The Mercedes-Benz "Ponton" series are a range of sedans / saloon car models from Daimler-Benz, introduced starting in 1953, and nicknamed 'Ponton' (the German word for "pontoon"), referring to the visually distinct fenderline running back from the headlights down the length of the car, looking visually like pontoons on a seaplane, a postwar car design innovation also generally known as ponton styling (as distinct from older models with the hood, body, fenders and running boards all appearing as unique units, and from newer models without visually distinct fenders at all).
This slab-sided appearance, along with the 3-box coachwork were considered the height of modern design in the 1950s.
More profound than the visual changes, the Ponton models' construction introduced innovations that fundamentally improved automotive safety for passengers through better crash protection.
Mercedes-Benz stretched the 'Ponton' saloons into a range that became the automaker's bulk production models until 1959, and the base Ponton is generally considered as the beginning of the lineage of the Mercedes E-class range.

The 1953 Mercedes-Benz W120, marketed as 180, four-cylinder sedans were Mercedes' second totally new series of passenger cars since World War II, following the 1951 introduction of the top of the range W186 Type 300 “Adenauer”, and replaced the pre-war-designed Type 170 and Type 170 S. Contrasting very visibly with the traditional distinct fenders on that body-on-frame model and the ones before it, the 'Pontons' were Mercedes' first monocoque, unitary body production models.

Mercedes expanded the base Ponton model into a diversified line-up, developing multiple series based on the 180, by introducing more engines and stretching the body.
Six-cylinder models received a longer nose, and 'S'-models also a longer passenger compartment, offering more legroom.
A six-cylinder coupe and convertible were further derived, and a shortened floorpan of the four-cylinder sedan was also modified to serve as the structure for the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL roadster.

The 'Ponton' saloons were the automaker's main production models until 1959, adding up to 80% of Mercedes-Benz car production between 1953 and 1959, with some models lasting until 1962.
The range was succeeded by the range of "Heckflosse" or "Fintail" models.
The base Pontons and their successors, through to the E-class range, also became an almost default make and model of taxi cabs in Germany and surrounding countries, in the second half of the 20th century.
The Mercedes-Benz "Ponton" series are a range of sedans / saloon car models from Daimler-Benz, introduced starting in 1953, and nicknamed 'Ponton' (the German word for "pontoon"), referring to the visually distinct fenderline running back from the headlights down the length of the car, looking visually like pontoons on a seaplane, a postwar car design innovation also generally known as ponton styling (as distinct from older models with the hood, body, fenders and running boards all appearing as unique units, and from newer models without visually distinct fenders at all). This slab-sided appearance, along with the 3-box coachwork were considered the height of modern design in the 1950s. More profound than the visual changes, the Ponton models' construction introduced innovations that fundamentally improved automotive safety for passengers through better crash protection. Mercedes-Benz stretched the 'Ponton' saloons into a range that became the automaker's bulk production models until 1959, and the base Ponton is generally considered as the beginning of the lineage of the Mercedes E-class range.
The 1953 Mercedes-Benz W120, marketed as 180, four-cylinder sedans were Mercedes' second totally new series of passenger cars since World War II, following the 1951 introduction of the top of the range W186 Type 300 “Adenauer”, and replaced the pre-war-designed Type 170 and Type 170 S. Contrasting very visibly with the traditional distinct fenders on that body-on-frame model and the ones before it, the 'Pontons' were Mercedes' first monocoque, unitary body production models.
Mercedes expanded the base Ponton model into a diversified line-up, developing multiple series based on the 180, by introducing more engines and stretching the body. Six-cylinder models received a longer nose, and 'S'-models also a longer passenger compartment, offering more legroom. A six-cylinder coupe and convertible were further derived, and a shortened floorpan of the four-cylinder sedan was also modified to serve as the structure for the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL roadster.
The 'Ponton' saloons were the automaker's main production models until 1959, adding up to 80% of Mercedes-Benz car production between 1953 and 1959, with some models lasting until 1962. The range was succeeded by the range of "Heckflosse" or "Fintail" models. The base Pontons and their successors, through to the E-class range, also became an almost default make and model of taxi cabs in Germany and surrounding countries, in the second half of the 20th century.
Mercedes-Benz Ponton