Mercedes-Benz 320 (1937 to 1942)

In 1937, Mercedes-Benz introduced the 320. As the successor to the Mercedes-Benz 290, the 320 was a series of luxury cars available in a variety of body styles. Also known as the W142, Mercedes 320 cars were available as coupes, cabriolets, and sedans, built on a choice of three different length chassis. The most striking, and expensive, of these body types was the Stromlinien-Limousine, which featured streamlined bodywork on the longer W124/II chassis. The Mercedes 320 was also sold just as a chassis, in order to be bodied by coachbuilders. The 320 was powered by a 3.2L inline 6 engine until 1938, when a larger 3.4L unit was fitted to the cars. This new 3.4L engine had no change in power, instead, it featured a higher compression ratio that enabled it to function using coal based fuels as the prospect of fuel shortages grew prior to WW2. Production of the 320 ended in 1942, with 5,211 examples built. An additional 1,806 W142 based Germany military 'Kübelwagen' examples were also produced before the end of production.