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Mercedes-Benz 170 (W 15) – Swinging Thirties

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Created on November 21, 2025

Text:

Paul Krüger

Photos:

Daimler-Benz AG

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Copyright Daimler AG

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Mercedes-Benz Group AG

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Daimler-Benz AG

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Copyright Daimler AG

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Mercedes-Benz Group AG

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1932) - In front of the housing estate: Daimler-Benz opened up lower price regions with the W15

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1931) - in the Weissenhof estate in Stuttgart

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1931) - the four-door interior steering wheel from the diagonal rear. The "luggage compartment" is itself a suitcase

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1932) - with saloon body, produced between 1931 and 1936

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1932) - The rear doors are hinged at the back

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1932) - Outing with a dog

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1934) - Cabriolet C, built between 1931 and 1936

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1931) - Cabriolet C with closed roof

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Mercedes-Benz 170 Cabriolet C (1931) - with two doors, two side windows and four seats

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Mercedes-Benz 170 Cabriolet C (1934) - definitely suitable for winter with a thickly lined soft top

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Mercedes-Benz 170 Sunshine Sedan (1932) - four-door interior with large roll-up roof

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1931) - first with radiator behind a grille

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Mercedes-Benz 170 Cabriolet C (1932) - special version with chrome-plated headlights and radiator grille with vertical struts

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1931) - four-door inside steering wheel with Sindelfingen bodywork

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1935) - late model with indicated pointed radiator

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1932) - A trunk for the trunk: a "real" trunk in the body was not available until 1935

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Mercedes-Benz 170 Cabriolet C (1932) - Long doors allow easy access to the rear seats

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1934) - View of the chassis of the vehicles between 1931 and 1936

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1934) - Chassis of the model series between 1931 and 1936

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1931) - Chassis from diagonally behind. The fuel tank is located behind the dashboard

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1931) - "axleless" front suspension with two transverse springs and lever dampers

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1931) - front wheel suspension with lever shock absorbers and "independent steering" with split tie rod

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1934) - front wheel suspension with lever shock absorbers and "independent steering" with split tie rod

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1934) - Rear suspension with two coil springs and safety catch strap

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1934) - Chassis with engine, gearbox and radiator

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1931) - six-cylinder engine with four-bearing crankshaft and 32 hp

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1931) - left side of the six-cylinder engine

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Mercedes-Benz L 300 (1932) - Delivery van with 300 kg payload

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Mercedes-Benz L 300 (1932) - the "delivery van" with cabinet-like rear door without rear window

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Mercedes-Benz L 300 (1935) - the delivery van also received the revised front section

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1931) - Illustration of the "axleless" front axle with two transverse springs instead of an axle tube

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1936) - with the six-cylinder engine, one side of the wheel is not affected by the other, thanks to swing axles and coil suspension

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Mercedes-Benz 170 (1931) - very upright style in the Cabriolet C

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Summary

With the W 15, Daimler-Benz had already ventured into more popular price categories 51 years before the 190 E. And as with the "Baby Benz" half a century later, the smallest Mercedes, the Type 170, was also the most modern.

This article contains the following chapters

Chassis
Engine and transmission
Bodywork

Estimated reading time: 3min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The global economic crisis had also made Daimler-Benz realize the need for a small, light and inexpensive car, after the company's products had previously become increasingly larger, heavier and, above all, more expensive. The driving force behind the project was Hans Nibel, who had been appointed head of the Benz & Cie. design department in 1908. Having joined the joint Daimler and Benz design office in 1924, Nibel took over the position of Technical Director from Ferdinand Porsche in January 1929. The first Mercedes-Benz with a displacement of less than two liters was then created under the model series number W 15. As was the case 51 years later with the 190 E with a space-steering axle, the greatest technical innovations were in the chassis design. While all larger models from the mid-range "Stuttgart" model up to the state-owned 770 still had rigid axles at the front and rear, the wheels on the W 15 were individually suspended - all four of them.

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