Powrót do spisu modeli Opis modelu: "Ponton-Mercedes", six-cylinder types (W 180, W 105, W 128) In March 1954, another 220 type with a modern integral concept was presented. It was based on the 180 model, which had been produced for six months by then. The six-cylinder model, internally code named 220_a or W_180, had an integral pontoon-shaped body, which was firmly welded to the bottom of the framework. Stylistically, too, there was a close relationship to the 180 type; this was emphasized by the fact that for a layman it was very hard to tell, which was which. The 220_a, however, had a wheelbase, which had been extended by 170_mm, resulting in an extra 70_mm for leg room in the rear of the cabin. The remaining 100_mm were used for an extended front of the car, which had become necessary in order to accommodate the six-cylinder engine. The bonnet came down almost to the fenders on both sides of the radiator cover and the fresh air admission ducts were situated immediately behind the serial fog lamps. In contrast to the smaller brother of the model, The front indicators were now encapsulated in elongated chrome housings, which were mounted at the top front of the mud gears. The front axle suspension as well as the driving stool concept had been derived from the 180 type; the rear axle suspension was a completely new construction. For the first time, the single joint cross shaft axle with low pivot, which had been developed for the formula-racing car W_196, was used in a serially produced passenger car by mercedes Benz. Extended jointed cross shafts ensured smaller track changes and king pin angles in spring deflection and hence a better ride performance. The six cylinder engine of the 220_a was carried over from its predecessor model of product line 187, however, it had been modified in some aspects: higher compression, the incorporation of a sharper cam shaft and a bigger carburettor delivered an engine power of 85_hp. There was a marked improvement in the brakes. the 220_a received ribbed brake drums with ,turbo-cooling" at all four wheels; Ventilation ducts in the wheel rims and decorative wheel boss caps ensured a sufficient supply of cool air. From September 1955 the cars were serially fitted with servo units for brakes. In March 1956, two years following the presentation of the 220_a, the 219 and 220_S models, the successors to the first six-cylinder model with pontoon body, were unveiled to the public. The direct successor was the 220_S type, as can be seen from the internal code name W_180_II. It was almost completely based on its predecessor model, engine power, however, had been increased to 100_bhp due to the incorporation of two-register carburettors. On the "driving stool" the engine was not only supported at the front, but there were two supports at the back as well. The only distinguishing feature of the exterior of the 220_model was a single additional trim: the bead on the front mud guards and doors has a slender chrome strip on each side. The second six-cylinder model, which was presented together with the 220_S model had the rather unusual and non-prestigious type code 219. This type, which was internally code named W_105, had been constructed by combining the 190 and 220_a types. as a more affordable six-cylinder model with less generous equipment, it was intended to attract new customers. The engine had been carried over unchanged from the 220_a model, the chassis, the body starting with the A-pillar and the equipment, were taken from the 190 model, however. The six cylinder engine necessitated a longer car front, which again corresponded to the 220_a. Accordingly, wheelbase and total length of the 219 were shorter compared to the 220_S, but bigger compared to the 190. True to the motto "even more value for the same money" almost all passenger car models were presented in August 1957, some with more, some with less significant changes. Both six-cylinder pontoon types now had a more powerful engine; the boost in power_- 5_bhp in the 219 and 6_bhp in the 220_S_- had been achieved by increasing compression up to 8,7. Moreover, the interior and the front fender were also modified; there was a new number plate panel and additional holding devices at the sides. The 220_S also received such additional holding devices at its rear fender and the front fenders were fitted with bigger attachments, the same as those that had been used in the coupes and convertibles. Furthermore, as with the four-cylinder models, the number plate illumination was transferred to the attachments on the rear fender, so that the new broader number plates, which had been introduced just then, could mounted easily. The most remarkable new feature, however, was the introduction of a hydraulic automatic shift gear box "Hydrak", which was available with both models as an optional. "Hydrak" combined a hydraulic clutch to start the car, a conventional single-disc dry clutch to engage and disengage the clutch during gear change and a free wheel to bypass the hydraulic clutch. With the 220_SE type, another six-cylinder model was presented in September 1958, which was available from November. Internally code named W_128, the new type was based almost exclusively on the 220_S, but had an adjusted engine with fuel injection. Apart from carburation, which was effected via intermittent suction pipe injection, as had been the case with the 300_d model, the 2,2_litre unit was identical with the well-tried engine of the 220_S, but delivered as much as 115_bhp. What was remarkable about the new model was not just the boost in engine power, improved driving performance and lower fuel consumption, but also the hefty additional cost of 1.900,=_DM. As another option, the car was available with the automatic clutch "Hydrak", for which another 450,=_DM had to be shelled out. With its rather high additional cost, a short production time of only ten months and only 1.974 built models, the 220_SE became one of the most exclusive cars of this product line. In August 1959 three completely reconstructed six-cylinder models of production line 111 were presented, which became the successors of the 219, 220_S and 220_SE types. After a production time of five-and-a-half years, a total of 111.035 six-cylinder saloon cars with pontoon chassis had been built. From a purely technical point of view, the successor models, like all the other saloon cars built by Mercedes-Benz until today, have the pontoon shape too. However, the term ,pontoon-Mercedes" today is used to describe the original generation of models only.