At the beginning of the thirties of the twentieth century, the Mercedes brand explored the popular car card for some timedeveloping several prototypes whose style was incredibly close to what was later seen at home Volkswagen with the legendary Beetle. The story, however, starts with the designer Béla Viktor Karl Barényi, who in the fifties won in court a lawsuit on a 1925 patent that had practically already written down the legendary Beetle. The only substantial difference with the car that was then sold all over the world was the tail, which Barényi had drawn in a sloping, without roundness. The engineer is to be considered the intellectual father of the so-called ‘people’s car’ which should have been a Nazi boast.
Barényi’s ideas, sown in the automotive sector, they were first collected by Mercedes. There W17, also known as 120, it is to be considered in all respects a prototype of a Beetle: it is dated 1931. Rear four-cylinder boxer engine, four comfortable seats, 3-speed gearbox, weight of just over a ton, captivating line: the car had everything to be a very popular model. But it didn’t go into production.
Later Mercedes types 130, 150 and 170 all had connections with the 120. In particular, however, it is the 170 Hon the cover, which shows more proximity to what was once the Volkswagen Beetle. It was shown in 1936, almost two years before the ‘twin’, with a rear engine. The components were derived from the 130 and 150. The 170 H, with the letter that stands for Heckmotor, had a power of 38 horsepower thanks to the 1.7-liter rear engine. It was quite expensive, but with better balance when it comes to driving. It was produced until 1939, when the war interrupted all the good intentions of the manufacturers.
It would have been suggestive to see a popular car flourish at Mercedes: perhaps it would have changed the connotations of its business forever, and today we would not have to deal with a brand devoted to luxury. It didn’t happen that way, and basically it was just a question of ideas that could circulate freely: after all, Ferdinand Porsche also worked with Mercedes before devoting himself entirely to the Volkswagen project.
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