1957 Mercedes-Benz Type W121 190 sedan
owner: Jeff Miller / editor@mbzponton.org
Overview:
owner: Jeff Miller / editor@mbzponton.org
There were 61,345 Type 190 sedans produced by Daimler-Benz between March 1956 and August 1959. For members of the U.S. armed forces as of September 4, 1956 a Type 190 Ponton sedan with sliding sunroof cost $2,275.25 (USD) in Stuttgart. All new cars registered in Germany between 1936 and 2004 were issued an official (legal) booklet called a Kraftfahrzeugbrief. It is a log which contains the names, address, and occupations of the people who register the vehicle. According to the original Kraftfahrzeugbrief of this 190 sedan, it has endured ten owners. Mercedes-Benz chassis 121.011-7512770 was delivered new in Berlin on July 30, 1957. It was shipped to the USA in 1980 from a US military base in Ansbach. In 1986, it received a restoration which included paint (original DB40 black), headliner, windlace, upholstery and sunroof. Today, it only sees light duty around town and in classic motoring events during the spring, summer, and fall of the year.
The spartan interior of the Mercedes-Benz Type W121 190 Ponton sedan features a modest wood strip at the top of the fascia. The main dash, with its unlabeled switches and controls are set in dark brown Bakelite. The section between the Bakelite and the wood is trimmed with vinyl. Note the column-change gear shift lever. The radio in this particular car is a Blaupunkt Frankfurt, and the clock is an eight day wind-up model. On this 1957 Type 190 sedan, the turn signals are not self-canceling, and are operated by pivoting the center chrome horn ring to the left or right. The stalk which is visible to the left of the steering column is the high beam flasher. If the stalk is held down (or up) for 3-4 seconds, the high beams begin to pulsate automatically, in the unlikely event the driver wants to overtake a slower moving vehicle.
The vehicle's "Data Card" is the original build specification sheet (written in German) which lists the date of manufacture, as well as all standard and optional equipment installed at the factory. The data includes the interior & exterior colors, tire manufacturer, engine number, radio, and much more.
This particular Data Card specifies the Kraftfahrzeugbrief number (Kraftfahrzeug-Brief Nr. 8 964 092) which was also issued with the car when new.
This is the cover, and first two pages of the Kraftfahrzeugbrief that was issued with this Type 190 sedan in Germany when it was new. All new cars registered in Germany between 1936 and 2004 were issued this official (legal) booklet. It is common practice by the German registration authorities to cut the bottom corner of the Kraftfahrzeugbrief when the car is exported. This Kraftfahrzeugbrief is then no longer valid. If the car had been imported to Germany again (before 2004), a new Kraftfahrzeugbrief would have been issued. Behind the booklet in these photos is a vehicle safety inspection document which was printed on the back of a German road map.
Beginning June 1, 2004 a different log book which conforms to EU (European Union) standards is issued with each new car in Germany. The old "K-brief" held enough spaces for six owners. The new EU document only contains enough space for two owners and will thus make it more challenging to chronicle the history of the vehicle.
(according to Kraftfahrzeugbrief Nr. 8964092)
July 30, 1957 / Registered to its first owner in Berlin, Germany:
Fa. Heliowatt Werke Elektrizitäts AG
Berlin-Charlottenburg
Wilmersdorfer Str. 39Note that as of December 2001, the company (Fa. Heliowatt Werke Elektrizitäts AG) [1] still exists in the same location. [2]
November 27, 1959 / Registered to Hermann Eckstein in Erlangen, Germany.
January 9, 1973 / Registered to Gunter Hahn (a student) in Ansbach, Germany.
December 12, 1975 / Registered to German Haas (born February 15, 1920) in Ansbach, Germany.
July 12, 1976 / Registered by a mechanic named Uwe Medla (born June 5, 1956) in Furth who stored the car in a barn in the countryside.
May 10, 1979 / Registered by a US soldier named Larry Atkins of Hindenburg barracks, (Ansbach) who drove it on the military base.
At this point, all of the pages of the original Kraftfahrzeugbrief were filled. Some of the detail about the owners Uwe Medla and Larry Atkins, as well as the subsequent history was learned by meeting the man who shipped the car from Bremen, Germany to Rochester, New York in 1980.
In 1980, a US soldier, SP5 Timothy S. Mueller (511th military battalion) bought the car from Larry Atkins and registered it in Bremen.
August 19, 1980 / The 190 Ponton was shipped via the vessel "Atlantic Star" (Wallenius Lines [3] ) by Timothy S. Mueller from Bremen, Germany to his brother Stephen K. Mueller in Rochester, New York.
In the summer or fall of 1982, Andrea Snyder of Pittsford, New York registered the vehicle.
In October of 1983, Thomas C. Littlefield of Penfield, New York registered the Type 190 Ponton.
June 17, 1989: Jeff Miller bought the recently restored Type 190 sedan after photographing it for the previous owner on the grounds of the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York.
There were a few modifications carried out before it was shipped to the USA which are worth noting.
A requirement for driving the car on the US military base in Germany was to have seatbelts. They were not part of the vehicle's original configuration, so front seat belts were fitted.
The amber Type 219/220S style fender running lights have integrated blinkers. These lights were available as accessories and could be fitted by authorized Mercedes-Benz agents as an extra cost item. The 4 cylinder models such as this model 190 sedan could NOT be ordered directly from the factory with these lights. Daimler-Benz did not look with favor on making such modifications. [4] Also note that the non-export models, such as this Type 190, did not include the small round "bee hive" blinker lights below the head lights as found on models destined, for example, for the USA market.
Original Hella fog lamps found on Ponton sedans are usually round. This car has the Type 190SL style Hella fog lamps which are rectangular.
On the later (1959-1962) 180b/190b sedans, the rear reflectors migrated from the lower portion of the bumper guards (which this car retains) to the bottom of the tail light clusters. This 1957 Type 190 wears the the later "b" style tail lights (a modification made by a previous owner in Germany), thus giving it reflectors in both locations.
The original 1.9 liter, 4 cylinder (121.920) gasoline engine was replaced some time prior to arriving in the USA with a 4 cylinder, 1.9 liter (1897cc) (121.923) gasoline engine. The (121.923) 1.9 liter engines were originally used in both the 180a (1957-1959) and 180b (1959-1961) sedans. [6]
[1] The Heliowatt-Werke were founded as ARON-Werke by Dr. H. Aron to build power meters for houses which gauge electrical consumption. The name changed to Heliowatt-Werke in 1933. They were taken over by a company called "Schlumberger" in 1995, most of the personnel had to go. For some time in the past, they also seem to have built radios under the trade name "NORA" (reverse for "ARON", the former company name).
[2] Thanks to Stefan Knappe (in Germany) of the Mercedes veterans mailing list for deciphering the handwriting in the Kraftfahrzeugbrief and providing the Heliowatt-Werke history. December 30, 2001.
[3] Wallenius Lines has since the 1950's been a leader in the ocean transportation of vehicles and other rolling cargo.
[4] Hartwig Mueller / December, 2001 / Mercedes-Benz salesman in Germany from 1956-1964.
[5] Photos: June 16, 2001 / 20:35 hrs. (UTC +4) / Black Sparrow Photography ™.
[6] Mercedes-Benz Technical Data / December 1957 edition.
