Unveiled in May 1949, the W136 Mercedes-Benz 170 S can be considered a forerunner to the S-Class.

Longer, wider, and better equipped than the Stuttgart firm’s best-selling 170 V, it was fitted with an enlarged 1,767 cc version of that car’s M136 four-cylinder engine.

The vast majority of these impressive early post-war Mercedes-Benz featured saloon coachwork, but some 2,433 in Cabriolet A and Cabriolet B specification were built from 1949 until 1952.

Unquestionably, the most attractive and desirable of these is the rare and exclusive Cabriolet A; just 830 were built.

Finished in green, chassis 04915/51 was completed by the factory on 8 June 1951.

The following day, the Mercedes-Benz was despatched by rail to Philipsons Automobil AB of Stockholm, and was allocated the Swedish registration number “BNU 684” five months later on 19 November.

The car stayed in Sweden for the next 66 years, during which time it had just three registered owners—all thought to be from the same family.

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