Rear-engine Mercedes-Benz - Development and Prototypes (W17/W25D)

Development and Prototypes (W17/W25D)

At the beginning of the 1930s, inspired by modern streamlined shapes, there were attempts to move car engines from the forward compartment to the rear of the car. Such a move allows a reduction in the volume of the front compartment. At the same time, the voluminous rear provides a lot of space above and behind the rear axle. Moreover, when engines are rear mounted, the drive shaft is eliminated. The most famous such development was with the Tatra cars under the leadership of Hans Ledwinka.

In 1930, Daimler-Benz AG entrusted Hans Nibel with the development of a small rear-engined car based on the same principles. In 1931 the type W17 or 120 was created, a four-seat, equipped with two doors, vertical front and rear wheels and a four-cylinder boxer engine in the rear with a displacement of 1200 cc and a power of 25 hp (18.4 kW). There were also attempts to row across built four-cylinder engines. In 1933 Mercedes built a vehicle with a front similar to the VW Beetle later and a longer tail. The front wheel of the type W25 D or 175 is slanted or tilted backwards, the tail fin attached to the middle of the hood divides the oval rear window, so it anticipated the small oval two piece rear window of the Beetle known as "pretzel form". The "D" referred to the three-cylinder diesel engine OM 134 with an output of 30 hp (22 kW), but due to high noise level, this vehicle was again rejected. From this type, 12 test cars were assembled