Type W120 (4 cylinder / sedan)
Including models: 180 / 180a / 180D / 180b / 180Db / 180c / 180Dc
Type W120 180 sedan (circa 1954/1955)
Courtesy: Uwe Medla / May 26, 2003
Here is Uwe (the young man in the middle) in his father's Mercedes-Benz Type 180 sedan at home in Germany in the 1950s. When Uwe was 20 years old in 1976, he bought a Ponton of his own. It was a 1957 Type 190 sedan. At that time, he was in the German Army and drove it many places (including Italy) until he sold it in 1979. Another 24 years would pass before he would discover, in May of 2003, that it was still alive and well in the U.S.A. He located his name on a web page that listed him (in the official Kraftfahrzeugbrief) as one of the former owners. The 1957 Type 190 was found to be owned by Jeff Miller, the editor of this Mercedes-Benz Ponton web site.
1954 Type W120 180 sedan

owner: Alvaro Reyes Vega / Cucuta, Columbia
1954 Type W120 180 sedan
First, I must say that you have a unique website when it comes to Mercedes-Benz Pontons. I have gained a lot of useful information reading the pages when it comes to technical data. I have been surfing the web for a long time about Pontons and yours is the best site I have seen so far. I have a 1954 Mercedes-Benz Type 180 that I have restored. It is a great car to drive. I hope that I can share some photos with other Mercedes-Benz friends on your site. I would like to be a member of your club. It is very difficult to get parts for these old beauties here in Norway. That is why I hope to make contact with the rest of the world and communicate about parts and mechanical techniques.
Thank you and have a nice day from Kjell in Norway.
1955 Type W120 180 sedan
owner: Bert Verbessem / Bert@verbessem.be / Waarloos, Belgium
Photo submitted: February 3, 2005
1955 Type W120 180 sedan

owner: Juan Gonzalo Cordoba Sosa / Argentina
Photos submitted: November 25, 2005
1955 Type W120 180 sedan
Kaputt / Don't Drink and Drive!
Photo submitted: August, 2001 / Courtesy: Helu Hansen / Mercedes-Benz IG
Ponton taxi (W120 or W121) spotted in Vientienne, Laos
Dear Editor,
On a recent vacation trip to Laos, I spotted this Ponton taxi patiently waiting for its owner to finish lunch in Vientienne, the capital city. It looks a bit worse for wear, but after a while, the owner emerged and off they went in search of customers. It was still running well although it seems that the owner has done some backyard repair jobs.
Thanks for a wonderful website,
Herman Groenewald / South Africa / December 19, 2003
Type 180 Ponton sedan in Cuba
Dear readers,
I saw this Ponton during a vacation to Varadero, Cuba in May 2006, and then again in May 2009. I will look for it in February 2011, and maybe find out what year and model it is.
Regards,
Bond Hardie
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
sandybondh@gmail.com
Photos submitted: October 27, 2010 / posted: January 13, 2012
1955 Type W120 180D sedan
Type 180D Ponton sedan (40 bhp), driven by Helmut Retter and navigated by Wolfgang Larcher, won the Diesel Class of the historic 1,000 mile Italian race (coming in 201st overall) at an average speed of 58.81 mph. The diesel sedan left the start point (Brescia) at 00:04 and thus had the number "04" on the doors. The light colored car (possibly "light gray") had round fog lights, no hubcaps and louvered blinds in the rear window. Photos of the 180D Mille Miglia Ponton courtesy: Larry Hansen / July 15, 2005
A reader of this page contacted the editor on March 29, 2008 and reported that the color of the "04" 180D is "dullish gray" and is still the same color after all these years, and has not been resprayed. It is currently in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
1956 Type W120 180 sedan
owner: Kobus van der Westhuizen / kobus@vibewise.co.za
Photo submitted: August 2, 2002
"This vehicle belonged to my grandmother and then my father, and now I have it. The front visor is for heavy rain, to increase wiper efficiency, and was fitted in Durban, South Africa." Regards, Kobus van der Westhuizen
1956 Type 180 with Right Hand Drive (RHD)

owner: Paul Vorster / paul@mlanjenicapital.co.za
Johannesburg, South Africa
Paul writes, "I recently acquired this 1956 Type 180 Ponton sedan. It is in running condition, and ready to be restored. I am going through the process of understanding the details of the vehicle before the restoration begins."
Photo submitted: March 30, 2009
Type W120 180 sedan (RHD / Right Hand Drive)
This Right Hand Drive Type W120 180 sedan belonged to Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed, the Prime Minister of Kashmir from 1953-1964. Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed used this car extensively to tour the Kashmir countryside. He can be seen in the front passenger seat in this photograph. An Internet search on his name "Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed" (1907-1972) will yield more details. Note the license plate reads, "KASHMIR-S11."
Contributed by Dr. Bakshi Jehangir
Photograph submitted: October 25, 2008
1956 Type W120 180D sedan
Amol Nayak / Mumbai, India
Dear Jeff,
I am sending a photo of my 1956 180D which won third prize in the best restored classic cars category at the rally held in Mumbai on the 22nd of April 2007. I would be happy if you put her up in the ranks with all our other club member's beauties. By the way, she managed to beat a 300S for the prize. First and second were a Rolls-Royce and a Bentley. I know this would be impossible without all the help and support from International Ponton Owners Group (IPOG).
Regards,
Amol Nayak
Mumbai, India
amolnayak@hotmail.com
1956 Type W120 180 sedan
owner: Dino Witjaksono / Jakarta,
Indonesia
1956 Type 180 Ponton sedan

