Mercedes-Benz W21 (Typ 200) Origin
The Mercedes-Benz W 21 was a six-cylinder luxury sedan introduced in 1933 as the Mercedes-Benz Typ 200. It was one of so many Mercedes-Benz models widely recognized as the Mercedes-Benz 200, or in this case, the Mercedes-Benz Typ (e) 200 at that time, and is thus more frequently referred to in retrospect using its Mercedes-Benz works number, “W21.”
The car was a huge upgrade from the company’s W15, introduced two years before. The Mercedes-Benz W21 was produced from 1933 to 1936, and it replaced the Mercedes-Benz W02 (known in its day as the Mercedes-Benz Typ (e) 200 “Stuttgart”), which the company had been producing since 1928.
Mercedes-Benz W21 (Typ 200) Overview
The vehicle was readily accessible as a two- or four-door Torpedo-bodied “Tourenwagen,” a four- and two-door “Limo” (sedan/saloon) from 1935, a three- or four-seater convertible, or a sporting two-seater.
The 1,961-cc side-valve six-cylinder engine generated an assumed total output of 40 PS (29 kW; 39 hp) at 3,200 rpm. The engine’s piston stroke length of 85 mm (3.3 in) was shared with the smaller 6-cylinder unit found in the company’s W15 model. However, the bore was increased by 5 mm (0.20 in) to 70 mm for the W21 (2.8 in).
The normal length cars had a maximum speed of 98 km/h (61 mph), and the long-bodied cars had a top speed of 95 km/h (59 mph). Power was routed to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission, with the top gear serving as an overdrive ratio. Synchromesh was used in the top two ratios. A hydraulic linkage controlled the brakes on all four wheels.
It was a rear-wheel-drive layout with a wheelbase of 2,700 mm (110 in), a width of 1,630 mm (64 in), and a height of 1,580 mm (62 in).
The car was lengthened in 1934, with the wheelbase increasing by 350 mm (14 in) to 3,050 mm (120 in). The models available on the longer wheelbase included a six-seater “Pullman-Limousine”, a “Pullman-Laundaulet”, a longer Torpedo-bodied “Tourenwagen”, a much sleeker 4-door “Limousine” (sedan/saloon), and three different longer wheelbase hardtop convertibles known as the “Cabriolet A”, “Cabriolet B”, and “Cabriolet D”.
During the model’s concluding year, Mercedes-Benz officially confirmed in June 1936 the availability of a more powerful 2,229 cc 55 PS (40 kW; 54 hp) engine, which was viewed as a necessary response to complaints made about the car’s passive performance in long-bodied form. The Mercedes-Benz W143 succeeded it in 1937.
Mercedes-Benz W21 (Typ 200) Production
In terms of design and performance, the W21 represented a significant improvement over its predecessor. It was sold at about the same price, despite being equipped a little simpler and a little smaller in standard-wheelbase form.
Nonetheless, during a slightly more than three-year production run, the standard-wheelbase model produced 9,281 cars, while the long-wheelbase model produced 6,341 cars, totaling 15,622 units produced in its 3-year stint.
Mercedes-Benz W21 (Typ 200) Price
A Mercedes vehicle is not just a classic, but it is a premium classic. In that light, you should be prepared to pay top dollar to acquire a Mercedes-Benz W 21 today, as it could cost as much as $149500.
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