Mercedes-Benz W105

History

The W105's ponton body shape had been introduced in 1953 in the entry-level W120 180 sedan. In 1954 Mercedes-Benz debuted the 6-cylinder W180 220a luxury sedan, which was visually similar to the 180 but featured a 170 mm longer wheelbase, and an entirely new rear suspension design. The additional length was divided, with 100 mm added forward of the firewall to accommodate the larger M180 engine's two extra cylinders, and 70 mm enlarging the second seat area to provide more legroom for rear passengers.

The 220a was the next Mercedes up in the maker's line ran until 1956, when the 219 was introduced, and the up-powered 220S version of the otherwise near identical 220a took its place.

Model identification

The 219 from the a-pillar forward was identical to the long-nosed 220a, including the single-carburettor 2.2 L 6-cylinder engine. However, from the apillar back, it used the shorter body of the W120/W121 180/190 models; both models shared the same boot. The result is a wheelbase and total length shorter than the 220 S but longer than the 190. The most obvious telltale of this combination is the one-piece windows of the 180-derived rear doors, which are smaller than the 220 series' and lack the larger car's vent windows.

Inside, the 219 used the simpler instrumentation of the smaller car, along with bakelite trim instead of wood.

References

de:Mercedes-Benz W180

References

1. [https://mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com/marsClassic/en/instance/ko/219--W-105-1956---1959.xhtml?oid=4883&ls=L2VuL2luc3RhbmNlL2tvLnhodG1sP3JlbElkPTEwMDImcmVzdWx0SW5mb1R5cGVJZD0yMTU1Jm9pZD00ODgyJmZyb21PaWQ9NDg4MiZib3JkZXJzPXRydWU!&rs=1 219 - Mercedes Database]
2. [https://mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com/marsClassic/en/instance/ko/Ponton-Mercedes-six-cylinder-models-W-180-W-105-W-128-1954---1959.xhtml?oid=4882 "Ponton Mercedes", six-cylinder models (W 180, W 105, W 128), 1954 - 1959 - Mercedes Database]