedes-Benz only built a four-door sedan, the coachbuilder Binz offered other different versions such as station wagons, the first of their kind to be officially marketed by Mercedes. The W121 differed from the W120 by a slightly wider radiator grille, chrome trim strips, quarter-vent windows in the front doors and larger rear lights. The new four-cylinder engine with overhead camshaft and 55 kW (75 hp) made a top speed of 140 km/h possible. As of 1958, a version with a 1.9-litre diesel engine was also available, which was particularly popular with taxi companies. One year later it was decided to rework the petrol engine, resulting in the 190 b version with an increased power output of 59 kW (80 hp). In 1961 the Ponton Mercedes was replaced by the zeitgeisty “fintail” model W110.

Vehicle Overview