In 1935, alongside the front-engined Mercedes-Benz 170 V, Daimler-Benz AG introduced the Mercedes-Benz 170 H, featuring the same four-cylinder 1,697cc 38PS engine but positioned at the rear.
This design, created by Hans Nibel, bore a striking resemblance to the Volkswagen ‘Beetle,’ with its creator, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, having served as Daimler Benz’s chief designer in the late 1920s. Production of the Mercedes-Benz 170 H spanned from 1935 to 1939, resulting in a total of only 1,507 units being built during those four years.
Source: Bonhams