A landmark model for the Stuttgart-based manufacturer, the four-cylinder, 1.7-litre 170 V was introduced in 1936 and formed the mainstay of Mercedes-Benz production in the immediate post-war years.

In May 1949 an improved version – the 170 S – was introduced, which came with a 1,767cc engine equipped with an aluminium-alloy cylinder head and producing 52bhp, a 37% improvement over the 170 V.

The suspension too had undergone considerable development, a thoroughly modern double wishbone/coil spring design being adopted at the front, while at the rear the track was widened and telescopic shock absorbers fitted.

Production of the 170 S continued until 1955.

From the cars documentation Daimler Benz commissioned the car and delivered it new in 1949 to the Fa.

Herman Holter near Dusseldorf, according to factory built records.

   Generalleutnant Herman Holter fought in both World War I and World War II and was captured in Norway in May 1945, and was released from US custody in December 1...