Mercedes-Benz W 136 170 V, Advertising from 1936 -- "A Star that Brings Happiness"

The Mercedes-Benz W136 was M-B's  line of inline four cylinder vehicles from the mid-1930s into the 1950s. The model 170 V made its public debut as successor to the W 15 Typ 170 in February 1936. Between 1936 and 1939 it was Mercedes' top selling model.

Between 1936 and 1942 over 75,000 were built making it by far the most popular Mercedes-Benz model up till that point.

Enough of the W136's tooling survived Allied bombing during WWII  (or could be recreated post-war) for it to serve as the foundation upon which the company could rebuild. By 1947 the model 170 V had resumed its place as Mercedes' top-seller, a position it held until 1953.^[2]

The "V" in the 170 V's name was an abbreviation of "Vorn" (front), added to differentiate it from the contemporary rear-engined M-B 170H (W28) ("H" for "Heck", rear) which used the same four cylinder 1697cc engine, but positioned at the back of the car.

The 1.7 liter four cylinder rear wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz 170 V (W136) was introduced in 1936 to replace the 1.7 liter six-cylinder  (W15). Despite their similar engine capacities, the new car's side-valve M 136 was more powerful. The manual transmission was four speed synchromesh (having been upgraded from synchromesh in only the top two ratios in 1940). Claimed maximum power was 38 PS (28 kW; 37 hp) at 3,400 RPM at an initial compression ratio of 6:1. Mileage was 10 liters per 100 kilometer (24 mpg). The engine was attached using just two mountings and set the standard for smoothness for four-cylinder motors.

The first two years' production had the Mercedes star mounted directly on the grille, the radiator cap was mounted beneath the bonnet. In 1937 the grille was changed and the star now sat atop the radiator cap. The pre-war production of W136 cars and light commercials was around 90,000; production ended in 1942 as all efforts were directed towards the war. Already in 1939 a wood gas-powered model called the 170 VG was presented as the result of petrol becoming largely unavailable for civilian purposes. The generator was mounted on the rear, meaning that the spare wheel had to be relocated to the roof. Thus equipped, the engine produced only 22 PS (16 kW) at 3200 rpm, enough for a top speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). Mercedes-Benz also made the gas generator available as a kit for installation on existing automobiles