1936 Mercedes-Benz 230

Under the technical direction of Ferdinand Porsche and Hans Nibel, and beginning with the first W 02 of 1926, the cars had received steady development and improvements. Nibel was appointed head of design and engineering in 1928 and after his death in November of 1934, Mercedes' factory racing driver and team leader Max Sailer took over the design office, developing the W 143 for its Berlin Auto Show debut. The modernized W143 had an independent suspension and hydraulic drum brakes and was both technically and aesthetically pleasing.

The 230 was a mid-range Mercedes-Benz product, often overshadowed by its big eight-cylinder supercharged siblings. However, Mercedes-Benz was offering a wide range of smaller models during this time which offered much the same styling cues as its larger brethren but in a more affordable package.

The 230 N, internally known as the W143, was introduced in the fall of 1936 as the successor to the earlier small six-cylinder model, the 200. The new model came with a larger 2.3-liter engine with a Solex downdraft carburetor, mounted on a chassis with double transverse leaf springs in the front and swing axles with double coil springs at the back. The design quickly evolved, gaining a redesigned radiator shell, wider track, larger fuel tank, and new headlamps. Nearly a year after its introduction, in September of 1937, it gains a fully synchromesh four-speed transmission, with direct-drive fourth gear, improving acceleration.

A vast array of body styles were available on the W143 230 N, some of which were produced by the Sindelfingen Werke. The list includes four different cabriolet bodies, including the Cabriolet B with a four-passenger interior and rear quarter windows.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2020