Mercedes-Benz models in 1930s

1928: SSK racing car

The Mercedes-Benz SSK (W06) is a roadster built by German automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz between 1928 and 1932. The name is an abbreviation of Super Sport Kurz, German for "Super Sport Short", as it was a short wheelbase development of the Mercedes-Benz Modell S. The SSK's extreme performance and numerous competitive successes made it one of the most highly regarded sports cars of its era.

1930: 770 "Großer Mercedes" state and ceremonial car

The Mercedes-Benz 770, also known as the Großer Mercedes (German for "large Mercedes"), was a large luxury car built by Mercedes-Benz from 1930 to 1943. It is probably best known from archival footage of high-ranking Nazi officials before and during World War II, including Adolf Hitler, Hermann Göring, Heinrich Himmler and Reinhard Heydrich.

1934: 500 K

The Mercedes 500K (type W29) is a grand touring car built by Mercedes-Benz between 1934 and 1936. First exhibited at the 1934 Berlin Motor Show, it carried the factory designation W29. Distinguished from the 500 sedan by the "K" for Kompressor (German for supercharger) only fitted to these performance cars, it succeeded the Mercedes-Benz 380 introduced just the previous year. It offered both a larger, more powerful engine and more opulent coachwork to meet customers' demands for greater luxury and performance.

1936: 260 D World's first diesel production car

The Mercedes-Benz 260 D, coded Mercedes-Benz W 138 according to internal works designation, was one of the first two diesel engined series produced passenger cars, together with the diesel version of the Hanomag Rekord. Both were introduced at the Berlin Motor Show in February 1936. The 260 D was named in reference to its engine's cubic capacity. Nearly 2,000 vehicles were assembled until 1940, after which the Daimler-Benz group had to devote itself almost entirely to military manufacture.

1936: 170

The Mercedes-Benz W136 was Mercedes-Benz's line of inline-four cylinder automobiles from the mid-1930s into the 1950s. The model 170 V made its public debut as successor to the W15 Typ 170 in February 1936. Between 1936 and 1939 it was Mercedes' top selling model.

1938: W195 Speed Record-breaker

The Mercedes-Benz W125 Rekordwagen was an experimental, high-speed automobile produced in the late 1930s. The streamlined car was derived from the 1937 open-wheel race car Mercedes-Benz W125 Formel-Rennwagen, of which also a streamlined version was raced at the non-championship Avusrennen in Berlin.

1939: 320A A military vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz 320A is a cabriolet built by German automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz between 1938 and 1942. The new model was lower, longer and broader than its predecessor Mercedes-Benz 290 of type W18, the production of which started on 1933. The new model was displayed for the first time at the Berlin Auto Show on 1937. The designing process of the new Mercedes-Benz 320A was led by the former race driver Max Zailer and its obviously sporty appearance was partly due to the influence of the luxurious Mercedes-Benz 540K, the model called "Silver Arrow".