75 Years Ago Daimler-Benz Were Allowed To Resume Mercedes Car Production From November 1945
75 years ago, the Stuttgart company Daimler were allowed to resume production of Mercedes cars by the Allies in November 1945.
After the end of the war the US occupation zone of Germany gave Daimler-Benz the authority to resume producing trucks, vans and ambulances.
The Mercedes-Benz 170 V, which was originally a pre-war passenger car, formed the basis for all the new models. This car had originally launched in 1936 and was pretty much unchanged from the original version.
The cars followed in the spring of 1946 as the licence extended to passenger vehicles. In May of the same year a platform vehicle, a simple cab and chassis, rolled off the production line. A total of 214 of this first variant were produced that year. June saw the release of the panel van an ambulance in September and even a police car later in October.
Production was not continuous as economic conditions were difficult, especially in the automotive industry. This would last for many years. It took until the middle 1947 for the four door 170 V to appear after the commercial vehicles.
75 years ago, the Stuttgart company Daimler were allowed to resume production of Mercedes cars by the Allies in November 1945.
After the end of the war the US occupation zone of Germany gave Daimler-Benz the authority to resume producing trucks, vans and ambulances.
The Mercedes-Benz 170 V, which was originally a pre-war passenger car, formed the basis for all the new models. This car had originally launched in 1936 and was pretty much unchanged from the original version.
The cars followed in the spring of 1946 as the licence extended to passenger vehicles. In May of the same year a platform vehicle, a simple cab and chassis, rolled off the production line. A total of 214 of this first variant were produced that year. June saw the release of the panel van an ambulance in September and even a police car later in October.
Production was not continuous as economic conditions were difficult, especially in the automotive industry. This would last for many years. It took until the middle 1947 for the four door 170 V to appear after the commercial vehicles.
One thing that did work well immediately is the company rearranging production facilities. Planning for the future Daimler shifted all final assembly from Untertürkheim to Sindelfingen. this was already in the plan before the war as it was a complicated process sending bodies through the Neckar Valley. Certainly, more complicated than sending drive units that way.
On the 22nd February 1946 the M 136 four cylinder was the first engine produced at the Untertürkheim plant after the Second World War. This 1.7 litres only produced 28 kW, or 38 hp, but was enough for the 170 range of vehicles.
The 170 V or chassis W 136 saloon was a good seller from 1935 until 1942. The new post war variants were little different.
One thing that did work well immediately is the company rearranging production facilities. Planning for the future Daimler shifted all final assembly from Untertürkheim to Sindelfingen. this was already in the plan before the war as it was a complicated process sending bodies through the Neckar Valley. Certainly, more complicated than sending drive units that way.
On the 22nd February 1946 the M 136 four cylinder was the first engine produced at the Untertürkheim plant after the Second World War. This 1.7 litres only produced 28 kW, or 38 hp, but was enough for the 170 range of vehicles.
The 170 V or chassis W 136 saloon was a good seller from 1935 until 1942. The new post war variants were little different.
The ambulance was the closest to the original design, with the same gearing and wheel sizes. The 1.5 metric tonnes maximum gross weight and a top speed of 108 km/h were ok for the time. Panel vans and the platform vehicle were strengthened further to increase the payload capacity to 750 kg. To cope with this even shorter gearing was used making the top speed of only 80 km/h.
The vehicles were very sparsely equipped, only the basics were provided. The focus was totally on functionality and mobility. Luxuries were not something people could really afford at the time. There were also material shortages, something which might seem to be unusual is the cars being delivered without tyres. Could you imagine that today? Customers being expected to find these themselves.
Tyres weren’t the only thing that were in short supply, but sheet metal too. Building the bodies of commercial bodies requires a lot of this, so they improvised with a wooden fibre hardboard cab. No insulation meant it was incredibly cold during the winter. For ventilation, there were simple sliding windows in the doors.
Depending on the intended use, you would either get the cab and platform, or a box could be added to the back. Ambulances and panel vans were options. The police had platform body vehicles were equipped with a tarp, frame and two benches facing each other. After the launch the production figures for 1946, with all things considered were pretty good. 183 small commercial vehicles and 31 ambulances had been produced.
The 170 V four door saloon was made available to the public in July 1947. The government set the price of 6,200 Reichsmark. But they weren’t available to just anyone. You have to prove a genuine need for the car, or any of the vehicles that were on sale. Something of a forerunner to the communism that swept through Eastern Europe. Of course, this generated a huge black market for vehicles, where you could sell them for several times their original price. Sometimes figures of 100,000 or even 120,000 Reichsmark could be achieved. In 1948 the Reichsmark was replaced by the German mark and the price was now 8,180. The increase in price did see some more elegant features to the interior. Ivory coloured instruments with black numbering, just like before the war.
In 1947 there were 581 passenger cars and 464 vans. In 1948 this increased dramatically to 4,800 cars and 616 vans. Still very small numbers, but you can see the trajectory of the country’s economy. This continued in 1949, Daimler-Benz producing 12,719 cars and 382 vans.
Many thanks to Daimler AG for the use of the fantastic period images.
Simon