As with most of the early Mercedes Benz models, the 170V was a wheeled display of luxury and class. Reminiscent of the W15's body lines, the V170 carried on to becoming a best-selling car. Its versatility was unsurpassed as due to a WWII fuel crisis, many models were converted to run on gas produced by burning wood and coal in specially designed canisters mounted on both ends. The resulting gas was used to power the engine while the heat was diverted to the car's interior, a much welcomed solution in wintertime. The 4-cylinder automobile's chassis survived WWII and was later used to rebuilt what was left of the company.