The Survived Mercedes

During the war, Daimler-Benz produced not only passenger cars of different classes, but also various trucks. The most popular pre-war model of the company had a body index W136. In the period from 1932 to 1945, more than 70.000 units of Mercedes-Benz V170 with different body types (2- and 4-dorrsedans, convertibles, roadsters, trucks and even vans) came off the Stuttgart production line. After the war, the restored factories restarted the production in 1946. And of course, the first post-war model became Mercedes-Benz V170, which already had been in production before the war. This model had several modifications and was produced until 1955.
This V170 produced in 1940 was brought to Moscow immediately after the war. How long the car stood idle in the garage of some general Mikhailov is unknown. But one thing is certain: it arrived in Yerevan in 1954, thanks to Albert Shagoyan. According to eyewitnesses, Mr. Albert did everything in his power to persuade the general to sell the trophy-car. Glory to God, the car was finally in the right hands. For its unique body design and original decorative grill, the 1940 model can be recognized even by a blind man. The Germans, at that time, didn’t keep up with the automotive fashion dictated by the Americans and French and refused to enhance aerodynamic shapes at the expense of classic lines of the body.
During the whole time of operation, the car has undergone some changes, which mainly affected the technical equipment. Instead of the native 4-cylinder 1.7L powerful petrol engine, now, under the hood, there is an engine and manual transmission taken from soviet Volga VAZ 21. The same is with the chassis: almost all the mechanical components and assemblies are taken from the same hateful Volga.
All this is done in order to facilitate the daily use of the car, but over time the annual millage of this Mercedes is getting smaller and smaller; at the same time, its cultural and material value is increasing.  As for the interior and exterior of this survived car, everything is maximally authentic. The non-original wheels (again, taken from Volga) are the only conspicuous difference.
The owner of this car is a real connoisseur of car-rarities. He claims he has been displaying fanaticism towards old car from an early childhood (hard to believe, judging by the way he treats his “automotive-sculpture”).
Just for info, this car is said to be the first foreign car brought to Soviet Armenia.