The Mercedes-Benz W105 is the internal designation for a four-door executive car, manufactured by Daimler-Benz from 1956 to 1959, and marketed as the Mercedes-Benz Typ(e) 219. The W105 was nicknamed Ponton, along with its Mercedes model siblings, from its introduction, because it employed ponton, or pontoon styling, a defining post-war car design innovation that unified a car's previously articulated bonnet, wings, body and running boards into a singular, slab-sided envelope.
The Mercedes 219 (internally W105), had a 2.2 L inline 6-cylinder engine, and uniquely featured a bodyshell that combined the stretched nose of the more luxury W128 and W180 models 220a and 220 S(E), but shared the regular standard wheelbase cabine, with shorter rear doors, with the 1953 entry-level 4-cylinder Mercedes W120/W121 models 180 and 190, to offer an intermediate no-frills 6-cylinder model option.
History
The body shape had been introduced in 1953 by the W120 chassis 180. In the following year, Mercedes-Benz introduced the 6-cylinder 220a which was visually similar to the 180, but with a 170 mm (7 in) longer wheelbase, and an entirely new rear suspension design. 100 mm (4 in) were added to the front to accommodate the two extra cylinders and 70 mm (3 in) added to the rear doors to provide more legroom for the rear passengers.[2] This model ran until 1956 when the 219 and the 220S were introduced.
It is possible that the introduction of the 219 was due to the state government's introduction of a higher rate of car tax on cars with an engine of 2200ccs or larger. To get round this tax, Mercedes reduced the size of the engine to 2195ccs. Hence the 219 and the 220 co-existed for a short while. When the government announced that the 219 would be taxed as if it was a 220, Mercedes stopped making them.
Model identification
The 219 from the a-pillar forward was identical to the long-nosed 220a, including the single-carburettor 2.2 L 6-cylinder engine. However, from the a‑pillar back, it used the shorter body of the W120/W121 180/190 models — accordingly, wheelbase and total length of the 219 were shorter compared to the 220 S, but bigger compared to the 190.[2] This can be identified by the one-piece windows in the rear doors, as opposed to the 220a and 220S having separate quarter windows.
Inside, the 219 used the simpler instrumentation of the small car, along with bakelite trim instead of woodgrain.
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