former owner: Ron Sweeney / West Kirby, England
Type W120 180 sedan
former owner: Steffen Mueller's father / Berlin.
Steffen's father bought the 180D in 1959, but the car was used. Note the mirror at the driver's door. The rear window appears to have a defroster.
Photo submitted: February 9, 2005
Type W120 180 sedan with Webasto sliding sunroof
Photo: Hartwig Mueller / circa 1962 / Bremerhaven, Germany
This photo shows fellow Mercedes-Benz salesman Heinz Piotraschke in front of the Lehrke restaurant in a used Type 180 Ponton with temporary red tags. Note the modifications to this car. There are chrome accent strips on the front fenders and along the bottom of the windows as well as long turn signals (as found on the Type 219 and 220S/SE Pontons) on the top of each fender directly behind the headlamps. These modifications could be carried out at the dealership by the customer's request after the car left the factory. The Webasto sliding roof can also be seen in this photo.
1957 Type W120 180 sedan
owner: Martin Pitts / pitts251@peoplepc.com / Florida and Kentucky
I bought this car in baskets two years ago here in Florida. I saved its soul. I made a lot of good connections for parts and help from your ponton page. I also have a 1957 cabriolet in Lexington, Kentucky, where I live in the summer. That car is for sale.
Photo submitted: May 18, 2003
1957 Type W120 180a sedan
owner: Ghassan Hammoud / Beirut, Lebanon
Hi, my mane is Ghassan Hammoud and I live in Beirut, Lebanon. I bought my 1957 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton sedan a year ago (2007) from a car dealer who shipped it from Germany. It was renovated in Beirut and is in great condition.
Best Regards,
Ghassan
Photos submitted: April 14, 2008
1957 Type W120 180a sedan with Webasto sliding sunroof
owner: Helu Hansen / helu.hansen@t-online.de
"We wish all Mercedes-Benz Ponton owners happy driving
in 2002!"
Dirk & Diana Cornelis / info@foto-kalender-fokus.com
Stekene (Antwerp) - Flanders
This 1958 Type 180D belonged to Dirk's grandfather.
Photo submitted: January 3, 2002
1958 Type W120 180 sedan
owner: Alan Dubroff / more photos
A Type W120 180D taxi in Athens
Note the Mercedes buses
1958 Type W120 180D sedan
Owner: Manfred von Harten / meavh@aol.com
Allentown, Pennsylvania
DB 335 Mercedes Blue / 115,000
miles.
Restored by Hatch & Sons in 1999.
My first experience with the 180D was when my father picked one up at the Mercedes-Benz dealer in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1958. I was 6 years old and fell in love with the car. My father used stove oil, diesel fuel, and kerosene in the vehicle and racked up 460,000 miles without any major incidents or maintenance and it was still running like new when he traded it in 1965 for a fintail Type W110 190D. I bought back this 180D from Jim Bryant, which I owned before and the body and paint were restored by Hatch & Sons in 1999. The vehicle is absolutely rust-free including the undercarriage and engine compartment. Original interior is still like new with the exception of a new headliner. I know a lot about the 180D Pontons, so if anyone has any question regarding maintenance, parts, manuals, service instructions, etc., please contact me and I will be glad to help. I still have not located my dad's original maroon 1958 180D. I would be very interested if anyone has it. The chassis number I am trying to locate is: 120.110-8523027. My present 180D chassis number is: 120.110-8520399. If anyone has any Mercedes-Benz 180D built between 1954 and 1959 I would be interested in getting your chassis number because I am recording all the 180D Pontons still existing in the world. Please assist me with this project. It is always interesting to see which vehicles of all those produced are still around. Thanks!
- Mardy von Harten / May 16, 2004
1958 Type W120 180 sedan
owner: Prithvi Tagore / West Bengal, India / more photos
1958 Type W120 180a sedan / 1960 Type W120 180b sedan
The two Pontons in this photo are a 1958 180a (blue car) and a 1960 180b (white car). My father bought the blue Mercedes in 1958 and since then, it was passed on to me. The car is totally original (body and engine) and is still in daily use but will be due, in a year or two, for minor restoration.
1958 Type W120 180a at the moment of sunset.
I bought the white 1960 Ponton one year ago with the idea to break it into parts to supply my original 1958 Type 180a sedan. After carefully looking the car over, I realized that it is still in relatively good condition and I decided that a restoration job would be the way to go.
Herman Groenewald / hbgroen2000@yahoo.com / South Africa / December 19, 2003
1959 Type W120 180a sedan
owner: Rúnar Sigurjónsson / Iceland / more photos
1959 Type W120 180a sedan with Webasto sliding sunroof
owner, date, location, children unknown
1959 Type W120 180a sedan
1959 Type W120 180a sedan

owner: Martin Peisl / San Jose, California / more photos
1959 Type W120 180a sedan

