Le magazine et marché mondial pour les passionnés de voitures classiques, par des passionnés.
Le magazine et marché mondial pour les passionnés de voitures classiques, par des passionnés.
When you think of Mercedes-Benzes of the 1930s you may think of big and powerful machines with thundering straight-eight or six-in-line engines and dramatic limousine, Torpedo or cabriolet bodies. We do, we admit it. But these vehicles were of course just the top within the broad Mercedes-spectre. Their best-selling item was the considerably more down to earth 170V, built from 1935-on in numbers in excess of 75,000 before the War alone, making it by far the most popular Mercedes-Benz model up until then.
With its 1.7-litre four-cylinder side-valve engine, the 170V was available in an incredible number of body styles, from four-wheel steered army staff vehicle to flashy Sport-Roadster. Belgian auctioneers Noble-Auctions have put their hands on a collection, which compromises a great number of Mercedeses of which several are 170s, most of them being roadsters or cabriolets - see the inventory here. With its roll-back roof, the one seen above is a cabriolet-limousine with fashionably dressed 1930s ladies.