1960 Mercedes-Benz 190-Series

0975

Clear

Up for auction is a very complete and original 1960 Mercedes-Benz 190Db. This four door sedan is part of the famed "ponton" series of Mercedes automobiles and is a very early example of the mid-model design change (designated by the "b" in the model designation). This is car #0975 produced according to the serial number. This car is a barn find and a project - but the rarity of the combination of the diesel engine and the Webasto fabric roof makes it a worthy project. The car is very complete and very solid. The only area that is rusted through is in the passenger side inner fender and it appears that the involved panel can be removed and replaced. There is obviously quite a bit of surface rust in many areas, but this is surface corrosion only and should be easy to remove during the pre-paint stripping process. The engine is the 1.9L four cylinder diesel. It has not been started so no comment can be made on the condition of the engine. The greatest part about this car is the fabulous Webasto full fabric roof option. This was a rare option on the ponton sedans and even more so on the diesel models. The Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Irvine, CA says that records are not available as to how many of these cars were fit with this roof option but they do say it is very rare on the diesel. The car is currently in the high desert of the Carson Valley, south of Reno NV. Shipping can be arranged anywhere at the buyers expense. Pre-bid inspections are encouraged. This is a no reserve auction with a low starting price for this project. The car will sell for the highest bid - even if the high bid is low. I had hoped to make this my own project but its just never happened - now I just want the car to find a good home with an owner who will appreciate the charms of this great old fabric-roofed sedan. Mileage is unknown. Please ask any questions before bidding! On Dec-02-12 at 16:51:16 PST, seller added the following information: 12/02: There have been lots of questions about some specifics on the car so I am going to address them publicly here: The floors are solid and I have posted photos of the underside of the floors at a ShutterFly share site at   http://1960mercedes190db.shutterfly.com/pictures/10  . As you can see - the floors, suspension mounting points and jacking points all appear to be very solid with surface rust but no rust-through or cancer. I also grabbed photos of the floors from the interior as I could get access under the interior floorboards. The same ShutterFly album also has additional interior photos. The Webasto headliner is complete and in-tact. The original sunvisors are fit to the car. The Webasto hardware is there but I have not attempted to roll back the roof as I don't want to damage or displace any of the parts before they are properly documented for fit, assembly and location prior to restoration. I believe that the seats and door panels are all the original fabric. The color code is DB124G. The engine is not seized and does crank over by hand at the pulley. I can not provide estimates for shipping and suggest on-line calculators provided by the major vehicle transport companies, The car is located in zip code 89423. I have had success in the past with independent haulers I have found on www.uShip.com but offer no suggestions for specific carriers. I am willing to store the car for a few weeks if it is helpful in getting a better shipping rate. One thing to consider when calculating shipping is the condition of the Webasto roof and headliner. The headliner material is old and fragile and will not survive the elements of an open trailer. If you want to protect the original headliner the car should be shipped in an enclosed carrier. I am willing (for the cost of materials) to wrap the top of the car with a tarp and lots of duct tape in an attempt to protect the interior roof fabric - but I offer no guarantee that this wrap will hold up to long distance open carrier hauling. I do have some of the original paper items for the car - I think an owners manual and possibly a service booklet. There has been a lot of interest in this car and I hope I have provided the additional details requested here. If not - please continue to ask your great questions. As he auction nears its end I will try to be very available for any last minute questions. From the nature of the questions I am getting I am glad to know that this car is probably going to find a very good home with someone that will undertake the restoration I was hoping to do myself.