Mercedes-Benz · 1949–1955

Mercedes-Benz 170S

The Mercedes-Benz 170 S is a luxury car which was produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1949 until 1955 in various gasoline and diesel powered forms. It was initially offered with a 1.8 liter version of the 1.7 liter inline-four cylinder M136 engine used in the slightly smaller production type 170 V. It was the first Mercedes-Benz to carry in its name the suffix “S” (for Sonder modell (Special model) denoting a superior level of comfort and quality. As such, its intended market was successful business owners and company directors. The 170 S was released in May 1949, initially sharing the chassis number of the W136 170 V, and closely resembled it. However, in several respects it was more directly a development from the six-cylinder W153 Mercedes-Benz 230 which the company had produced, albeit in small numbers, between 1938 and 1943. The first 170 S upgrade occurred in January 1952, being further distanced from the 170 V with its own chassis number W191. Mercedes' introduction a year earlier of the 2.2-liter, six-cylinder M180 engined Mercedes-Benz W187 luxury 220 model, positioned between the 170 S and the company's flagship, 3.0-liter Mercedes-Benz W186 Adenauer tourers undermined the four cylinder 170 S's luxury niche. With the arrival of the all-new 1.8 liter Mercedes-Benz W120 180 "Ponton" in 1953 the 170 S was discontinued and a 170 S-V employing the 170 S' larger engine but the 170 V's slightly smaller body was introduced. Reverting to the W136 chassis code, the S-V ceased production in 1955.

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Predecessor: Mercedes-Benz W136

All Mercedes-Benz 170S data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Models

=== 170 S (W136: 1949–1952) === The Mercedes-Benz 170 S which appeared in May 1949 was 170 mm (7 in) longer, 104 mm (4 in) wider, and better appointed than the 170 V. The 170 V's 1697 cc M136 four-cylinder gasoline/petrol engine was enlarged to 1767 cc, providing a maximum output of 52 PS (38 kW), whereas the smaller engine produced 38 PS (28 kW). Performance was correspondingly enhanced, with a stated top speed of 122 km/h (76 mph). It shared the four speed all-synchromesh transmission of the 170 V. The front wheels were attached using coil springs and double wishbones with a stabilizer bar, as opposed to the simple lateral leaf-spring arrangement on the 170 V. Since the war the only version of the Mercedes-Benz 170 V available to the public had come with a four-door sedan/saloon body. With the 170 S the manufacturer now recalled some of the wider range of bodies offered on the 170 V before the war, adding a two-seat "Cabriolet A" and a four-seat "Cabriolet B". Although the 170 S was promoted as a car for company directors, the soubriquet of "first S-Class Mercedes-Benz" which began to be applied to it more than twenty years later, following the launch of the manufacturer's W116 is not one that would have been used or recognized in the 1950s. A year after the introduction of the 170 S, its M136 was also installed in the 170 V. However, both the compression ratio and the carburettor differed, so that the power advantage for the 170 S was reduced – from a difference of 14 PS to one of 7 PS – rather than eliminated. 170 Sb / 170 DS (W191: 1952–1953). In January 1952 the Mercedes-Benz 170 Sb replaced the 170 S model. The car now received a works number of its own, becoming known internally as the "Mercedes-Benz W191". Both cabriolet versions had been withdrawn in November

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Specifications

name: Mercedes-Benz 170 S
aka: Mercedes-Benz 170 S (W 136), Mercedes-Benz 170 Sb/170 DS (W 191), Mercedes-Benz 170 S-V/170 S-D (W 136)
Manufacturer: Daimler-Benz
Class: Mid-size luxury / Executive car (E)
Production: 170S: 1949–1952, 31,197 units, 170Sb / 170DS: 1952–1953, 21,079 units, 170 S-V / 170 S-D: 1953–1955, 18,009 units
Body style: 4-door saloon, 1949–1955, 2-door, 2- and 4-seater cabriolets, 1949–1951
Predecessor: Mercedes-Benz W136
Layout: FR layout
Assembly: West Germany: Stuttgart, Argentina: Buenos Aires
Engine: petrol:, 1767 cc M136 I4, diesel:, 1767 cc OM636 I4
Wheelbase: 2845 mm
Width: 1584 mm
Length: 4455 mm (1949–1953), 4450 mm (1953–1955)
Successor: Mercedes-Benz W120/W121