1951 Mercedes-Benz 170 S Cabriolet

- Spectacular sweeping styling referencing the larger 300
- Double wishbone front suspension
- A fine example of the first post-war Mercedes cabriolet
- German registration document

Please kindly note that this car will be available for viewing by prior appointment in DORTMUND(GERMANY): please contact [email protected] for booking.

With peace holding in a defeated Germany, luxury car production resumed in the late 1940s, but there would be no escaping the use of pre-war technology. Announced in 1949, the 170 S may have traced its roots to 1936's 170 V, but careful technical innovation ensured it was fitting transportation for the company directors it was designed for. Indeed, historians of the marque regard the 170 S as the genesis of what would become the S Class, a model still in favour today. An updated version of the venerable M136 inline-four, enlarged to 1767cc and now with a single Solex carburettor, was mated to an all-synchromesh four-speed manual transmission, with advanced double-wishbone front suspension and a swing axle with coil springs at the rear. The 'S' denoted a Sonder Modell with increased luxury and comfort, and for the first time since the war, Mercedes again offered a cabriolet variant with a choice of two or four seats. The 170 was replaced in 1952 by the 220, which retained the same basic body but added an all-new inline six-cylinder engine.

First registered in 1951, the car was bought by the current owner in 2007.

It is offered with a few technical inspection records, its German registration documents (Teil I and II), and several handwritten notes and photographs from the 1990s.

The car has been professionally maintained in the owner's private workshop. However, while it has benefited from regular care, it has been kept on static display in recent years. As such, it will require recommissioning before it can be returned to road use.