THE EARLY MERCEDES 170V
     
DER FRÜHE MERCEDES 170V (1936-1938)
   
     
The star / der Mercedes Stern
   
 
 
 
 

 

Ersatzteilliste A, B and C all illustrate the star up front of the car, but it is not on top of the radiator cap. Actually in the early models the star (Part nr 13683 381) was a part on its own, standing over a small pedestal on the front of the car (see images below from Parts List A and a factory photo of 1936 vintage).
 

 

In the same cars the radiator cap (Part nr 2383 331) is located under the hood, as may be seen in the image above left and in the images below taken from the earliest Owner's Manual of 1936 (left) and from Parts List B (right).

An interesting point which some readers may be able to elucidate is: if the early star was used until, at least, early 1938, why is it never found in actual cars? My car is from early 1937... why does it have the later star? A possible explanation might be that the elaborate front of the car is the part most likely to be impaired by even a minor impact and in an old car it has likely been replaced by a modern part at sometime in its life, accounting for the scarcity of the early scheme. But even so, shouldn't there be a few around? Where are they? Are all our cars thus not original?

 
   
Index of Mercedes 170V pages
           

Joao-Manuel Mimoso

May 09, 2007