A pivotal machine for Daimler-Benz
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The Mercedes-Benz 170 V (W136) was introduced in February 1936 at the Berlin International Motor and Motorcycle Show. Unlike the four-seater Cabriolet B, the Cabriolet A was a dedicated two-seater — the most expensive, sporting, and elegant variant offered.
A longer, sweeping hood line, distinctively raked windshield, and flowing fender curves masked the car's compact dimensions, lending it the presence of a far larger roadster.
Beneath the hood lay the robust M136 — a 1.7-litre inline-four producing 38 horsepower. Modest on paper, yet legendary for a smoothness and reliability that would go on to power Mercedes' post-war reconstruction. The car abandoned the heavy box-frames of the past for a revolutionary X-shaped oval tubular frame: lighter, stiffer, and paired with four-wheel independent suspension that rode decades ahead of its stiff-axle rivals.
