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Many credit the W201 190 range to be the first of the smaller, attainable cars from Mercedes-Benz, adopting the nickname “Baby Benz” shortly after its introduction. Look back towards the beginnings of the company pre World War II, you’ll find another kind of “baby” Benz, the W15 170. The worldwide economic downturn of the 1920s drove Mercedes to create a new model for lesser classes, and in 1931, they debuted this six-cylinder sedan to much acclaim. With 32 horsepower, you aren’t going to get anywhere quickly, but it did approach a 60 mph top speed which was decent for the time. This example is for sale in North Carolina and was sourced from an overseas collection.
We used to run a feature called “Heap of the Week”, and while it’s something we decided we weren’t generally known for, it was a fun feature. It allowed us to look at vehicles that had potential or were potential struggles; rare cars or just cars that are rarely seen. It’s another expression of automotive enthusiasm – anyone can walk down to a Porsche dealership with enough money and buy what will certainly be a classic someday if you keep the miles low enough and condition good. However, to take something neglected and return it to pristine shape? That’s the domain of a different type of enthusiast, one who sees the potential through the years of neglect and anticipate a result that could be considered near impossible. There’s also a different sect of enthusiasts who appreciate patina; the worn perfection of years of neglect, but also the specter of countless stories. Throw a particularly rare model into the mix, and you have what could potentially be a show stopper:
