1939 Mercedes-Benz

1939 Mercedes-Benz 170V Roadster

Introduced in 1931, the 170 was one of Mercedes-Benz's most popular series and was a mainstay of their production line-up from the early depression years of the 1930s into the early 1950s. The type 170 V made its public debut as the successor to the type 170 in February of 1936 and between 1936 and 1939 it was Mercedes' top selling car up to that point, with a total of 75,000 units built.

The 1.7 liter four cylinder rear wheel drive Mercedes-Benz 170V was introduced in 1936 to replace the 1.7 liter six-cylinder Mercedes-Benz 170. While the two engines had similar displacement the new 1.7 liter four cylinder engine had more power due to its side-valve engine. It also carried a new 4-speed manual transmission with synchromesh gears. The engine was suspended using two rubber mounts and set the standard for engine smoothness in four-cylinder engines. The chassis utilized Mercedes-Benz’s pedal operated central chassis lubrication system as well.

Most of the 170Vs that were produced, and most of those that survive today, are the two and four door "Limousine" or sedan bodied cars, but a wide range of bodies were offered for the series during its production. There was a two door two seat "Cabriolet A" and a two door four seat "Cabriolet B", both with luggage storage behind the seats and beneath the storage location of the hood when folded. A common feature of the 170 V bodies was external storage of the spare wheel on the car's rear panel. However, the two seat Roadster featured a large flap behind the two seats with a thinly upholstered rear partition which could be used either as a substantial luggage platform or as a seating bench - the so-called mother-in-law's seat.

Compared to the practical four-door cars, Mercedes-Benz only produced a small number of the two-seat 170V "Cabriolet A" and "Roadsters", which utilized the same chassis to fill a mid-market demand for attractive, personal automobiles. Records indicate that only 794 Cabriolet A and 271 Roadsters were built. It is thought that this car is one of only 12 Roadsters currently known to still exist.

The Cabriolets and Roadsters emulated the lovely lines and proportions of the coveted 500K and 540K designed by Hermann Ahrens in the custom-body division at the Sindelfingen plant. By shifting the cowl and seats rearward on the chassis, Ahrens lengthened the hood and then accented the lines with a front fender line that swept into the running board. The cabriolets are quite attractive with their tops erected, but lose some of their grace with the top folded. The Roadsters, on the other hand, took a cue from the 500K design and featured folding tops that could be stored completely under the cowl behind the front seats.

In addition to the 170 V Roadsters unique sheet metal, they feature advanced engineering features such as the lightweight four cylinder engine producing 38 horsepower, a X-frame made from oval tubing, suspension using double transverse front leaf springs, independent swing axles and coil springs on the rear, and hydraulic shock absorbers. While there were many 170Vs produced the 170V Roadsters are considerably rarer and significantly more attractive.

Paul Russell and Company is proud to offer this fully restored Mercedes-Benz 170V Roadster. It is one of only 271 original Roadsters ever built. It is a wonderful example that has only covered 100 miles since a 4 year complete body off restoration by long time Mercedes-Benz restorer Henry Magno of Magno Restorations. The current owner purchased the car in the summer of 1974 with his father as a restoration project after the car had been sitting for the previous 15 years. However, life interceded, and the car sat in storage for another 36 years until early 2010 when the current owners Father was simplifying his affairs and asked his son "what he wanted to do with the car".

Using information from the car's identification plate, the owner searched the Internet and was able to find a similar car – a 1938 170V Cabriolet A – which had been restored and was being shown by longtime MBCA member Henry Magno of Magno Restorations in Ward Hill, Massachusetts. Henry confirmed that the car was "a very interesting and rare 1939 170V Roadster". The decision was made to have Magno Restorations conduct a full restoration of the car.

During the work done by Magno Restorations during the four year restoration process, they rebuilt every aspect of the car. All mechanical parts and the chassis were disassembled, refurbished, or replaced. The body was completely restored and the original ash wood body frame was rebuilt to exacting specs. A new windshield frame, rear bumper, body moldings, taillights and license plate assembly all were sourced for the car. Based on vintage pictures, the current owner decided to paint the 170V an attractive ivory-white that is accented with red leather interior and a black top.

Since the restoration was completed the car has been shown at the following concours: 2013 Misselwood Concours d’Elegance: Best in Class 2014 The Greenwich Concours: First Selectman Award; Second in Class 2014 The Boston Cup: Best-in-Class 2014 Hilton Head Island Concours 2015 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

This 170V Roadster was also the subject of a feature article in the July-August 2015 issue of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America’s Star Magazine, "Sleepng Beauty".

This is a rare fully restored car that runs, drives, and presents beautifully. It is a wonderful early example of classic Mercedes-Benz styling and engineering that is also fun to drive. This would be a nice affordable pre-war addition to any collection.