Classic Car Catalogue
Mercedes Benz 1952
(W 136 VI) 170Va, 170Da, 170Vb, 170Db
(W 136 IV) 170S - discontinued in February
(W 191) 170Sb,170DS - January
(W 187) 220
(W 186) 300
(W 188) 300S
Germany 
W benzynowej wersji 170 Sb zastosowano silnik górnozaworowy.
- 6 January: Wilhelm Haspel dies. Heinrich C. Wagner is appointed Chairman of the Board.
- January: Daimler-Benz AG gains a foothold in the North American market by signing an agency agreement with Maximilian Hoffman for annual sales of 253 cars.
- January: An enhanced version of the 170 S - the 170 Sb is unveiled, internally designated the W 191. At the same time, a diesel variant – the 170 DS – also makes its debut.
- March: The 100,000th Mercedes 170 (W 136/W191) built since post-war production began leaves the assembly line in Sindelfingen.
- 12 March: The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 194) with a 3 liter carburetor engine is presented as a racing car prototype.
- May: The successful 170 V and 170 D series receive their final modifications in the form of the 170 Vb and 170 Db.
- 31 July: Daimler-Benz AG secures access to the US market by signing an agreement with Maximilian ("Maxi") Hoffman. Hoffman Motor Car Co. functions as general distributor for the east of the United States. By the end of the year Daimler-Benz delivers a total of 253 passenger cars to the USA.
- December: Exports to over 80 countries in Europe and overseas reach a value of some DM 226 million - an increase of 45% on the previous year.
The 170 S sedan version was built from May 1949 to February 1952, the two convertibles to November 1951.
170 Vb and Db has wider rear track, solid bumpers, smooth bonnet.
Only as a sedan, there is, barely visible from the outside, revised the 170 Sb from January. Its special features includes steering wheel, gearshift, new heating, hypoid rear axle, camshaft drive by chain, wider track, button starter on the dashboard. There is also a diesel version — the 170 SD.
170 Va
170 Da OTP
170 S Kombiwagen Lueg
Victories:
| 2nd | Mille Miglia | 300 SL | Kling/Klenk | |
| 1st | 24h Le Mans | #21 | 300 SL | Lang/Riess |
| 2nd | 24h Le Mans | #20 | 300 SL | Helfrich/Niedermayer |
| 1st | Nürburgring | 300 SL | Lang | |
| 2nd | Nürburgring | 300 SL | Kling | |
| 3rd | Nürburgring | 300 SL | Rieß | |
| 1st | Carrera Panamericana | 300 SL | Kling/Klenk | |
| 2nd | Carrera Panamericana | 300 SL | Lang/Grupp | |
Entries and results:
| 24h Le Mans 14.06.1952 | Entrant: | Results: | |||||
| gen. | class | perf.ind. | |||||
| #20 | 300 SL | #009 | Helfrich / Niedermayer | Daimler Benz AG | 2nd | 2nd - 2001-3000 | 3rd |
| #21 | 300 SL | #007 | Lang / Riess | Daimler Benz AG | 1st | 1st - 2001-3000 | 2nd |
| #22 | 300 SL | #008 | Kling / Klenk | Daimler Benz AG | fail. | - | - |
- 3/4 May: The first competitive outing of the 300 SL. In the Mille Miglia, the legendary thousand-mile race from Brescia to Rome and back, the 300 SL driven by Karl Kling and co-driver Hans Klenk takes second place against a strong international field.
- 18 May: In the Bern Prize for Sports Cars the 300 SL racing sports car not only captures its first victory, but sweeps the first three places. Karl Kling is winner, followed by Hermann Lang and Fritz Rieß.
- 13-14 June: The legendary Le Mans 24-hour race ends in a spectacular double victory for Mercedes-Benz. Driving Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports cars with gullwing doors, the team of Hermann Lang/Fritz Rieß wins, followed by Theo Helfrich/Helmut Niedermayr in second place.
- 3 August: The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL secures a one-two-three in the Jubilee Grand Prix for sports cars on the Nürburgring: First is Hermann Lang, second Karl Kling, and third Fritz Rieß.
- 19-23 November: Karl Kling and his co-driver Hans Klenk drive a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL to victory in the third, 3111 km "Carrera Panamericana Mexico" race. Hermann Lang and co-driver Erwin Grupp finish in second place.
The Motor YEAR BOOK, 1953
Low drag has been the keynote of the only other largely new car produced in Germany during the past year, which is the Mercedes-Benz Type SL. Second in the Mille Miglia and the winner at Berne, Nürburgring, and Le Mans, this car uses modified Type 300 parts in an entirely new chassis frame. The 3-litre engine, fitted with three carburettors, develops 175 h.p. at 5,200 r.p.m., the maximum engine speed being approximately 6,000 r.p.m. and the four-speed gearbox gives the rather wide indirect ratios of 1.325, 1.89, and 3.16:1. Hence with a top gear giving say 140 m.p.h. at 5,000 r.p.m. the speeds on indirect ratios at 6,000 r.p.m. would be 128, 89, and 53 m.p.h. respectively.
The normal Mercedes-Benz type of swing axle is used at the rear and the pivot-type wishbone with open coil spring at the front. These suspension elements are not, however, attached to the classic type of Mercedes-Benz oval tube frame, but to a multi-tubular type which distributes stress through the full depth of the car from the facia panel down to the point of minimum ground clearance.
In order to reduce drag to a minimum the six-cylinder in-line engine is inclined at 45 deg. from the vertical, a special ribbed sump being used, giving a conventional horizontal base. This arrangement gives a vertical carburettor and an almost horizontal exhaust manifold, the former being fed with cold air through an intake pipe leading to a pressure box sealed by the top of the bonnet.
A remarkable innovation on these cars was the provision of two doors in which the hinges were adjacent to the centre line of the roof, the door thus opening upwards to permit driver or passenger to enter. This arrangement provides in fact very reasonable access in view of the exceedingly low height of the roof; perhaps even more important, it enables the frame tubes on each side of the cockpit to be widely spaced thus contributing materially to the stiffness of the structure at what is normally its weakest point.
In addition to this out and out sports-car of which only eight were constructed, Mercedes-Benz also commenced production of the 300 S model. This is a shorter, somewhat lighter version of the 300 with a higher compression ratio engine developing rather more power, the vehicle being intended for high-speed road work and sold fitted with an open body or with a drophead or fixed head coupe.
Le Mans
Nürburgring
