1935 Mercedes-Benz 130H Open-Top Saloon

The 130H model was Daimler-Benz's first attempt at a rear-engined production car. The 'H' represented 'heck', the German word for rear. This particular example is an open hardtop two-door model. The other body styles available in the 130H lineup were a hardtop and a cabriolet. The shape of the design was inspired by Rumpler's Tropfen-Auto, and the frame is a forked backbone design inspired by Lewinka's Tatras.

Although this vehicle was not a commercial success, the ideas were later used in other cars, such as the Volkswagen Beetle.

This particular example is part of the Lane Motor Museum in Tennessee.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2016