1938 Mercedes-Benz 170V

Highlights

• Rare factory-ordered right-hand drive example with well-documented early history
• Accompanied by its Mercedes-Benz factory birth certificate
• Thoroughly restored over a five-year period
• Just two former registered keepers

The Appeal

The Mercedes-Benz 170V was the Stuttgart firm's most popular pre-war model, produced from 1936 to 1942 and notable for its independent suspension on all four corners - a significant engineering achievement for the period. To find a surviving example with continuous documented provenance from new, factory-ordered in right-hand drive no less, is a genuinely remarkable opportunity.

This 170V was commissioned directly from the Mercedes-Benz factory by a Mr and Mrs Burmeister in 1938. The couple drove it through Germany on their honeymoon before shipping it to South Africa, hence right-hand drive, where it served as their family car for many years. After eventually falling into disrepair, the car was entrusted to Phil Hammond in Queenstown, Eastern Cape, who undertook a thorough five-year restoration. In 2022, it was exported to the United Kingdom and passed into the care of his daughter, who has since had it UK registered and kept in secure storage, where it is maintained and run regularly. The vendor states the car is in very good condition, while advising it should be trailered away and undergo light recommissioning due to lack of recent use.

Key Information

• Mileage: 17,532 km (indicated)
• Country of registration: United Kingdom (imported from South Africa in 2022)
• MOT status: Exempt from MOT and road tax
• Technical specs: 1.7-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, four-speed manual gearbox
• Paperwork: all original documents, including the Mercedes-Benz factory birth certificate, photographic record of the restoration work

The Detail

• Factory-ordered in right-hand drive in 1938 by the original owners
• Restored by Phil Hammond in Queenstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa
• Exported to the UK in 2022 and subsequently UK-registered and licensed
• Currently held in secure storage, maintained and run regularly
• Photo-documented restoration performed to a high standard
• Offered in exceedingly smart order as the photographs attest
• Recent new battery fitted
• The vendor advises trailering the car and light recommissioning to be performed since the car has not been used extensively in recent months

BEFORE YOU BUY

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