Mercedes-Benz introduced the 170V in 1936. A series of four cylinder engined cars, the 170 V was named due to its 1.7L engines, and the placement of the engine in the front (V is short for Vorn, which means front in German). The V helps to differentiate the 170V from the 170H, a rear engine model also produced by Mercedes. The model had a successful life before WW2, when it was offered in broad body styles including the 170V Saloon, 170V Cabriolet A, 170V Cabriolet B and 170V Roadster. A rare body style known as the Cabrio-Limousine was also built, featuring four full doors and a full length foldable canvas roof. A series of commercial vehicles like the 170V Pickup and 170V Wagon aswell as a chassis-only version were additionally available for third-party coachwork or a special-purpose body. Production was halted due to the war, yet slowly started back up again starting in 1946. Open top variants of the 170 V were no longer manufactured after the war, except for the four door open top 170 D OTP, which was specially made for the German Police. Production of the 170V and its variants ended in 1955 when it was replaced by the W120/W121.