Mercedes from the GDR. Serial custom car.
The model of this car is in my collection
In the 1950s. In the twentieth century, the automobile industry in West Germany was rapidly gaining momentum, while on the other side of the Iron Curtain there was a shift from 4-stroke to 2-stroke engines. The presence of production lines of two-stroke DKV cars played a role in this. The era of production of BMW's 4-stroke descendants in Eisenach (GDR) was relatively short-lived, as was the hand assembly of Horch-badged six-cylinder sedans in Zwickau. Despite the mass production of "Wartburgs" and "Trabants", there was a constant shortage of cars.
Thanks to this situation, enterprising auto repair shops decided not to miss their chance and set about small-scale production of unusual, in today's opinion, cars. One of them was the private workshop "Schwarze", specializing in car bodies, located in Görlitz an der Nis.
Due to the fact that in the GDR at the beginning of the 60s. practically all private auto repair shops have united into cooperatives, or transferred to state-owned enterprises, the assembly of cars at "Schwarze" has come to naught. But before that time, in addition to routine repair work, more than forty pre-war cars at this company received a modern look for those times.
These handicraft modifications based on the "Mercedes" were used with considerable success in the state taxi fleet in the town of Görlitz.
The body of the car "Wartburg-311" was mounted on the Mercedes 170V chassis, which began to be produced in the city of Eisenach in 1956.
These pre-war "Mercedes" remained after the war and were used as official vehicles of the state bodies of the GDR. Until the beginning of the 60s. the Meissen car company supplied these Mercedes cars with all the necessary spare parts.
The cars that survived the accident did not end up in a landfill - they became the basis for "remakes". Good connections ("blat") played a significant role in this matter, as did the fact that "Schwarze" was in close proximity to the "Mercedes" service station (today - "Skoda" service station).
In the taxi company, cars were painted black with characteristic checkerboard stripes and were in operation until the mid-60s, and later were ousted by "real" "Wartburgs" and cars from the USSR. Taxi drivers appreciated the converted Mercedes primarily for the roomy trunk.
West-eastern "Mercedes" eventually ended up in the possession of private motorists. One of the surviving copies of "Made in Görlitz" already winds thousands of kilometers a year today. After it was assembled in 1956, the car served as a taxi for 14 years, and then went to one lover of vintage cars, who decided to take it for restoration. This copy had one more feature - the base "Mercedes" was made by special order of the Wehrmacht and had a reinforced rear suspension.
As on the larger 3-liter Mercedes, the original 5.50x16 tires are installed at the front and 6.00x16 at the rear. The changes did not affect the original low-valve engine with a volume of 1700 cm³ and a power of 38 hp. The Wartburg two-stroke engine had the same power. The 4-door body from the "Wartburg" had to be lengthened in the front by 30 cm to match the alien chassis, and the Mercedes grille was shortened slightly to fit into the hood of the "Wartburg".
Interior details and braking systems were also supplied from Eisenach. Unlike the front-wheel drive Wartburg, on the 170V, the four-speed gearbox lever was located on the floor. A 46-liter gas tank was located between the engine and the dividing panel of the passenger compartment, while the fuel filler flap was shifted to the front. The car developed a speed of 110 km / h and consumed up to 11 l / 100 km.
Among other things, "Schwarze" in the late 50s created another masterpiece - "170V-cabriolet", also with a "Wartburg" body. Unfortunately, the car has not survived to this day - the only copy was handed over for scrap.
Technical data:
Engine: in-line, 4-cylinder, 4-stroke, working volume 1697 cm³
Stroke / Bore: 73.5 x 100mm
Power 38 hp / 3200 rpm.
Transmission - mechanical, four-stage
Body: all-metal, mounted on a backbone tubular frame
Front suspension: independent, with wishbones and two transverse springs lying on top of each other
Rear suspension: independent, pendulum drive axle with cylindrical shock absorbers
Dimensions: 4600 x 1570 x 1450 mm
Maximum speed: 110 km / h
Years of production: 1956-1961
Collected in total: 37 - 40 pieces
Recently, one funny copy of the "Schwarze-Mercedes" brand has surfaced.