Nizar Shahin / Toronto, Canada / more photos
1959 Type W120 180D sedan

owner: Jean Pierre Vanhooren / Belgium / more photos
1960 Type W120 180Db sedan
former owner: Simon Pontin / Rochester, New York
Simon Pontin was the host of the weekday morning Sunshine Show and the Saturday morning show Salmagundy; The Show For Working People at WXXI (91.5 FM) in Rochester, New York from some time in 1976 until May 16, 2009 when he retired, rode off into the sunset, and left a hole in the fabric of Rochester's soundscape and in the imaginations of his regular listeners. Best wishes to you Simon!
Photo of Type 180Db with Simon Pontin, Jr. (circa 1965) submitted July 31, 2004
Type W120 180b sedan
1960 Type W120 180b sedan
owner: Johan Hendricks / Cape Town, South Africa
1961 Type W120 180b sedan
owner: Ramzi Saba / Beirut, Lebanon / more photos
1961 Type W120 180b sedan


owner: Lucana (Ana Lucia Perez Tobon)
Columbia and Patagonia, South America
Hello. My name is Ana Lucia Perez Tobon. Lucana is my artist name. I have owned my 1961 Mercedes-Benz Type 180b Ponton sedan for 18 years, and I bought another one (a 1960 Type 180b) for my son in April, 2006. I have worked most of this year (2006) on a project in Patagonia, South America from Colombia with my Mercedes-Benz. She is in very good shape because I DO love her! The mbzponton web site, with all of its technical information, has been very helpful to me. That is why I write to you - to thank you. If you have any other advice for my car, please let me know.
Lucana
October 1, 2006Photo of 180b submitted October 1, 2006
Self portrait with 180b submitted December 10, 2006
Article with 180b submitted December 24, 2007
1961 Type W120 180b sedan
Bambang Widjayanto and his son / Jogyakarta, Indonesia
Dear editor,
I have a 1961 W120 Ponton 180b, chassis number:120.010.20.029247 and engine: 121.923.20.029430. I found the car in a small garage in Jogyakarta, Indonesia in 2009 with heavy dust everywhere (click on the photo to see other photos). Fortunately, the engine still ran even after sitting for three years. The main body parts are original, but the rear view mirror is missing. I bought it and cleaned it and made some minor restorations. After several months of engine "normalization", I tested it and drove with my 8 year son. He was very happy with "a very very old car like you daddy" he said to me.Next step, I need to fully renovate the engine and of course the body, to make my family and friends smile on this "Kentang" (Kentang in Indonesia means, "potato" because the W120 has a rounded shape. I am not a mechanical engineer and unfamiliar with the old cars, but thanks to the mbzponton web site, with all of its technical information, I will be able to manage.
See you, I will come back after it is fully restored.
Bambang Widjayanto
Jogyakarta, Indonesia
bambang.widjayanto@gmail.com
Photos submitted: October 10, 2010 / uploaded: January 13, 2012
1961 Type W120 180b sedan

Piotr Nierzwicki / piotrnierzwicki@yahoo.com
village of Jezierzyce, northern Poland
A Type W120 180Db taxi in Kuwait
Note the two-tone paint and roof rack
1961 Type W120 180Db sedan
owner: Lorenzo Pacho / Manilla, Philippines
Type W120 180Db sedan
Tirso Padilla / Bacolod City, Philippines
1961 Type W120 180Db sedan

owner: Ratko Radanov / Austria
1961 Type W120 180b sedan

owner: Raffoul Traboulsy / Beirut, Lebanon
Photo Submitted: March 30, 2008
Type W120 180b sedan
Warsaw, Poland
Photos submitted: January 16, 2007 by Fabian Schoeters / fabian.schoeters@laetare.be 1962 Type W120 180c sedan Jorge Alejandro Medellín / Bogotá, Colombia 1962 Type W120 180Dc sedan owner: Ami Fardaraghi / Iran / amifardaraghi@hotmail.com



I am a British citizen living and working in Iran. After living in the UK for 29 years, I returned to Iran for business purposes and, upon arrival, found this 1962 Mercedes-Benz Type 180Dc Ponton sedan and immediately bought it. One of the photos I am sending includes my daughter. The car is lovely to drive and I have managed to find many spare parts for it. I found your web site and enjoy reading it very much.
Thanks and Regards,
Ami Fardaraghi
Photos submitted: April 18, 2007