The Mercedes Benz 170S was manufactured between 1949 and 1953. It was designed as the upgraded model of the 170V, itself produced from 1936 to 1953. The body of the 170S featured a larger body, with the addition of a trunk. The straight 4SV engine was changed to a 1.8L and some improvements were also made to the rear suspension. Various versions of the car were produced including the Cabriolet-A, a 2-door, 2 or 3-seater like the car entered in this event, and a Cabriolet-B, a 2-door, 4 or 5-seater. As always,this series was manufactured in accordance with Mercedes-Benz' tradition of excellence. Open cars have always been in high demand in Germany, even though there aren't so many sunny days. However, because all of Europe was still recovering from WWII, only 2,433 Cabriolet As and Bs were manufactured, making this car somewhat rare. The 170 series was soon replaced by the 180 series.