This ponton-styled 1959 Mercedes-Benz 180D is looking for a new home. It’s listed here on facebook Marketplace with a $12,000 price tag, though the seller is entertaining offers. The new owner can pick it up from Spring Creek, Nevada. The 180D was made from 1953 to 1962 in a four-door sedan body style only. Occupying a slot as the base model in the W120 family, and being a sedan and diesel-powered to boot, values are at the bottom of the stack. That said, its predecessor – the 170 – looked positively ancient, sporting running boards and separate fenders. Owning a benchmark example of Mercedes’ new post-war styling is one of a few credible reasons to collect this baby Benz.

We’re under no illusion that the 180D is fast – it’s not. The OHV 1.8 liter diesel in-line four-cylinder used in this car produced just over 40 bhp, restraining top speed to about 78 mph. That said, the cars sipped fuel. This advantage was not lost on commercial users, and the 180D was a popular choice for taxi companies. A four-speed manual gearbox helps move her down the road. As noted, this car does run, though we don’t know if it will drive. It’s been stored for more than twenty years, so I’m guessing the brakes and steering – at the least – need attention. The odometer reads just under 27,000 miles and we’re led to believe that’s all she’s traveled.

Mercedes invented its durable MB Tex faux leather (the eighth wonder of the world) in the mid 1950s – in fact the seats in the Gullwing are partial MB Tex – and until the 1960s, used both leather and MB Tex until finally phasing almost exclusively to the latter. This interior is probably leather – as the seller notes. The surfaces are described as “in amazing condition” but if my eyes do not deceive me, there’s a righteous hole in the passenger’s bottom seat cushion. The dash photo doesn’t reveal whether the Becker radio is still present. Original manuals – slightly the worse for wear – are included.

The radiator mascot is missing, but the auxiliary fox lights are a nice touch. That prominent upright grille was a hallmark of Mercedes-Benz from the git-go; the feature was retained for decades despite its antiquated appearance. The small exterior dimension of these little Benzes called for parking clearance lamps, mounted on the upper portion of the front fenders. The driver could switch on the outside lamp without draining the battery, alerting drivers that a short, narrow vehicle was parked in the dark alley. Quaint traits aside, as noted these vehicles reside at the bottom of the barrel, value-wise. This 180D – possibly one of the nicest in existence – sold for less than $20k a couple of years ago, and prices have not improved. Out subject car’s low mileage reading, original manuals and running condition position it for some upside, but I’ll hazard a guess that the right price will have four digits, not five.