The Mysterious One
If the Daimler Group currently only publishes bullet-point data on its own homepage that belonged to a prototype in 1938, in 1938, it says a lot about the rare information that has been preserved today! Specifically, this is the W147, designated as the 400 V model.
The total of six vehicles built are dated to 1938, although it is not known whether all of them were drivable. There are photos of sedans taken at the factory, which give the impression that they are scaled, larger models. This undoubtedly shows that the car has a long wheelbase – Mercedes-Benz has published the figure of 3,300 mm. It is also certain that the care was to be classified in the category of the so-called upper class. With a V-8 cylinder engine with a cylinder angle of 80 degrees and a displacement of exactly 4,003 cc, over 100 hp were available at the motor power testing station. With a theoretical top speed of up to 130 km/h, the model would have been ideally suited for driving on the prestige project of the “Autobahn” at the time – even if no aerodynamic elements are recognizable in the design, which in turn suggests that the car was intended to appeal well-known conservative Mercedes clientele. It can be assumed that the 400 V would have been launched with two other variants, because it is known that two offshoots with nuances in the chassis and drive were planned, the 400 VM and 400 VMS.
