Type W121 (4 cylinder / sedan)
Including models: 190 / 190D / 190b / 190Db
1956 Type W121 190 sedan
"Team Busch" www.team-busch.com
(Dr.-Ing. Karl Busch, Sami Busch and Kaya Busch)
Participated in the "Around the World in 80 Days" rallye from
May to July 2000.
Mercedes-Benz vehicles that participated in the rallye: 1956 190 (W121) / 1959 220S (W180) / 1959 190SL (W121) / 1959 220SE (W128) / 1959 220S cabriolet (W180) / 1960 190D (W121) / 1963 220Sb (W111) / 1963 220SEb coupé (W111) / 1964 220SEb (W111) / 1964 230SL (W113) / 1964 230SL (W113) / 1965 190 (W110) / 1965 220SEb (W111) / 1966 250SE cabriolet (W111) / 1967 250SE (W108) / 1967 250SL (W113)
1956 Type W121 190 sedan
owner: Örn Sigurdsson / Iceland
Type W121 190 sedan
Austria: Camping enthusiasts are starting for the 1957 International Camping Meeting to be held in Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt. / "Mercedes-Benz in aller Welt" c. 1957
1957 Type W121 190 sedan
owner: Sergio Nascimento / vinilsign@cli.com.br / Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
Sergio used parts supplied by Ray Ilich during the restoration.
Photo submitted: October 26, 2002
owner: Steve Lightfoot / lightfootworld@hotmail.co.uk
Rotherham, England
former owner: Marcus Hopkins / Kings Lynn, Norfolk England
Steve writes, "I have owned the Type 190 Ponton sedan a little under a year now and have just started my restoration so she is not running at the moment (got bits of her all over my cellar). I noticed that she is already listed on your site with her original registration of MVG2 and a cream paint job."
"The car is now painted in its original grey and has a new registration number of RSJ198. Also note the damage to the bumper and the non-standard wing mirrors."
- Steve Lightfoot / March 1, 2006
1957 Type W121 190 sedan
owner: John M. Penn / La Quinta, California
1957 Type W121 190 sedan with Webasto sliding sunroof
former owner (1976-1979): Uwe Medla
1957 Type W121 190 sedan with Webasto sliding sunroof
owner: Jeff Miller / more photos
1957 Type W121 190 sedan
Norway: Embassy Councilor Rolf Jerving, Press Chief of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, went by airplane from Oslo to Stuttgart in order to fetch his Mercedes-Benz "190". Immediately upon his arrival at the Stuttgart airport, he (right) took over his car and then drove back to Norway via Denmark on the Autobahn. / "Mercedes-Benz in aller Welt" c. 1957
1957 Type W121 190 sedan
owner: Emil Kuschke / emilk@sintec.co.za
Pretoria, South Africa
Photo submitted: November 11, 2005
1957 Type W121 190 sedan
owner: Jonathan Church / San Francisco, California
1958 Type W121 190 sedan
1958 Type W121 190 sedan
owner: Thomas Hanna / Munich, Germany
More information (in German): www.lokari.de
Technically modified, Thomas drove this in the 1999 Rallye
Pan-Americana
Photo courtesy: Helu Hansen / August, 2001
1958 Type W121 190 sedan
owner: Bob Bills / robertkbills@msn.com / Denver, Colorado
A brief history of the car: I have been following your site for over two years while looking for the "right" Ponton. About a year ago I found one in California that looked appealing. It had 85,000 original miles on the clock and it had been restored. I really do not know much about the car except that it was found, and the restoration began. Money ran short, so a Mercedes-Benz buff bought the car and finished the restoration. I purchased the car from him as he downsized his collection. I really love it and appreciate your great work to keep the Ponton Spirit alive and well. If you have any kind of newsletter or know of one that is focused on Pontons I would like to be included.
Bob Bills / March 3, 2005
A Type W121 190 sedan and several Type 319 Mercedes work vans at the "Het Volk" printing facility in Belgium.
"Mercedes-Benz in aller Welt" c. 1958
Type W121 190 sedan with Webasto sliding sunroof
Venderink
Two Type 190 sedans with Webasto sliding sunroofs
left: 1959 W121 Type 190 sedan / owner:
Phil Bryan
right: 1957 W121 Type 190 sedan / owner: Jeff Miller
June, 1998 / Photo submitted: November 22, 2002
1959 Type W121 190D sedan
owner: Daniel Boeve / daniel.boeve@scarlet.be / Belgium
In this photo the 190D still has its French number plates, but I have since registered it here in Belgium. In Europe, it is very rare to find a 4-cylinder Ponton sedan with a full leather interior. I collected it in the south of France after buying it on eBay. It runs and drives very well. It brings back many memories, as I used these cars for many years as daily drivers because diesel fuel was very cheap then, especially in Holland.
photo submitted: January 10, 2007
1959 Type W121 190 sedan
owner: Bill Coke / Clarksville, Tennessee
previous owner: Jon Brian Waugh / Los Gatos, California
Color: DB380 "Delphine (Dolphin) Blue" (59-61). This is an interesting four cylinder Ponton sedan for the extra fender trim, as well as the universal 13" accent trim rings on the wheels. On the four cylinder Ponton sedans, the fender trim was only available by the owner's special request at the local agent, after the vehicle left the factory.
