Rare 1952 Mercedes-Benz 170 V Service Van in 'Mercedes Blue' Highlights 130 Years of Commercial Vehicles
The Mercedes-Benz Museum showcases a rare 1952 170 V panel van, one of just 35 gasoline-powered customer-service vehicles, in its new '130 Years of Commercial Vehicles' exhibition.
- 35
- Over 500
- 7
- 116 km/h
What Happened
The Mercedes-Benz Museum's 'Close-up' series turns its attention to a 1952 Mercedes-Benz 170 V panel van (W 136) used as a customer-service vehicle. Painted in 'Mercedes blue' — the color reserved for the brand's service vehicles in the 1950s, also seen on the 1955 'Blue Wonder' racing car transporter — the van was used in Switzerland from 1952. It is among seven exhibits in the new special exhibition '130 Years of Commercial Vehicles,' open until April 4, 2027. The exhibition also features authentic reconstructions of the 1896 Daimler truck and the 1899 Benz Combination delivery van in the museum's atrium.
Mercedes-Benz presents the 170 V (W 136), one of its most important pre-war vehicles.
Production resumes after WWII with platform trucks, panel vans, and ambulances based on the 170 V.
The first sedans return to the lineup.
The efficient 170 D with a 1.7-liter diesel engine (29 kW/40 PS) joins the range.
Both 170 V and 170 D are built as panel vans with Sindelfingen bodies; the gasoline version is limited to 35 units.
- Over 500 built; 1.7-liter OM 636 diesel, 29 kW (40 PS)
- 35 built; 1.7-liter gasoline engine, 33 kW (45 PS) at 3,600 rpm, top speed 116 km/h
The 170 V's box body features a left-hinged rear door over a visible wooden subframe, with wooden arches and slats inside. The carpeted load floor hides extra storage for equipment and the spare wheel. In the cab, a light-gray leatherette bench and gearbox tunnel provide comfort, while the dashboard carries a speedometer, fuel/oil gauge, and clock. A silver plaque above the front fender reads 'Sindelfinger Karosserie. Daimler-Benz A.G.' and features the Mercedes star, reflecting the brand's tradition of high-quality factory bodies since the 1930s.
- W 136 panel vans
- Kombi limousines with bodies by external firms such as Lueg
- Kombi limousines with specially developed trailers for a complete tool set
The 170 V is a direct descendant of the vehicles that marked Mercedes-Benz's post-war resumption of series production, beginning in May 1946 with simple vans and ambulances. After the 1948 currency reform and the start of the Marshall Plan, the program expanded, and the fuel-efficient 170 D, offered as a panel van and as a chassis for independent coachbuilders, answered the needs of tradespeople during the West German 'economic miracle.' The Mercedes-Benz Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the box office closing at 5 p.m.
Why this matters
The van illustrates how Mercedes-Benz rebuilt production after World War II and supported the post-war economic boom. With only 35 gasoline versions built, it is an extremely rare example of a practical service vehicle designed for mechanics, offering both comfort and space for tools and parts. The exhibit also traces the company's commercial-vehicle history back to 1896.
Terms in This Story
- Kastenwagen
- A cargo van with a box-shaped body, often used for deliveries or service.
- W 136
- Mercedes-Benz's internal model designation for the 170 V and 170 D passenger and light commercial vehicles produced from the 1930s to the 1950s.
- Ottomotor
- A gasoline engine, named after Nikolaus Otto.
- Sindelfinger Karosserie
- A body built at Mercedes-Benz's Sindelfingen works, noted for its quality.
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