1952 Mercedes Benz 170 D Touring-High Quality Restoration

The Mercedes-Benz W136 was Mercedes-Benz's main line of inline-four cylinder motorcars from the mid-1930s into the 1950s. The model 170 V made its public debut as successor to the W15 Typ 170 in February 1936. Between 1936 and 1939 it was Mercedes' top selling model. Between 1936 and 1942 over 75,000 were built making it by far the most popular Mercedes-Benz model up till that point. Enough of the W136's tooling survived Allied bombing during World War II (or could be recreated post-war) for it to serve as the foundation upon which the company could rebuild. By 1947 the model 170 V had resumed its place as Mercedes' top-seller, a position it held until 1953.

The "V" in the 170 V's name was an abbreviation of "Vorn" (front), added to differentiate it from the contemporary rear-engined Mercedes-Benz 170H (W28) ("H" for "Heck", rear) which used the same four cylinder 1697cc engine, but positioned at the back of the car.

Most of the cars produced, and an even higher proportion of those that survive, were two- or four-door "Limousine" (saloon/sedan) bodied cars, but the range of different body types offered in the 1930s for the 170 V was unusually broad. A four-door "Cabrio-Limousine" combined the four doors of the four-door "Limousine" with a full-length foldaway canvas roof.

Both the four door bodies were also available adapted for taxi work, with large luggage racks at the back. There was a two-door two-seater "Cabriolet A" and a two-door four-seater "Cabriolet B" both with luggage storage behind the seats and beneath the storage location of the hood when folded (but without any external lid for accessing the luggage from outside the car). A common feature of the 170 V bodies was external storage of the spare wheel on the car's rear panel. The pre-war production of W136 cars and light commercials was around 90,000; production ended in 1942 as all efforts were directed towards the war.

During the war the Mercedes-Benz plant suffered very severe bomb damage, but the manufacturer nevertheless emerged from the trauma of war with a significant competitive advantage over many of its pre-war competitors.

Production restarted in May 1946. The vehicles produced were versions of the 170 V, but in 1946 only 214 vehicles were produced and they were all light trucks or ambulances. Passenger car production resumed in July 1947, but volumes were still very low, with just 1,045 170 Vs produced that year. There was no return for the various open topped models from the 1930s. Customers for a Mercedes-Benz 170 V passenger car were restricted to the four door "Limousine" sedan/saloon bodied car.

Production did ramp up during the next couple of years, and in 1949 170 V production returned to above 10,000 cars.

From May 1949 the car, badged in this permutation as the Mercedes-Benz 170D, was offered with an exceptionally economical 38 PS (28 kW; 37 hp) diesel engine. The 170D was the world's third diesel fueled passenger car, and the first to be introduced after the war.

This exceptionally well restored example has been the subject of a ground up no expenses spared professional restoration and has covered few miles since. It has been shown sparingly at local Concours, but has not been shown recently, so would be a great candidate for the Show Circuit. This is a very rare, seldom seen car stateside.

An early Mercedes Diesel is quite a revolutionary car. and would be most welcomed in any collection of Important Mercedes Benz.