Enough of the W136's tooling survived Allied bombing during World War II (or could be recreated post-war) for it to serve as the foundation upon which the company could rebuild.

[2] The "V" in the 170 V's name was an abbreviation of "Vorn" (front), added to differentiate it from the contemporary rear-engined Mercedes-Benz 170H (W28) ("H" for "Heck", rear) which used the same four cylinder 1697cc engine, but positioned at the back of the car.

Special versions of the 170 V were offered, adapted for use as ambulances or by the police, mountain rescue services and military.

Already in 1939 a wood gas-powered model called the 170 VG was presented as the result of petrol becoming largely unavailable for civilian purposes.

In the 1930s, various reliability trials / rallies were made popular by the Nazi regime, to stimulate development of light cross-country vehicles.

To compete in these, Mercedes-Benz developed a lightweight, two-seat roadster with magnesium and aluminium bodywork details.

The 170 VR had a standard engine and rear-wheel drive-train, but did benefit from stronger suspension, larger wheels, and different gearing.

Manufacturers including Adler, BMW and Ford in Germany had been heavily dependent for the supply of steel car bodies on Ambi-Budd whose Berlin plant was destroyed by bombing in 1943: its site now ended up in the Soviet occupation zone (subsequently East Germany).

The manufacturing plants of Horch, Wanderer and BMW were located in what in July 1945 became the Soviet controlled part of Germany.

None of these manufacturers could resume volume production without first finding a way to obtain and fund a source of steel car bodies and access to a suitable plant for auto-assembly.

[3] From May 1949 the car, badged in this permutation as the Mercedes-Benz 170D, was offered with an exceptionally economical 38 PS (28 kW; 37 hp) diesel engine.

Lacking a luxury car in its line-up, Mercedes sought to regain a niche in that market by introducing the upscale 170 S (W191) version of the 170 V in 1949.

It was more luxurious, costlier and, when launched, slightly larger than the 170 V, distinctions the company made an effort to emphasize.

A pair of 170 S derivations followed, the 170 Sb and 170 DS diesel models, earning the 170 S series its own chassis code, W191.

The Mercedes-Benz 170 SV and 170 SD were also built briefly in Argentina from 1952 to 1955 in sedan, taxi, pick-up and van versions.

A single one known to have been painstakingly fully restored in the United States is the closest to factory original in existence today.

At the same time safety was improved with the incorporation of telescopic shock absorbers, a wider rear track, and stronger brakes.

Attention in this upgrade was also applied to comfort with the passenger cabin widened by 50 mm (2.0 in) and larger seats.