Pontonage: 1957 Mercedes-Benz 190
The Mercedes-Benz W105 chassis was colloquially called the Ponton – the German word for Pontoon, a reference to its fender resembling the inflatable section or pontoon from a raft. This is extremely ironic because the car drives like a boat. Find this 1957 Mercedes-Benz 190 offered for $6900 in Clovis, CA via craigslist.
From the seller:
Hi friend. I have a 1957 Mercedes 190B Ponton for sale. It runs strong and it has been a reliable car. It starts immediately. It is my weekend drive. It has four speed on the tree. there is no tear in the upholstery but it could use some more cushioning. The body is straight with minor dents. It could be a daily driver or a restoration project. Registration good until January 2018.
It has some minor spot of rust but nothing serious. All gauges and lights work. The tires have some cracks (older tires with minimal mileage on them). You would need a new set of tires if you were to drive it as a daily driver or if you were to drive it out of town. I installed some sound deadening and insulation materials on the roof in preparation for a new headliner. All headliner rods for headliner support have been cleaned, primered, painted and ready to be installed on a new headliner. I would have liked to keep the car but I have too many projects on hand, and I need the garage space. For further questions and more pictures feel free to contact me Zach @ 559- five nine three-1933. This car is priced at below estimated market value per Hagerty.com, a fair value to this car is at $8000. This car is at better than fair condition. Check the following link https://www.hagerty.com/apps/valuationtools/1957-Mercedes~Benz-190.
Asking $6,900 OBO
Please I am not interested in trades, and no low ballers.
See a better way to drive a classic beast? tips@dailyturismo.com
This is a twin to my very first car, bought off a lot in 1966 with my father's blessing and my grandmother's gift of $500. I must disagree with DT's assessment that it drives "like a boat." A '76 Oldsmobile 98 Regency drives like a boat; a '79 Lincoln Continental drives like a boat. The driving experience of this 190 is not remotely comparable to either of those cars. My baby Benz was nowhere near fast, and the term "handling" could only be applied in the most general terms, but it did get me faithfully back and forth from home in Rhode Island to college in Philadelphia for two years without complaint or drama, through all kinds of lousy weather, and like all Mercedes from this era, could maintain the I-95 speed limit of 65 mph (once it got up there) all day long. Because of its low weight, it was easy on tires, not bad on gas, robust and dead simple to work on, even for a non-mechanic like myself. I abandoned it on the street in Philly when I realized that my inattention to winterizing it had resulted in a cracked radiator after a heavy snowfall, and I didn't have the money to fix it.
Assuming this car runs and has had minimal maintenance (bushings, seals, clutch, brake pads), it should be able to provide several more years of service for a college kid or a weekend hobbyist. It was the car that started my love affair with Mercedes, and later on I was able to acquire a '59 220S Ponton Coupe, and currently have a '90 300CE Coupe with 57,000 two-owner miles in my garage. The ask may be a little optimistic, but I'd wager there's some room for negotiation. Just don't call it a boat.