Tidy German Classic

This remarkable 1939 Mercedes-Benz 170 V was delivered to its first owner in August 1939 through the Konigsberg branch of Daimler-Benz. The limited production Cabriolet Saloon body was produced in house by Mercedes-Benz and is finished in black with a tan interior and a black fabric top. This 170 V has been the subject of a sympathetic refurbishment a fairly long time ago. It has seen limited use since refurbishment and is in very good condition overall. This car was recently purchased out of an important European Mercedes-Benz collection and subsequently entered the United States for the first time in its long history.

This Car’s Past

The Cabriolet Saloon body is one of the more unusual variations on the 170 V chassis, and is seldom seen today. This body style is essentially a four-door with a fold-back fabric roof that gives open air motoring to all passengers when opened. The side rails and windows remain in place however, providing shelter from the wind and cold. Its refurbishment included the utilization of many original and new components. The black paint has a deep shine, exhibiting only a few blemishes and the brightwork has all been recently re-plated. This car is upholstered in tan leather, which is all in very good condition, except for some normal wear in places where the lowered roof has been in contact. The dash board is painted gloss black and presents very well, while tan carpets line the floor. A day-night mirror is mounted above the windscreen. The rear of the car has an exposed spare tire with a fitted black fabric cover. The engine compartment and undercarriage are generally clean and fully functional, but they are of driver quality and not overly-detailed.

“Introduced in 1931, the new 170 bristled with sophisticated details… The four-cylinder 170 V with tubular backbone frame followed in 1936 and quickly became the company’s new best seller.” Beverly Rae Kimes, The Star and the Laurel, Published by MBNA, 1986.
“The 170 V was all-new in appearance and mostly new in mechanics… Its mission was to satisfy the need for daily transportation in the best-engineered, most sensible way. Immediately, the 170 V excited intense public interest.” Ted West, Automobile Quarterly, Volume 7, Number 3, 1989.
John Kleen, Vintage Consultant

Historic Context of the 170 V

Building off of the successful formula of the original 170 of 1931, the 170 V featured a more streamlined body, a new backbone chassis for greater torsional rigidity and an entirely new side-valve 4-cylinder engine of 1697 cc displacement. Thanks to a compression ratio of 6.0:1, the car had a maximum speed of about 70 miles per hour.
Although Mercedes-Benz began producing the 170 V in 1935, its formal debut did not occur until the Berlin Auto Show of February 1936. The 170 V provided, once again, unmistakable evidence as to how far ahead of the rest of the industry the company had gone in producing really excellent, affordable automobiles.
The 170 V’s greatest advantage over all the other vehicles in its class, however, was its use of fully independent suspension all around. Front suspension was by upper and lower parallel transverse leaf springs while the rear suspension utilized swing axles and coil springs. The 170 V also featured a synchronized four-speed manual transmission and 4-wheel hydraulic brakes.
Mercedes-Benz produced some of their greatest and most successful racing cars of all time during the 1930’s. Their successful designs and engineering advances for Grand Prix automobiles influenced their production cars as well. The 170 V was produced during this period of Grand Prix racing success. As a result of its advanced specifications, the 170 V became the company’s best-selling model, with about 70,000 being produced from 1935 to 1942.

Things to Consider about this Car

This very attractive automobile is an example of the highly advanced and seldom seen Mercedes-Benz 170 V Cabriolet Saloon. In an extensive written document from November 2010, Norbert Schroeder of Kleofactum in Dusseldorf, confirmed the identity and condition of this car. His careful examination resulted in an overall rating of “3”. This then is a very attractive example of the highly successful and ground breaking 1939 Mercedes-Benz 170 V Cabriolet Saloon and is ideally suited for entry at a concours, rally or tour by its fortunate next owner.
John Kleen, Vintage Consultant