Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz “Grosser Mercedes” Cabriolet B (W07) (1931–1938)

General information & model overview

Category	Specification Details
Model name	Mercedes-Benz “Grosser Mercedes” Cabriolet B (W07) (1931–1938)
Family	Mercedes-Benz Typ 770 / “Grosser Mercedes” (Großer Mercedes)
Internal code	W07 (first-generation Typ 770)
Production years	Approximately 1931 – 1938 within the W07 programme
Manufacturer	Daimler-Benz AG, Untertürkheim
Market role	Ultra-luxury / state and ceremonial passenger car — flagship above mid-size and luxury eights such as the Typ Nurburg
Body focus of this entry	Cabriolet B — formal open two-door / multi-seat open arrangement on W07
Layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel drive
Family overview	Typ 770 hub
Related bodies	Cab A, Cab B, Cab C, Cab D, Cab F, Tourenwagen, Stadt Coupé
W07 programme scale	Approximately 117 W07-series cars built 1930–1938 (all bodies combined; individual body tallies are much smaller)

Body & dimensions (W07 chassis class)

Specification	Details
Wheelbase	Approximately 3,750 mm (about 148 in)
Overall length	Roughly 5,600 – 5,700 mm depending on body
Width	About 1,850 mm class
Height	About 1,800 – 1,830 mm class (body-dependent)
Track	About 1,500 mm front and rear (period figures)
Chassis	Boxed ladder frame; beam axles; semi-elliptic leaf springs
Coachwork	Factory-associated and specialist coachbuilt bodies on the long W07 chassis; exact fittings vary by order
Seating	Multi-seat formal layouts typical; exact count depends on body and partitions

Engine specifications (W07 / M07 theme)

Theme	Details
Configuration	Inline eight-cylinder petrol, overhead camshaft, aluminium pistons
Displacement	7,665 cc (approximately 7.7 litres)
Output (naturally aspirated)	About 150 PS / 150 bhp (112 kW) at roughly 2,800 rpm
Output (with optional supercharger)	About 200 PS / 200 bhp (149 kW) at roughly 2,800 rpm when Roots-type blower engaged (typically full-throttle engagement)
Induction	Naturally aspirated base; optional Kompressor (770 K theme in collector language)
Character	Smooth multi-cylinder luxury power for formal mass — not a short-chassis sports special
Fuel & cooling	Period carburation; liquid cooling; thermal load under formal closed mass is a central ownership subject

Drivetrain, chassis & brakes (W07)

Category	Details
Gearbox	Four-speed manual; third direct, fourth overdrive-style ratio in period descriptions
Drive	Rear-wheel drive
Suspension	Solid beam axles, semi-elliptic leaf springs front and rear
Brakes	Servo-assisted mechanical brakes (period practice; not the later W150 hydraulic system)
Steering	Low-geared mechanical steering suited to formal parking and parade speeds

Performance (approximate, condition-dependent)

Measure	Details
Top speed (blown)	Up to about 160 km/h (99 mph) class quoted for supercharged cars under favourable conditions
Top speed (unblown)	Lower; formal body drag and gearing dominate
Use envelope	Ceremonial, diplomatic, and elite private transport — not modern high-speed dual carriageway use
Mass effect	Heavy coachwork and optional armour (where fitted later or specially) rewrite acceleration and braking demands

Mercedes-Benz “Grosser Mercedes” Cabriolet B: body identity on the W07 Grosser chassis

The Grosser Mercedes Cabriolet B on the W07 chassis is a formal open body style within the first-generation Typ 770 programme. Relative to Cabriolet A, the B letter typically moves toward a more formal multi-seat open arrangement while remaining distinct from the largest four-door Pullman open cars such as Cabriolet D and F. Exact door and seat layouts must be confirmed on the car and its order documents.

Shared mechanicals match the Typ 770 / W07 hub: 7.7-litre OHC eight, optional Roots supercharger to about 200 PS, four-speed gearbox, long boxed chassis, leaf-spring beam axles, servo-assisted mechanical brakes.

Sibling open styles: Cabriolet A, C, D, F, Tourenwagen.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Design and coachwork

Design language is long-bonnet formality: upright radiator with three-pointed star, separate wings, running boards on typical bodies, and a folding top sized for a multi-seat open cabin. Brightwork and interior timber/fabric combinations signal rank rather than sporting lightness.

Compared with the Tourenwagen, Cabriolet B usually presents a more finished convertible formal identity. Compared with Cabriolet F, it is typically less Pullman-ceremonial in scale. These are relative statements within one flagship chassis, not modern segment marketing.

Restoration of top irons, fabric, and multi-seat open wood framing is among the most expensive coachwork tasks in pre-war Mercedes collecting. Incomplete weather equipment destroys both usability and authenticity.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Mechanical basis and driving character

Driving character remains formal touring: slow steering, deliberate gears, early braking, and eight-cylinder smoothness. Open-air use adds wind and weather as normal conditions. Supercharged cars increase available power at full throttle without converting the Grosser into a sports car.

Multi-passenger load increases brake and tyre demands. Evaluation with only a driver aboard understates real behaviour. Period lighting is weak; night driving is specialist activity.

Storage between outings should be dry and spacious. Long inactivity produces fuel varnish, seal failure, and corrosion that appear on the first careful return to the road.

Collecting and documentation

Collectors should document supercharger fitment, body identity, and any official-use history with primary sources. Fashion can inflate open formal cars; total ownership cost still tracks size and rarity more than paint colour.

Use the hub and Cabriolet D/Cabriolet F pages to place B-formality on the open spectrum.

Ownership: strengths and things to watch

Strengths

Mid-ladder open formality — multi-seat convertible without always matching F bulk.
Educational value — teaches the letter spectrum on W07.
Shared W07 mechanicals — known eight-cylinder and four-speed context.

Things to watch

Passenger load on drums — test brakes with weight aboard.
Top cost — formal open irons dominate budgets.
Letter drift in ads — B vs D confusion is common.
Event wear — step plates and door bottoms after ceremonies.

Sibling comparisons

Cabriolet B sits between A intimacy and D/F Pullman open bulk on W07. Use A for a tighter open cabin, D/F for maximum formal open scale, Tourenwagen for multi-seat open utility, and the Typ 770 hub for W07 versus W150 baselines.

Legacy

Cabriolet B records the middle band of open Grosser formality on the first generation: multi-seat convertible presence without always reaching Pullman-open extremes. That middle position is historically useful for understanding the letter-code ladder.

Keep B-specific door and seat evidence with the car so later catalogues do not silently relabel it as D or F.