In the USA, that meant the local Studebaker-Packard dealership would affix the trim. The more expensive six cylinder Ponton models such as the Type 220S and 220SE included this trim as standard. The Daimler-Benz factory in Stuttgart did not offer it as an extra cost option on the four cylinder Ponton models.
Photo submitted September 19, 2003 by Jon Brian Waugh
1959 Type W121 190 sedan
owner: London Johnson / Donald.Johnson@vansd.org / Portland, Oregon
Photo submitted December 15, 2005
1959 Type W121 190b sedan with Webasto sliding sunroof
owner: Jerry Miller / Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA
1959 Type W121 190b sedan with Webasto sliding sunroof
Note the fog lamps. This photo was taken in the summer of 1959.
1959 Type W121 190b sedan
owner: Daren Beal / East Sussex, England
Here is a photo of my 1959 Type 190b that has been in the family since 1962. It passed from my grandfather, to my father, and then to me. That is my son in the photo. It has also been officially recognized by Mercedes-Benz. In addition to the high mileage grille badges, take a look at the gold lapel pins and both the 100,000 km diploma and 200,000 km diploma which were awarded by the factory for high mileage. The 100,000 km awards were received in 1981 and the 200,000 km awards were received in 1987.
Photos submitted April 28, 2004
1959 Type W121 190Db sedan
owner: Dirk-Juergen Schaper, M.D.
dirk.schaper@verizon.net /
Bavaria, Germany
Purchased in 1991 in San Diego, California. Shipped to Bavaria, Germany in 1995. Two owners, no rust at all.
Photo submitted January 25, 2005
Type W121 190b sedan
Mercedes-Benz Type 190Db Ponton sedan
owner: Marc Mommen / Belgium
1960 Type W121 190b sedan
owner: Alex Dearborn / Massachusetts
Photo submitted January 8, 2007
1960 Type W121 190b sedan
owner: Ton Regeling / Wisconsin
Photo submitted July 24, 2007
1960 Type W121 190b sedan
owner: Thomas Fox / Orem, Utah
Photo (taken with cell phone) submitted April 13, 2007
1960 Type W121 190b sedan
owner: Robert Walters / scootnix@mindspring.com
Sacramento, California USA
1960 Type W121 190b sedan
owner: Nick Ratcliffe nsratcliffe@optusnet.com.au
Sydney, Australia
Photo submitted: November 13, 2002
1960 Type W121 190b sedan
owner: Jordan Ponce Gambirazio / Lima Peru
1960 Type W121 190b sedan
former original owner: Larry Hansen / Penn Yan, New York
1960 Type W121 190b sedan
owner: Lourenço Pinheiro / Portugal
1960 Type W121 190b sedan
owner: Michel Malik / michel567@yahoo.fr / Sydney, Australia
I bought Skippy, my 1960 Type 190b Ponton sedan, on Ebay a few months ago from Melbourne, in Victoria. He is my second Ponton. I also have a 1956 Type 220S, which I need to finish restoring. I gave him a paint job, a serious tune up and a lot of rewiring. He rides smoothly and is a pleasure to drive. I hope to have Skippy registered (licensed) by the end of November, 2005.
Photo submitted: November 17, 2005
1960 Type W121 190b sedan
owner: Salvador Delgado González
Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
Photos submitted July 30, 2004
1960 Type W121 190Db sedan with Webasto sliding sunroof
former owner: Steffen Mueller's father / Berlin
Steffen writes, "The 190Db was built in 1960 and was used by my father until 1977. The next owner sold it in the late 1990s." Note the extra chrome trimmings on this vehicle.
