The Mercedes-Benz Typ 230 n was introduced by Mercedes-Benz in 1937 as a successor to the Typ 230 (W 21). [1] It was one of several models over the space of nearly eight decades to be sold with a name along the lines "Mercedes-Benz 230", and is therefore in retrospect more normally named according to its internal works designation as the Mercedes-Benz W 143.
Mercedes-Benz Typ 230 n (1937)
The car was initially built with the same 2700 mm wheelbase as the Typ 200 (W 21). It also inherited the sophisticated all-round independent suspension system originally introduced with the manufacturer's smaller Mercedes-Benz W15 model. There was no full width axle at the front, the wheels being suspended from two transverse leaf springs. At the back there were two half swing-axles.
The body was further lengthened, however, with standard-bodied cars now coming in at 4400 mm, while the width had increased to 1370 mm. The 6-cylinder 2,229 cc unit was the one that had first been seen a year earlier as part of the 1936 upgrade on the W 21 model, but now it was matched up to a more conventional four-speed manual transmission. The top ratio on the 2,229 cc version of the earlier model had been in effect an overdrive. Claimed top speed was 116 km/h (72 mph).
At launch the base chassis version of the car came with a recommended retail price of 4,200 Marks.