The 219 is a 220's front end welded to a 180's rear doors, a factory mix-and-match of two different cars.
Lead trim: 219 (M180 2.2 I6)
Mercedes-Benz S-ClassW105 · 1956–1959
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FactThe 219 is a 220's front end welded to a 180's rear doors, a factory mix-and-match of two different cars.
The Mercedes-Benz W105 was a four-door executive car built by Daimler-Benz from 1956 to 1959 and marketed as the Typ 219, with estates built by IMA; 27,845 were made. This ponton-styled car was Daimler-Benz's effort to offer an intermediate no-frills six-cylinder model, combining the 2.2 litre straight-six M180 engine and forward body shell of the larger, more luxurious 220-series with the more compact cabin of the entry-level four-cylinder W120 180/190. From the A-pillar forward it was identical to the long-nosed 220a, including the single-carburettor 2.2 litre six; from the A-pillar back it used the shorter body of the 180/190, so its wheelbase and total length are shorter than the 220 S but longer than the 190. The most obvious telltale is the shorter, one-piece windows of the 180-derived rear doors, which lack the vent windows of the 220 series; inside it used the simpler instrumentation of the smaller car, with bakelite trim instead of wood. Technical data: 2195 cc M180 six with a double downdraft Solex carburetor, 85 hp at 4800 rpm and 116 lb⋅ft at 2400 rpm, SOHC with a duplex chain, four-speed manual with the lever on the steering column, double-wishbone front and swing-axle rear suspension, recirculating-ball steering, drum brakes (power assist optional) and unibody construction, with a top speed of 148 km/h (92 mph). Length is 4,650 mm (183.1 in), and 468 cm (184 in) from August 1957.
Collectors Spotted in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Lineage
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Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 219 (M180 2.2 I6) | 1956–1959 | 2.2 L Inline-6 | 85 hp | 116 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
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Owners’ builds
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Photographs
This S63 drops the S-Class's century-old hood ornament for a Panamericana grille with a giant badge up front — a first for the S-Class sedan.
This S-Class pioneered a new kind of rear airbag: instead of being gas-inflated, it deploys by inflating a supporting structure and letting ordinary ambient air fill the bag - a world first.
The Z223 Maybach S-Class is 18 cm longer than the car it replaced, and the first Mercedes with rear-passenger frontal airbags.
The V12 AMG S-Class went out on a high note: a 130-unit S 65 Final Edition unveiled at the 2019 Geneva show before the engine was retired for good.
The W222 S63 AMG's battery wasn't a bespoke part — Mercedes borrowed a lightweight 78 Ah lithium-ion unit straight from the SLS AMG Black Series supercar.
The W222 S-Class got a suspension with 'eyes': a stereo camera reads the road up to 15 meters ahead at speeds up to 130 km/h, softening each damper before the car even hits the bump.
Mercedes built this S65 with a 5-speed automatic while rivals had moved to seven gears, saving the V12's torque from a gearbox it would have broken.
The S63 AMG's tail lights hide a tiny detail: 52 individual LEDs arranged into a glowing "C" shape on each side.
The W221 was the first S-Class offered with Mercedes' Active Body Control-based Magic Body Control successor tech groundwork and the first to include a night-vision assist system as an option in the US.
AMG's own V12 for the S65 reportedly made 1,200 N·m of torque in testing — Mercedes had to electronically cap it because the transmission behind it couldn't survive the real number.
The sportier S 55 AMG and the flagship S 600 made identical horsepower — Mercedes simply aimed one at drivers and the other at passengers.
The W220 dropped nearly 200 kg compared to its W140 predecessor despite growing in interior space, a weight-reduction goal set directly in response to criticism of the older car's bulk.
The W140's development cost roughly one billion dollars, making it one of the most expensive car programs of its era.
The W126 S-Class pioneered seat belt pretensioners that automatically cinched tight the instant the car sensed a crash coming — years ahead of the rest of the industry.
China quietly cloned this S-Class in 1974: the Shanghai SH771, a reverse-engineered copy meant to replace a 1950s sedan, built only as prototypes.
Mercedes dropped its flagship 600 limousine's 6.3-litre V8 into an ordinary-looking sedan body. It's the car historians credit as the first true Mercedes sleeper.
The W108 sold well enough in Southeast Asia and North America to rack up 383,072 built by 1972.
The 300 SE sedan raced European Touring Car events despite costing nearly double the top W111 model it was based on.
Every W111 sedan wore the pointed "Heckflosse" fintail that gave the whole line its nickname — except these two-door coupes and cabriolets, which designer Paul Bracq deliberately gave a cleaner, more modern rear years ahead of its time.
The "Fintail" quietly rewrote car safety: Mercedes built in front and rear crumple zones and patented retractable seatbelts, years before either was ever required by law.
The 220 SE cabriolet cost ten percent more than a Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, with no power steering on offer at any price.
The 219 is a 220's front end welded to a 180's rear doors, a factory mix-and-match of two different cars.
The 220 a exists because Mercedes stretched a four-cylinder W120 170mm to squeeze in a straight-six.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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