Mercedes-Benz does not build many cars like the Mercedes-Benz W15 with 1,692cc M15 I6, built from 1931 to 1936 when streamlining and independent suspension were arriving together.
The background
The Mercedes-Benz W15 is an automobile produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1931 to 1936. Regarded today as a mid-size family car, it was given the chassis designation W15, and sold as the Typ 170 in four-door "Limousine" (sedan/saloon) and Cabriolet forms. By 1934 differently configured cabriolets, a sports roadster, and a Kübelwagen (military light utility vehicle) were added to what had become for Mercedes an unusually a wide model range.
The Typ 170 made its debut at the Paris Motor Show in October 1931, where it was seen as the most important new model introduced that year. It was also the most significant creation of Hans Nibel, the manufacturer's high-profile Technical Director who had taken over the position from Ferdinand Porsche at the start of 1929. Though the Typ 170 was discontinued in 1936 with the introduction of its successor W136 170, a few sales continued through the first few months of 1937.
The engineering
Under the skin sits 1,692cc M15 I6. The layout matters: a front engine drives the rear wheels, the classic proportion — long bonnet, cabin set back — that most people picture when they picture a sports saloon or a grand tourer. The wheelbase is 2600 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Where it sits
Where it sits in Mercedes-Benz's history is not in doubt: the Mercedes-Benz W136 followed it; it was built at Stuttgart, Germany. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Bugatti Type 57, the Chevrolet Suburban, the Bugatti type 55 coupé. Its Mercedes-Benz stablemates include the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and the Mercedes-Benz C124.
The money
There is no federal ownership record for the Mercedes-Benz W15 — it predates the complaint database or was never sold in the United States — so MotorJury publishes no running-cost figure for it. For a car of this age the price is set by the collector market and the condition of the individual example, not by a formula.