Last Minute Decision to Name the
Mercedes-Benz Type W105 Ponton Sedan 

According to internal memoranda stored in the Daimler-Benz Archives, for a brief period during April 1956, due to the shortened body of the Mercedes-Benz Type W105 Ponton sedan, the external model designator, "220K" and internal (factory) designator, "220c" were both considered, but then dismissed a few days later. It is interesting to note that the Type W105 had been in production since March of 1956.

Sales brochure for the Mercedes-Benz Type W105 "219" Ponton sedan

Internal memoranda regarding the model designator for the Type W105 sedan

Mercedes-Benz Type 220K (PDF)

Internal memorandum dated 7 April 1956:
"According to a management decision, the new type 219 will due to recent considerations not get the sales designation type 219 as presented in the announcement from 24 March 1956 but the sales designation type 220 K."

Internal memorandum dated 10 April 1956:
"According to a management decision, W105, the sales designation will be established as type designation 219. Thereby will the, in the meanwhile announced type designation 220 K, be obsolete and be declared invalid. Likewise will the originally planned designations type 220 c (internal) and 220 (external) be obsolete and be declared invalid."

Notes:

1. The Mercedes-Benz Type W105 "219" Ponton sedan was in production from 3/56 to 7/59.

2. The internal memoranda cited in this page are dated, 7 April 1956 and 10 April 1956, one month after production began

3. K = kurz = short

4. The Mercedes-Benz Type W105 "219" Ponton sedan has a shorter body from the "B-pillar" (where the front and rear doors meet) to the rear of the car. In other words, the Type W105 219 was a hybrid, using the longer engine hood from the Type 220a/220S six cylinder Ponton sedans and the shorter rear doors of the Type 180/190 four cylinder Ponton sedans.

5. Reference the Type 219 Photo Gallery for more information