Mercedes W136 Overview: Generations and Which One to Buy
Overview of the Mercedes W136 cabrio (1936–1955): its single generation, 38–40 hp engine range, and which of the manual RWD versions to choose.
The Mercedes W136 is a cabrio produced from 1936 to 1955 with power outputs between 38 and 40 hp. All versions pair a manual gearbox with rear-wheel drive, so it suits drivers who want a simple, open-top classic Mercedes with modest power and a long production history rather than performance.
Mercedes W136 generations
1 generation
The first and only generation of the Mercedes W136 ran from 1936 to 1955 and was offered as a cabrio. It covers three modifications, all with a manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive, spanning 38 to 40 hp. The notable versions are the 1.7 MT (38 hp) with a 1697 cc engine, which was the mass-market choice, and the 1.8 MT with a 1767 cc engine and 40 hp, the most powerful version of the range.
Because the W136 stayed in production for nearly two decades without a generational change, the lineup is unusually consistent: every car shares the same body style, drivetrain layout, and transmission type. The differences come down to engine displacement and a 2 hp spread between the smallest and largest units.
Which Mercedes W136 to buy
- 1.7 MT (38 hp) (1 generation): the mass-market version of the range, with a 1697 cc engine producing 38 hp — the configuration most W136 cars were built with, which matters when hunting for a survivor.
- 1.8 MT (1 generation): the most powerful W136 at 40 hp from a 1767 cc engine, giving the largest displacement and the top output offered in the model line.
Buying used here means buying a car that is at minimum 70 years old, since production ended in 1955. The single-generation lineup works in your favor: with only three modifications, one body style, one gearbox type, and one drive layout, there are few configuration pitfalls — the main task is verifying which of the two engine sizes (1697 cc or 1767 cc) is actually under the hood, as the 2 hp difference is the only meaningful split in the range.
A "Which Mercedes W136 to avoid" section is not warranted: neither version is dominated on the available numbers. The 1.7 MT (38 hp) trades 2 hp for mass-market ubiquity, and the 1.8 MT offers the higher output — each has a reason to exist in the data.