1939 Mercedes-Benz “Grosser Mercedes” Cabriolet F (W150) 770 Kompressor

Vehicle Overview

This version of the second generation of the Grosser Mercedes is one of the rarest, with only five units produced after the model’s launch in 1938.

The W150 Grosser Mercedes (Grand Mercedes) was made only on a long wheelbase version, with a distance between the front and rear axles of 3.9 meters (152.7″). Mercedes-Benz built 88 chassis, and many of them were armor-plated. But since the automaker installed only supercharged, inline-eight engines under their hood, they could move quite well for those times standards.

Like the rest of its siblings, the Cabriolet F featured a pinned-out radiator at the front that was slightly tilted to the back. Not that it was a significant aerodynamic improvement, but it looked better. Unlike the rest of the range, this version didn’t have the exhausts placed visibly on the right side of the engine compartment, next to the spare wheel. Another unique characteristic of the vehicle was the fact that the rag top could have been closed just for the rear-seated occupants. In addition, a glass panel separated the two areas.

But for such a vehicle, the interior was custom-made. While up front, it was similar to its stablemates, in the back was different. It sported just two comfortable leather-wrapped seats; one could slide forward and was fitted with armrests on each side.

Mercedes-Benz created a unique chassis and drivetrain for the 770. Its 7.7-liter supercharged engine featured a higher compression ratio, which led to a total output of 230 hp. Power went to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. Just remember that some cars had only three-speed at those times. The front independent suspension and the rear DeDion axle provided a comfortable ride and better handling.