MERCEDES BENZ Typ 320 Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

1938

The 1938 model of the W142 Typ 320 was the last evolution over the model 290. It featured improvements for comfort and high-speed efficiency. The Typ 320 featured a 3.2-liter engine in the beginning, in February 1937 when it was shown at the International Automobile and Motorcycle Exhibition in Berlin. With it, the brand closed a gap in the market between medium-sized vehicles and vehicles of the largest format. The four-door version with streamlined bodywork was suspected to be designed by Spohn, one of the most prolific aerodynamically-shaped bodywork builders in the era. The initia...

1937 - 1938

Mercedes-Benz launched the Typ 320 in 1937, and, besides sedans and convertibles, it also offered the car with a coupe bodywork on the regular-sized wheelbase that sported the N-letter in its name. The W142 range was wide and comprised many bodywork versions. It was available as a limousine or military vehicle, the latter being known as the Kubelwagne. But the automaker knew that its customers wanted it to be a fast and luxurious vehicle, able to run at high speeds on the recently inaugurated highway system known as the Autobahn. The 320 N's design was clearly inspired by the famo...

1937 - 1938

Mercedes-Benz introduced the Typ 320 in 1937 in several shapes and sizes and assigned the N-letter to the short wheelbase version, from Normal. With the W142 range, Mercedes-Benz tried to cover most car segments with the same chassis and different bodyworks. Later on, the carmaker even built military vehicles, such as the Kubelwagen, and various closed-body versions. But there was a high demand for smaller, lighter roadsters that could carry mostly two people and travel fast on the new (then) Autobahn network. The 320 N's design was clearly inspired by the famous 540K, with its ta...

1937 - 1938

Mercedes-Benz introduced the 320 model in 1937 at the International Motor and Motorcycle Show in Berlin, replacing the 290 lineup. The German carmaker understood that the market wanted more power from their vehicles, and that's what it offered. Still, since there were few to complain about the chassis, it just slightly modified the one from the Typ 290, and that's one of the reasons why the Typ 320 was available with a choice of two wheelbases. The Limousine, closed version, was offered exclusively with the longer one. Unlike the Tourenwagen version, the Limousine featured no...

1937

Mercedes-Benz replaced the Typ 290 in 1937 when it revealed the new Typ 320 lineup, which offered a better power-to-weight ratio and extensive bodywork choice. Like the 290, the 320 was available with two wheelbases and a few shapes, or just as a bare chassis. Apart from the sedan and two-door convertible, the carmaker offered a four-door convertible with removable side windows. Thanks to its long wheelbase of 3.3 m (130"), the Tourenwagen featured a long engine compartment with a pair of spare wheels mounted on its sides. The headlights were enclosed in more spherical housings, ...

1937 - 1942

In 1937, the aging Mercedes-Benz 290 was replaced by the newer 320. At last, the customers could have more power for the luxury German brand and a wider choice of bodyworks. Like its predecessor, the 320 was offered with two wheelbases and it was available in more shapes. For those who wanted to go for a custom coach-builders, Mercedes-Benz offered the car as a chassis. The Cabriolet B was one of the best convertible versions built in-house by the German car-maker. With a long wheelbase of 3.3 m (130”), the Cabriolet B featured a long hood with side-mounted spare wheels and long arched...

1937 - 1942

After the world economic crisis from the beginning of the '30s, Mercedes-Benz started to expand again and introduced the Typ 320 lineup in a few shapes and sizes. The carmaker made the new lineup with a choice of two wheelbases, as a closed or an open-type bodywork. That helped the German carmaker to offer the vehicle as a sedan, coupe, and convertible with two or four doors, such as the Cabriolet D, which was built on the longer version of the chassis, carried over from the Typ 290. Imagined as a luxurious and fast vehicle, the Cabriolet D featured the new V-shaped radiator at th...