Running Project: 1959 Mercedes-Benz 180D

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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.

Comments

  1. Beyfon

    Vinyl interior, and certainly a wee bit more than 27,000 miles on this thing. It’s going to sit a very long time in the barn with that price, guessing it will need to be sub $5k to move it along. Even that might be a tricky sell given the amount of work needed here on a car with quite limited desirability.

    Sorry for being a Debbie Downer here!

    Like 5
    • Luki

      If that thing has less than 227,000 miles on it I’ll eat my hat.

      Like 3
  2. ChingaTrailer

    Claims of “low miles” on a beat-up worn-out junker are at best silly, and usually just damage the seller’s credibility.

    Like 4
  3. Car Nut Tacoma

    While I love cars that have been stored in a barn protected from the elements, I hope the engine has been started and run. I’d refuse to buy a car that hasn’t been started and driven.

    Like 2
  4. Lizard

    I had a 190 d ponton. This is the picture that’s in the dictionary beside the word slow. Your driver’s license could expire between zero and 60.

    Like 0
  5. Tim

    Auxiliary fox lights! Even better than a tiger in your tank.

    Like 1
  6. Zappenduster

    The “low retail” price for this W120 DI Mercedes with its OM 636 VII engine is $2.750 USD according to the J.D. Power Price Guide. It clearly is a needs-everything project.
    (Low Retail, Quote: “The vehicle needs minor reconditioning. Mechanically, it is in working order, and its exterior paint, trim and interior show normal wear. It may be a deteriorated restoration or a very poor amateur restoration. It is most usable ‘as is’ and is not a ‘parts car’. The low-retail value is recommended for a ‘daily driver’, driven for daily use with a higher mileage. A ‘daily driver’ is not valued as a classic vehicle, a well-maintained original or restored vehicle with typically lower mileage.”).

    Like 2

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