Mercedes-Benz’s Type 400 was the later factory designation for the long-running 15/70/100 PS, a large prestige car that had originated before the Daimler-Benz merger and continued after the new Mercedes-Benz brand was established. The Type 400 name appeared in 1928, reflecting the company’s move toward a simpler naming system for passenger cars. It remained in the catalogue until 1929, when production ended and the model was replaced by the Nürburg 460.
Historically, the car sat in the upper part of Mercedes-Benz’s prewar range and was aimed at buyers who wanted a refined, technically advanced touring car with serious long-distance comfort. It was not a sports model, but it carried a number of the engineering traits associated with Mercedes-Benz’s most ambitious early-1920s automobiles, including a large six-cylinder engine and supercharging. As with many prestige cars of the era, the chassis could be supplied to independent coachbuilders, so surviving examples appear in a variety of body styles rather than one standardized form.
Because the Type 400 was essentially the Mercedes-Benz-branded continuation of the earlier 15/70/100 PS, its historical importance lies in the transition rather than in a totally new design. It represents the moment when an established pre-merger Mercedes luxury car entered the new Mercedes-Benz era, making it a useful marker in the brand’s early history. For enthusiasts, it belongs to the classic prewar line of large, coachbuilt Mercedes automobiles that bridged the company’s pre- and post-merger identities.