Mercedes 170VS Alpine Rally 1939 #242

Mercedes 170VS Alpine Rally 1939 #242 by Autocult

Off-road with the three-pointed star  
With the beginning of the second half of the 1930s, the major, popular German automotive manufacturers produced more and more individual passenger cars and trucks for the off-road terrain. It quickly became clear to everyone involved that this was only feasible with uncompromisingly adapted vehicles, and so the light, off-road sports car Type 170 VS was created at Mercedes-Benz beginning in 1938. As early as February 1938, the first test drives are said to have been completed. Finally, the race cars debuted at the “10th Central German Uplands Race” and the “1st German Alpine Rally”.   The two-seater 170 VS was based on the 170 V series, which was presented in 1936 and also had the in-house designation W 136. Therefore, the 4-cylinder engine was installed at the front. The VS featured an enlarged 2.2 liter engine with an performance of 50 horsepower. With its wight of 1,000 kg, the car reached and top speed of almost 110 km/h. But the top speed was only of secondary importance in those races through difficult terrain. Rather, it was about getting over hill and dale passably and quickly, and a first-class suspension was a very important feature. Beside this the 170 VS was also fitted with larger wheels – compared to the series production. Both features made a significant contribution to mastering the section well on unpaved ground.   The Swabian plant finished a total of 10 copies of the 170 VS off-road roaster. Added up with the 230 SV version the total number of vehicles produced was 30. The vehicles also competed at races in 1939, but as is well known, the approaching World War II caused motorsport competition to move more and more into the background. What happened afterwards with the off-road roadsters has been lost in the darkness of history. Provably, one of the vehicles came to the USA after the end of the war and was restored there a few years ago.