1954 MERCEDES-BENZ 180 D “PONTON”

VETERAN CAR 1955 MILLE MIGLIA

- An extremely rare Mercedes-Benz 180D Ponton, documented participant in the 1955 Mille Miglia
- Mille Miglia Eligible
- First year of production
- An exceptional and almost unique example among the many diesel-powered “Pontons” that made post-war history
- In the period before the war, especially due to the sanctions against the regime in Italy, the Mille Miglia had already seen the creation of categories for cars powered by particular fuels other than petrol. In the 1955 edition, given the growing interest for diesel vehicles, the “Diesel Group” category was created
- Just 8 Diesel cars participated in the Mille Miglia, the category reserved for Diesel cars in the Mille Miglia existed only in 1955!
- With the copy of the first Italian registration in Piacenza in the name of Mr. Arturo Masera, the 1955 Mille Miglia driver
- A genuine piece of the Mille Miglia history
- It is the unique known Mercedes Benz surviving of the diesel racers in the 1955 Mille Miglia

The Mercedes Benz 180 Ponton was produced from 1953 through 1962.

The Ponton series is named after the German word for pontoon. In German, the word “Ponton” means flat-bottomed boat, for navigating shallow waterways.

The Mercedes-Benz Ponton are the first Mercedes-Benz chassis with a flat floor.

It was also the brand’s first foray into unitary body design, a groundbreaking innovation at the time.

The Ponton’s design was ahead of its time, with features that were unusually modern for the time.

The integral body-frame construction made the intermediate sedan lighter and stiffer than its predecessors.

A swing axle and trailing arms supported the rear wheels, while the front suspension featured double wishbones and a U-shaped axle carrier.

These advances in suspension technology resulted in impressive handling and ride quality.

Its stylish design, and Mercedes reliability and quality made this a successful vehicle.

Under the hood was a 1767 cc, side-valve engine that had been used in the 170 SV.

In February 1954, the Diesel engine version was introduced, the so-called 180 D.

This engine had an overhead valve configuration, more modern than the petrol unit.

At the end of the 1950s, the diesel 180 managed to hold a large share of Mercedes-Benz production, thanks to its operating economy qualities, mainly due to much lower consumption than the corresponding petrol versions.

In the period before the war, especially due to the sanctions against the regime in Italy, the Mille Miglia had already seen the creation of categories for cars powered by particular fuels other than petrol.

In the 1955 edition, given the growing interest for diesel vehicles, the “Diesel Group” category was created.

Only 8 Diesel cars participated in the Mille Miglia, the category reserved for Diesel cars in the Mille Miglia existed just in 1955!

ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC EXAMPLE

This specific Mercedes-Benz 180 D participated in the 1955 Mille Miglia driven by the owner Mr. Arturo Masera and the co-driver Mr. Pasquale Cardinali.

A copy of the first Italian registration in Piacenza in the name of Mr. Arturo Masera, the 1955 Mille Miglia driver, is in the history file of the car.

The car completed the entire 1955 Mille Miglia at an average speed of over 90 km/h and it qualified third of just eight cars entered in the “Diesel Group” category.

Masera – Cardinali was the first among the Italian crews with “Diesel Group” cars.

Of the eight Diesel racers, only one car withdrew but none of the 180 Ds, reaffirming the reliability of diesel-powered cars: perhaps not the fastest but unstoppable.

The category reserved for Diesel cars in the Mille Miglia existed only that year.

For this reason, the third place achieved by this example has an absolute value.

The owner-driver, Mr. Arturo Masera, was an industrialist from Piacenza and a passionate gentleman driver.

He was participating in the 1955 Mille Miglia for the first time, while his expert co-driver Mr. Cardinali was participating for the fifth time.

This Mercedes 180 D changed ownership in 1958 and the following year was purchased by Mr. Eduardo Solimene.

He was a wealthy owner of an agricultural estate still active today in the Salerno area.

From 1961 to 1966 the car was owned by a well-known Italian dancer and choreographer, Mr. Walter Zappolini.

He is most known for being in the 1954 film “Mambo” and for being the Artistic Director of the “Balletto di Roma”.

The line of owners that follow is traced and known.

All the owners treated the 180 D with care and respect and therefore it arrived matching numbers and preserved up to the present day, when has been traced its incredible past of its early days.

It is the unique example known of Mercedes Benz surviving of the diesel racers in the 1955 Mille Miglia.

This historically significant Mercedes-Benz Ponton comes with several old photos of the car during the 1955 Mille Miglia, copies of original Mille Miglia documents, period documentation from the Mille Miglia Museum Archive in Brescia, copies of the Italian registrations in the 50’s.

There is a large file with the above mentioned old pictures and documents, please contact us if you would like to see those pictures or documents.

This early Mercedes 180 D has been off of the road for several years, but remains very original overall.

This is an exciting restoration project for an enthusiast wanting a ground up re-build of one of the best and most historically significant Mercedes-Benz Ponton.

CONDITION EXTERIOR

The Mercedes is presented in very good all-round original condition throughout and is complete in all major components.

The paint on the car is old and very attractive with the Mille Miglia figures painted on it.

The bumper show that the car has been seriously used.

Overall the exterior of the Mercedes show a super period correct patina.

We would personally keep the exterior exactly as it currently is.

It shows the atmosphere of the race which was successfully finished in 1955.

There is a wealth of technical knowledge about these cars in Germany and in Italy and many of the parts have now been re-manufactured to a high standard.

CONDITION INTERIOR

The seats in the Mercedes have been relatively recently restored with nice brown leather.

The dashboard is in a nice condition and all buttons and gauges are present.

DRIVING EXPERIENCE

This Mercedes Ponton is running and operational, although a mechanical restoration is recommended before road use.

Despite being designed over 70 years ago, the Mercedes-Benz 180D Ponton will offer a surprisingly modern driving experience.

Its unitized body construction, fully independent suspension, and smooth controls contribute to its impressive handling and refined ride quality.

The column shift for the four-speed manual transmission may be unfamiliar to modern drivers, but it quickly becomes intuitive.

It is our considered opinion that this car is a sound investment as Mille Miglia Veteran cars continue to attract wide attention.

All together this is a unique example of Mercedes-Benz 180 D and one of just a very few Diesel cars on the official Mille Miglia entry list.

If this legendary race is an event you’re yet to tick off your bucket list, this special Mercedes-Benz offers a unique opportunity to acquire a rare, stylish and comfortable veteran Mille Miglia car with which to enter the Mille Miglia at a fraction of the cost of other models.

Disclaimer
The information provided on this website has been compiled by The Houtkamp Collection with the utmost care. The information contained within this advert is provided ‘as-is’, without warranties as to its accuracy whether expressed or implied and is intended for informational purposes only. The Houtkamp Collection is not liable for any errors or mistakes.