Mercedes-Benz 170V
The abbreviation W136 identifies a broad family of mid-range passenger cars produced 1936-1955 by the German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz.
The new car that would replace the 170 was made a first pre-series in 1935. Such a model was fitted by a slightly smaller engine, a 1.6-liter 38hp capable of propelling the car to 105km/h maximum speed. This model was known as 170 W33 or as 160V, where V was for vorn, which in German means front, to indicate the position of the front of the engine. This model was produced until 1936 in 2991 copies, waiting for the launch of the final model, a significant number for a pre-series.
In the height of the war, given the scarcity of conventional fuels, were made of gas-powered and 170V. This gas was produced by a gasifier apparatus placed on the tail of the car, carrying the gas to a cylinder placed at the front, in front of the nose of the car, which distributed the gas inside the engine (see photo). Two versions were made:
170V were also derived from various versions designed for military use. These versions, called in German "Kübelwagen", were used by the German Wehrmacht active in those years. The production of these vehicles even officially began a year before the official marketing of 170V. Some of these models, in fact, did not share much with 170V, while others were more similar.
Usually the letter G in the production Mercedes-Benz indicates that you are in front of a car with off-road characteristics. In fact, the letter G stands for Geländewagen, which in German means "off-road". The 170VG (see photo) was introduced in 1935, even before the launch of 170V road, but in fact shared a lot with the latter, starting from the frame, ending with the classic 1.7-liter M136 engine. Among the differences are remember the 5-speed gearbox, but especially the four-wheel drive. The external design was clearly for military use and performance were different depending on the type of drive selected. On rear-wheel drive, it reached 90km/h, while in 4×4 mode not exceeded 55km/h. The 170VG was produced in 1935 only 62 specimens in total.
This version was perhaps one of the most special, but the name "jeep" do not be fooled: it was in fact a car with roadster bodywork, but built in so you can tackle even the type of off-road paths. Among other things, it was appreciated because of its off-road capability, but externally appeared normal two-seater roadster. These cars were also used for some racing on dirt, forerunners of today’s rally. There have been three models of this type, both equipped with two different engines by Canon 1.7 M136:
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