Highlights

Superb original condition throughout
Beautiful leather upholstery
One family ownership since 1980

The Appeal

This Mercedes Ponton is a true time capsule. It is one of those rare examples of a car which has survived nearly seventy years in its original specification. The patinated paint, the luxurious leather, the mildly marbled steering wheel, the pitted plating, all of these could be seen as defects, but we prefer to look upon them as hard-earned signs of a historical survivor.

The car would be an ideal candidate for preservation and running as an ‘oily rag’ unrestored example. It appears to be a largely solid base from which to start, and of course, there’s still the option of a full restoration to bring it back to better than new. But it’s only original once.

There’s little more evocative than a ‘barn find’ such as this to get the imagination racing with the possibilities of bringing an old survivor back to its former glory. We’re sure this Mercedes has plenty more years of service left in it, with a little careful recommissioning.

The History and Paperwork

First registered 16th June 1955
Owned by one family from 1980
Road Tax and MOT exempt
Extensive history file
Hand-written and typed correspondence between previous owners
Historic MOT certificates on file, going back to 1973
Original buff logbook
Invoices for parts and servicing
The V5C shows only one former keeper, but four names are listed on the buff logbook
‘UUR 10’ desirable registration plate included in sale

The Interior

The interior is superbly original and unrestored
It is clearly constructed from high quality materials and will respond well to careful conservation
The originality is quite impressive
The leather upholstery is complete, and generally in good condition, with no rips or tears reported
It would benefit from some conservation treatment and cleaning
The leather-covered door cards are in similar condition, and only missing a couple of pieces of door furniture in some pictures that are present and sold with the car
Original headlining remains in place, but is a little stained
The solid wooden dashboard gives the car an air of quality - the finish is in very good condition for its age
There is a split in one wooden door surround and some shrinkage eideint
The pull switches and sliders are reassuringly tactile and solidly built
There is far less pitting to the chrome plating than you might expect
The original Becker Le Mans radio is still fitted
Original ivory-coloured steering wheel with chrome horn ring and column gear change
The door seals would probably benefit from replacement
To the rear, the boot is spacious and unlined
There is a little corrosion in one of the spare wheel well
Full size spare wheel and original jack

The Exterior

Sleek ‘Ponton’ styling
Smart black paintwork, now in attractive ‘oily rag’ condition
There are plenty of scratches, chips, flaking and bubbling to be found
The chrome trim is extensively pitted but otherwise appears largely solid
Some of the lights have water ingress
The rubber seals are showing their age
Running on steel wheels with large chrome hubcaps
The whitewall strips appear to be removable
The rear bumper is present but currently not fitted
Underneath, the car looks to be in generally good condition, but a close inspection has not been possible
Two new doors included in the sale

The Mechanics

2,195cc six-cylinder engine produces 84 hp
Manual transmission
Rear-wheel drive
The engine bay looks to be in good original condition
It even retains its original Trico glass screenwash bottle
Original sound deadening materials on the bulkhead
All new brakes reportedly fitted last year, including wheel cylinders, shoes, brake pipes, hoses and handbrake cables
New exhaust
Rebuilt starter motor
New fuel pump diaphragm
All electrical components said to work, other than the wiper switch
Said to start, run and drive, but there is a fuelling issue, such that it currently only runs with an external fuel supply

Summary

This Mercedes is in superbly original condition, crying out for some careful preservation and light-touch restoration to bring it back to a useable state.

Notice to bidders

This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only. Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.

A non-refundable buyer’s deposit is payable on this item, refer to FAQs and T&Cs for the applicable percentage.

All bidding, buying and offers are subject to our Terms and Conditions.