The Mercedes-Benz W105 was a four-door executive car built from 1956 to 1959 and sold as the Mercedes-Benz 219. It was an attempt to offer an intermediate six-cylinder model without frills.
Mercedes-Benz 219 at a glance
| Production | 1956–1959 |
|---|---|
| Model name | Mercedes-Benz 219 |
| Body | four-door Ponton saloon |
| Engine | 2,195 cc straight-six M180, single carburettor |
| Front section | identical to the W128 220 a |
| Rear section | shorter body of the W120/W121 180 and 190 |
| Rear doors | shorter, with one-piece windows and no vent windows |
| Interior | simpler instruments and bakelite trim instead of wood |
| Replaced | the W105 219 took the place of the 220 a in the range |
| Successor line | W111 220 Sb and 230 S |
This article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the W105. Free photographs of the 219 were not available, so the record keeps its earlier picture.
History of the Mercedes-Benz 219
The 219 was an effort by Daimler-Benz to offer an intermediate, no-frills six-cylinder option between the smaller four-cylinder cars and the luxurious sixes. It combined the larger and more luxurious W128 220-series 2.2-litre straight-six M180 engine and the front part of the 220 body shell with the more compact cabin of the entry-level four-cylinder W120 180 and 190.
The W128 had itself been derived from the W120, stretched 100 mm at the front to take a six-cylinder engine in place of a four, and adding 70 mm to rear legroom while leaving the boot the same. The most obvious outward sign of the 219’s mixed parentage is its shorter rear doors with single-piece windows, lacking the larger car’s vent windows. The wheelbase and total length were shorter than those of the 220 S but longer than those of the 190.
From the A-pillar forward the 219 was identical to the long-nosed 220 a, including the single-carburettor 2.2-litre six. From the A-pillar back it used the shorter body of the 180 and 190, and both cars shared the same boot. Inside, the 219 used the simpler instrumentation of the smaller car, with bakelite trim instead of wood. It was the intermediate step in the Ponton range, and the line was replaced by the W111 220 Sb and the later 230 S.
Design and features
- Mixed body: the 220 nose with the 180 cabin.
- Six-cylinder engine: the 2.2-litre M180 with a single carburettor.
- Simpler trim: bakelite instead of wood and basic instruments.
- Distinctive doors: short rear doors without vent windows.
Mercedes-Benz 219 versions
- 219 (1956–1959): the only version.
The 219 sat between the four-cylinder 180 and the 220, and belongs to the Ponton generation. More in the Mercedes-Benz collection.
Video: Mercedes Ponton 219 W105
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz W105, English Wikipedia: concept, engine, body, interior
