There are some vehicles that, no matter how awful, you just want to see them live to see another day. This 1955 Mercedes-Benz 180 is hardly collector’s piece, but you have to love seeing a car like this that has been effectively abandoned still in one piece (more or less). This patina is as authentic as it gets, and the European plate mount on the front bumper suggests to me this is a gray market car. It adds little value aside from wondering if it has a backstory as interesting as its paint job, but for now, it’s just a parts car and likely headed to the scrap heap if one of us doesn’t intervene first. Find it here on Facebook Marketplace in Delaware for $700.
The seller calls this a 190, but in 1955, it was sold as the 180. If you search for the details on a 190 in Google, you’re going to get a ton of results for the 190SL and the 190E/W201 chassis cars. The W120/W121 era “Ponton” cars are far less sought after, and it clearly has a few strikes against it. When shopping for a classic car, sedans are always a tougher sell, but Mercedes made some of the most desirable. Regardless, the 180/190 was not one of them, owing to its humble proportions and engine options. This one is also rusty as all get out and looks like it’s been stored quite carelessly.
When it was pulled from wherever it was resting, the rear bumper quite literally ripped in half, done in by years of corrosion. I would also assume it has been painted multiple times and colors in its life. The rear taillights were likely not pillaged but simply smashed in. The hubcaps still appear to be present, which is rather amazing. These little W120/W121 could be optioned with either a diesel or gasoline engine, and while the former would have some usefulness for pillaging purposes, the seller lists this as a gasoline-powered model which limits it market of buyers even further. Still, I’m sure this plucky sedan would still run if you attempted to fire it up.
And that’s because Mercedes built some wildly overbuilt machines back in the day, a practice that continued through the early 2000s. These days, I don’t think the brand’s reputation is as sterling as it once was. The gas-powered cars were equipped with an M136 engine, which was a 1.7L inline-four. Although precise numbers are hard to pin down, I suspect it made around 55 b.h.p. and 80 lb.-ft. of torque; clearly, these were not intended to be interstate missiles like the later 6.9 and other V8-powered sedans. Still, there could be someone out there who needs a cheap parts car for a more deserving specimen, and I’ll bet the seller will take $500. Anything less and it’s likely headed for the scrap yard, especially with no title.
“but for now, it’s just a parts car…”
Sorry, but I fail to see even one part that could be reused.
You are entirely too negative. I see several decent parts: Glass, doors, tail light sockets, radiator, trunk emblem, moldings near the bottoms of the doors. If you ever owned a car like this, you might be more appreciative of how hard and expensive it is to find any parts for them.
For amusement, watch this video of some German guys starting one of these Pontons that’s completely overgrown in a field. It’s a good watch, but the music is annoying.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joJBvDDNPcc
There’s a dark side to me, the Germans have a word for , “Schadenfreude”, or shameful joy in others misfortune. The Mercedes Benz is without question, the most famous of all cars. Royalty and Kings rode in them, Janis Joplin never got one, so high and mighty, it’s actually a bit gratifying to see one as dilapidated as an old Studebaker. Still, I’m not sure M-B owners even consider a “parts car”, why would they need that? Such a shame looking at this, you were once so proud,,
Junk.
Hello and buh-bye. Not even good enough for Bo Tanker.
Back in the early 80’s I was buying/fixing/flipping cheap European cars for fun and (sometimes) profit. I bought a solid, but tired and faded battleship grey MB180 Ponton from an estate that had been parked in a garage about 10 years. I got it going in less than an hour. There were still even a few of them local junkyards for parts. I only drove it around the block a few times, and it was terribly slow. I sold it fairly quickly, making a few hundred bucks.
The car for sale here may be worthwhile for to someone for parts. If it were local I would be interested…. I have cut trails through the woods on my property, and would like to place a few rides like this along the way.
I dunno…..looks like there’s some good glass, maybe some of the bigger mechanical parts, (engine, trans, rear end) if you needed them….but the cherry on top is that grille, which would look good on a wall in the garage or over the fireplace, like the breastplate from some medieval knight’s armor….
Just sayin’…….
Yard art.
I have a couple of 59 190Db s , that grille and the tin foil bumpers didnt show up until 1960 then transitioned to the finned 190 sold side by side with the ponton models . Somewhere in this ones life someone got ahold of newer parts if it is indeed a 180 and a 55 at that . Believe it or not there are parts on this that are very difficult to find. ( made of unobtainium ) and can be almost priceless to the collector restorer. Subtle differences between the 1959 and 1960 (besides the wider grille and thin bumpers) are little things like the water pump are 1/2 in bigger than the earlier one .. frustrating and they dont fit
Engine will fit in an 190sl
Had a ‘61 190B as a kid with a four speed on the column and studded snow tires. Really not a car for a 16 year old kid to tear up the streets with trying to do burnouts. Learned to drive stick in that car. The ball joints were bad so going over 40 was a thrill. Replaced the muffler with a cherry bomb exhaust. Of course it didn’t fit – metrics v English so I mounted it in reverse and effectively had no exhaust. Best of all the back seat extended forward so it was like a small couch. Great for the drive in. To be young and stupid again….
700 dollars for maybe a matched set of hubcaps!!! WOW! Maybe 25 dollars for scrap metal for the radiator and battery!
My father had one just like this back in the day.
(N.B: We’re in Sweden now, and German cars – Mercedes in particular – I think were gaining ground not only because they were good, but also becaude we in Sweden had managed to stay neutral during WWII and therefore had less problems coping with machines made by former – possibly, at least – ex Nazis.
But what do I know? I was a toddler then. Though I still rememember the pleasantly of beeing driven in it.)
hey that’s Fred from the movie Cars!
“Mario Andretti knows my name! You gotta let me in now!”
Pretty tough to restore a Benz this old, you would literally need another identical car as a parts car for this car. The resale value is a question mark even if totally restored.
You are entirely too negative. I see several decent parts: Glass, doors, tail light sockets, radiator, trunk emblem, moldings near the bottoms of the doors. If you ever owned a car like this, you might be more appreciative of how hard and expensive it is to find any parts for them.
So…it’s a parts car.