1934 Mercedes-Benz 290 Cabriolet D

2,867cc Side-Valve Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
Single Updraft Carburetor
68bhp
4-Speed Manual Transmission
Independent Front and Coil Spring with Swing Axle Rear Suspension
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes

*Rarely seen, elegant 4-Door Cabriolet
*A scaled down 500/540K
*An excellent basis for a restoration
*Perfect for European tours

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

Introduced in 1934, the Mercedes-Benz Type 290 (W18) was descended from one of the Stuttgart factory's most important and influential designs: the Type 170. The latter was the work of the company's Technical Director, Hans Nibel, a man more famous as the creator of Mercedes-Benz's successful W25 racer. With the market for its luxury models hard hit by the Depression, Mercedes-Benz had sought to establish itself in the medium-priced family car market sector with the 170. Launched in 1931, the latter embodied Nibel's advanced ideas on chassis design, featuring a box-section frame with independent suspension all round and four-wheel hydraulic brakes. Its power unit was a six-cylinder side-valve of 1,692cc, which transmitted its modest maximum output via a four-speed gearbox to a rubber-mounted differential.

Competitively priced, the 170 was a huge success and spawned a family of larger-engined, more-powerful models, the first of which - the 200 - appeared in 1932. The 200 was joined in 1934 by the outwardly similar 2.9-liter 290, the latter featuring revised front suspension among other improvements.

Capable of a maximum speed of around 70-75mph depending on the style of coachwork fitted, the 290 was available in both short and long chassis variants, the latter affording coachbuilders greater freedom of expression. In Germany, there were as many as 14 different body styles available. Mercedes-Benz ceased production of the 290 in 1936, by which time 3,476 short-wheelbase and 3,929 long-wheelbase cars had been built.

This long-wheelbase Cabriolet D is an unrestored example of one of the four different four-door droptops offered on the 290. Quickly recognizable by its front and rear doors both being hinged on the B-pillar, it looks very much like a scaled down example of a 500/540K. Handsome and nicely proportioned, its understated black exterior complements nicely with its brown leather interior. Delivered new to Europe, it is a rare opportunity to acquire an open pre-WWII Mercedes.