Germany the mid 30-ies. The Nazi party was confirmed in government. Adolf Hitler gaining popularity, providing the Germans with jobs. Industry, construction of roads, it runs a program called "people's car" to any German who has become as mobile as the Americans, long accustomed to his FORD. German designers working hard to design small cars. Companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Adler and others, will present their designs to the public. Ferdinand Porsche is included in the race, offering his KDF. It was at this point a pay attention to the development and patent of 1923, the Romanian engineer and designer, Henri Persian, created his Persu Streamliner, and to justify that the car will have great aerodynamics, if his body will repeat in the form of raindrops. Car Persian into production did not go, for financial reasons, which is a pity. Aerodynamic bodywork designed before. Let us recall the famous Alfa Ricotti, made by order of count Marco Ricotti in 1913 or car Rumpler Edmond Rumpler 1921. That's just created them, so that when a small capacity engine to increase the speed of the car. The German designers looked at it differently. They realized that good aerodynamics will allow them not only to increase speed and save fuel, which will appeal to the buyer. Especially wagon arrangement of the aforementioned cars, but not only them, but also the American Chrysler Airflow, Stout Scarab, the Czech Tatra 77, the English Alvis and many others, further improved comfort, increased visibility and had many other advantages. That is why there was the development of a Mercedes-Benz 170H Schl&malmö;rwagen. Despite the fact that the car is named Schl&malmö;rwagen named engineer Sclera Karl ( Karl Schl&malmö;r ), some sources slips information that the project began in göttingen the Institute of aerodynamics under the leadership of engineer lang. Unfortunately the name is not specified, but probably it was Karl lang, 1890 birth, native of the city of Bowling who emigrated before the Second world war in the Soviet Union and later held the position of chief engineer of aerodynamics laboratory, pilot plant N1, OKB-1, located in the village Torzhok, Kalinin oblast. In these difficult times, many German scientists and engineers who disagree with the policies of Hitler, left Germany, finding their second home in the Soviet Union, in Asia, Latin America and North America. Like it or not is not confirmed yet, but still want to draw your attention that the photo Mercedes-Benz 170H Schl&malmö;rwagen we see a man without glasses at the age of about 40-50 years, the most suited to Karl lang as Carl Sclero at the time of creation Schl&malmö;rwagen was 27-29 years old and he wore glasses, as seen in the photo. If he was the head, why not a photo of him with the child? Perhaps, Lange decided to forget after his emigration, but the photo remained, and it was he who, as reported by some authors, have made of the coefficient of air resistance of 0.14 in model new developments Mercedes-Benz even with closed wheels and reduced it to the many impressive today 0,113 that for example even better than the newfangled Tesla. It is through such indicators guide Mercedes-Benz has allocated chassis of the Mercedes-Benz 170H with engine 38 HP On a chassis mounted body manufactured by the Ludwig brothers from Essen, all aluminum. The bottom also made closed. In the interior of the new car, which is a light and airy, instead of an additional row of seats, which enabled it to carry a maximum of seven passengers! Mercedes-Benz had a premonition of winning the competition for the best design "people's car"! After sea trials proved that the coefficient of air resistance the car worse than the model and is equal to 0,18, however, despite the fact that Mercedes-Benz 170H Schl&malmö;rwagen heavier than 250 kg standard Mercedes-Benz 170H, its speed was higher at 30-35 km/h, while fuel economy was 4 liters per 100 km, which was a good indicator. Do Schl&malmö;rwagen consumption was 8 liters, the base Mercedes-Benz 170H 11-12 liters. the Only, but very important drawback was the security unfortunately, the car became unwieldy and poorly kept on the road side winds, even minor, that could result in serious accidents and death of passengers and the driver. Needed refinement. The car was shown to the public in 1939 at the Berlin motor show and received rave reviews future consumers. But after some time the war started and the cars in the series did not go. However, the story is not over, just confused. According to one Carl Sler in 1943 adapted to Schl&malmö;rwagen motor from snowmobile trophy of the red army, did some testing in Finland and is not satisfied, they returned the car to Berlin, where in 1945, after the fall of Nazi Germany according to some sources he was taken to the Soviet Union, the other in 1947 in the UK. True or not, is not yet known, as the traces of the car is lost and he might be in one of the sheds of our country, or Germany, or Britain, if that is not cut or scrapped. What all the same aluminum - color met! I hope with time we will know it. despite the fact that Mercedes-Benz 170H Schl&malmö;rwagen did not "people's car" of its design for a very long time attracted the attention and I'm sure she influenced many automotive developments throughout the world, including in Soviet Union, remember the projects by Y. Dolmatovsky. As for the model Mercedes-Benz 170H Schl&malmö;rwagen in scale 1:43, it was first released in 2000-ies in Ukraine the specialists of the company ALF, commissioned by Stanislaus Kirilica ( formerly greatly interested in large-scale models, now abandoned the subject, having devoted himself to studies of the history of the automotive and medtehniki Russia pre-revolutionary period, the author of two books on the subject, of numerous articles and publications). The small issue from ALF sold out instantly, and until 2015 this model was only available with a successful hunt on the secondary market, online auctions, etc. However, in the summer of 2015 first German manufacturer of AutoCult offered it to the collectors scale 1:43, and later the experts workshop Vector-Models from the Ukraine (most likely on the order of one of the most active sellers of handmade models from the USA) also released a copy Schl&malmö;rwagen scale 143, and in two versions: normal and with the engine from the snowmobile. Thus, everyone can now choose which model to purchase him, noticing the subtleties of what distinguishes between the products of different manufacturers, compare their prices, quality of study and painting. Here only it is unlikely that these models can be found all in one place at the exhibition sale or shop scale models, very few of them produced and most of them are already in private collections. (C) Lischita