Photo submitted: February 9, 2005
1960 Type W121 190Db sedan
owner: Bob Graham / Prescott, Ontario Canada
1960 Type W121 190Db sedan
owners: Bob and Connie Krause / San Jose, California
Photo: Dave Sandlin / November, 2002
1960 Type W121 190Db sedan
owner: Ashly Fernandez / Cochin, India
1960 Type W121 190Db sedan with Webasto sliding sunroof
owner: Gail Levey / Capitola, California
1961 Type W121 190b sedan
Miguel Antonio Bravo / Mexico / miguelbravo@starmedia.com
"This Mercedes-Benz was built in Mexico, and now I drive it every single day to work. Here is some additional information of my car: Its original owner was an American named Robert Robertson Kearson who owned it from 1961 to 1976. It was bought in Mexico City, but the car "lived" in Cuernavaca (a beautiful city 60 miles away from Mexico City). In that year, he sold it to Mrs. Fernandez. She owned it until 1992. During that time, Mrs. Fernadez' Husband painted it a silver color. That was the color it had when my grandfather saw it on the road from Mexico City to Cuernavaca. The car was grounded almost 10 years. After that, my grandpa bought it, painted it black, tuned it up (almost like new!) and after that, I bought it. Before I got this car, I thought that every Mercedes-Benz in Mexico was imported. Now I know that they were established here since 1959 or so. The mass production of Mercedes-Benz in Mexico really began with the 220b Fintail model. Well, that's the story of my car."
Photo submitted: July 16, 2002
1961 Type W121 190b sedan
Düsseldorf / Germany
Photo submitted: March 31, 2003
1961 Type W121 190b sedan
owner: Peter Naghavi pnaghavi1@yahoo.com
San Clemente, California
Photo submitted April 18, 2007
1961 Type W121 190b sedan with Webasto sliding sunroof
owner: Markus Benedikt
Biewer / markus@biewer.com
Saarbruecken, Germany
Photo submitted: September 18, 2003
1961 Type W121 190Db sedan
owner: Farshid Feyzi / ffeyzi@psl.wisc.edu / Madison, Wisconsin
I bought my 1961 190Db in Wisconsin in May of 2002 and I am the fourth owner. The car has spent all its life in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. So it is pretty rusty below and has some holes in the body. Otherwise, it is in really good shape.
Last winter I stripped and sanded it down and refilled the holes. Then I had it painted the original color. I also fixed up many little things that were not working due to age. The great thing about the car is that it is all there and it all works, even the window washer! I have a lot of fun driving it around in good weather. It is stored in winters. I don't even try starting it in Wisconsin winters!
The car does burn oil at a high rate. But it gets about 40-45 mpg! So I don't mind too much. I replaced the valve seals, but this did not help any. I had a leak down test done and one of the cylinders is near the low limit. So I am guessing it is the rings. That project will have to wait.
You can see the optional bumper guards which were listed separately in the original bill of sale. The serial number of this car puts it in the last several thousand of this model. It is one of the very last of a true classic.Best regards,
Farshid Feyzi / February 10, 2004
1961 Type W121 190b sedan
owner: Farouk El-Khalil / farouk@lebolive.com / Lebanon
Chassis number: 121.010-10026916
Engine number: 121.920-10027356Hello, This is a photo of me driving in a classic car show that took place in Lebanon during the summer of 2004. I purchased this 190b from a dealer here in Lebanon who had just imported it from Germany. According to the records, he said it was always owned by the same person since new. The mileage reading is just over 17,000 km and the state of the car indicates that the mileage reading is true. However, I would like to get to know the owner, as the car dealer said he lost the papers containing the owner's name, and find out if the reading is indeed true, and why all these years the car was unused. The car was in excellent condition and I did very little restoration to it. I also own another 1962 180c Ponton sedan and a 1961 190SL roadster.
Many thanks and regards,
Farouk El-Khalil / October 29, 2004
1961 Type W121 190b sedan
owner: Ko Htut / Yangon, Myanmar
My name is Htay Aung Moe and I own a 1972 Mercedes-Benz Type W108 280S sedan. I visit the mbzponton web page regularly, and like it very much. My location is Yangon (formerly Rangoon), Myanmar (formerly Burma). I am sending you two photos of my friend's 1960 Mercedes-Benz Type 190b Ponton sedan. My friend, the owner of this Ponton, is Ko Htut.
Myanmar had many Pontons until 1986 when the government suddenly announced the cancellation of early registration number (old) vehicles. As a consequence, many classic vehicles, including Pontons, were taken to the crusher. This was very short sighted. Now, only a few Pontons (Types 180/190/220S) can be seen in Yangon. But almost all of them changed their engines to a Japanese diesel. Ko Htut's 1961 Type 190 still has the original engine.
Best Regards,
Htay Aung Moe
moe67@mail4u.com
October 2, 2006
Type W121 190Db taxi sedan
Hong Kong
Type W121 190b sedan in Ireland
"Mercedes-Benz in aller Welt" c. 1961
Return to the Mercedes Ponton page
Return to the Ponton Photo Gallery
