A pair of classic Mercedes cars on display in Hanoi.

TPO - On the sidelines of the launch event for the new E-Class sedan, the German luxury car manufacturer also displayed a pair of classic cars: the Ponton 190 and the first-generation E-Class W124.

The Mercedes-Benz Ponton 190, part of the Ponton line launched in 1953, is known as Mercedes-Benz's first unibody vehicle.

The design of the Mercedes-Benz Ponton is inspired by the shape of a ship's hull, with its smooth lines.

The car features classic round headlights and a horizontal grille, along with the three-pointed star logo on the hood, details that define Mercedes-Benz's sedan design language.

At the event, the Ponton 190 on display boasted a glossy white paint job. The car used body-colored rims, tires with white sidewalls, and large wheel hubcaps featuring the Mercedes logo.

The interior features classic leather upholstery in red tones, and the headliner and steering wheel have also been reupholstered.

The car's dashboard is finished in a combination of wood and leather, while details such as the mechanical clock behind the steering wheel and the center console clearly show the marks of time.

The glass door is raised and lowered manually using a hand crank.

Introduced at the 1953 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Ponton 190 was notable for its 1.9L, 4-cylinder engine, producing approximately 50-80 horsepower.

According to Mercedes-Benz, the Ponton 190, upon its launch, replaced the Type 170 and accounted for up to 80% of the company's car production at the time, thus becoming one of the most important models in the history of the three-pointed star brand.

Next came the Mercedes-Benz W124 – the predecessor of the E-Class, first launched in 1984. In 1993, this model was renamed, becoming the first car in the world to bear the name E-Class.

The car has a boxy design from front to back, evident in many details from the front and rear bumpers, the headlight clusters, to the dual exhaust pipes, all of which are shaped like square blocks.





The front of the car continues to feature the characteristic horizontal grille and the vertically positioned Mercedes logo, along with some decorative emblems chosen by the owner.

Notably, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class W124 has a smaller, square-shaped right-side mirror, while the left-side mirror is larger and rectangular. This detail has been retained to optimize driver visibility and improve aerodynamic efficiency.

Some notable features on the W124 in the 1980s included a multi-link independent suspension system, standard ABS brakes, and a smooth-closing mechanical soft-close door mechanism.

The car's interior features wood trim, a dashboard filled with mechanical controls, and a mechanical clock behind the steering wheel. The seats are upholstered in original fabric, with the front seats manually adjustable using rotary knobs.

According to our research, the car on display has had its manual transmission replaced with an automatic transmission, and wood trim has been added to the center console to create a seamless look with the dashboard.

The displayed vehicle is the 230 E version, using an M102 gasoline engine, a 2.3L inline 4-cylinder engine, producing approximately 130 horsepower and 195 Nm of torque. According to Mercedes-Benz Vietnam, the W124 series is renowned for its durability, with many vehicles worldwide having traveled over 1 million miles without needing an engine overhaul.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/bo-doi-xe-mercedes-co-trung-bay-tai-ha-noi-post1788085.tpo