The Mercedes-Benz 370 S Mannheim was only in production for two years from February 1931 to February 1933. A total of 195 chassis were manufactured, 64 of them in 1932. Regarded by Mercedes-Benz collectors as the ‘little brother’ of the legendary Mercedes-Benz SSK, the model was offered by the factory in two body styles, a two-seater Sport Cabriolet and a two-seater Roadster. The Cabriolet featured a large but stylish trunk, either rear-mounted spares or side-mounts, full running boards and a padded top. The pared-down roadster had a folding windshield, no running boards and a thin cloth top.
The 370 S Mannheim chassis was designed as an expensive mid-sized car, powered by a hefty 3.7-litre six-cylinder engine that gave it a favourable power-to-weight ratio, snappy acceleration and a usable 130 km/h top speed. Production was very limited. In 1931, 90 Sport Cabriolets were delivered by Sindelfingen, a number that fell to 47 units in 1932 and 12 in 1933. The 370 S Sport Cabriolet was indeed an exclusive automobile.