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Automotive Lifestyle
VINTAGE: German Heirs Reclaim Ownership Of Disputed Mercedes-Benz Classic
Hamburg court rules that U.S. soldiers stole the 1937 500 K roadster during World War II; Dutch collector paid $3.8 million for the car at a Monterey, Calif., auction.
The supercharged Mercedes-Benz 500 K Roadster is one of the most highly desired European classics from the pre-war era. (Photo: RM Auctions)
The disputed ownership of a multi-million-dollar 1937 Mercedes 500 K Spezial Roadster dating back to the end of World War II had been decided by a German court in favor of the heirs of its original German owner.
A court in Hamburg ruled that the historic Mercedes, which was seized by German police in April from its display at the Techno Classica car event in Essen, is the rightful property of the grandchildren of the industrialist who owned the car before it was taken by U.S. soldiers in the final days of the war, according to a Bloomberg report.
The rare car was purchased by Dutch collector Frans van Haren for nearly $3.8 million in August from the RM collector-car auction at Monterey, Calif. After shipping the spectacular roadster to Holland, he brought the car to Germany to show at Techno Classica, and was shocked when police took the opportunity to seize the car once it was back in their jurisdiction.
The issue of the car's provenance goes back to 1945 when the original owner, Hans Friedrich Prym, purportedly sold the car to an American soldier. But Prym's heirs claim the car was stolen as spoils of war.
In an initial ruling, the Hamburg regional court said there was no evidence that the U.S. soldiers who were quartered in 1945 at Prym’s estate were entitled to take the car, Bloomberg reports.
“The court has recognized our claim is valid and we will prepare the next stage and file suit for the car’s return,” the attorney representing the Prym heirs, Alexander Martius, told Bloomberg. “We think the decision is right and it’s an important step toward restitution.”
The Mercedes disappeared while Prym was serving a prison sentence under the Allies, and his estate in Stolberg was being used as a base for U.S. troops during their march into Germany. Stolberg, located on the Belgium border, was one of the first places in Germany to be conquered.
The fully restored roadster was part of RM Auctions’ high-profile sale of a collection of five rare and extremely valuable pre-war Mercedes-Benz cars during its annual event held just before the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Unlike the other highly sought-after Mercedes cars that all sold for top dollar, the supercharged 500 K roadster fell slightly short of the pre-sale estimate of $4 million to $5 million, possibly because of its dubious history that includes a 20-year gap in its known provenance.
As World War II was ending, U.S. military personnel took many valuable items and brought them back to the U.S., which has resulted in ownership claims that continue to this day. In 2009, a New York court ordered that a 16th-century book worth $600,000 be returned to a Stuttgart museum.
Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
A court in Hamburg ruled that the historic Mercedes, which was seized by German police in April from its display at the Techno Classica car event in Essen, is the rightful property of the grandchildren of the industrialist who owned the car before it was taken by U.S. soldiers in the final days of the war, according to a Bloomberg report.
The rare car was purchased by Dutch collector Frans van Haren for nearly $3.8 million in August from the RM collector-car auction at Monterey, Calif. After shipping the spectacular roadster to Holland, he brought the car to Germany to show at Techno Classica, and was shocked when police took the opportunity to seize the car once it was back in their jurisdiction.
The issue of the car's provenance goes back to 1945 when the original owner, Hans Friedrich Prym, purportedly sold the car to an American soldier. But Prym's heirs claim the car was stolen as spoils of war.
In an initial ruling, the Hamburg regional court said there was no evidence that the U.S. soldiers who were quartered in 1945 at Prym’s estate were entitled to take the car, Bloomberg reports.
“The court has recognized our claim is valid and we will prepare the next stage and file suit for the car’s return,” the attorney representing the Prym heirs, Alexander Martius, told Bloomberg. “We think the decision is right and it’s an important step toward restitution.”
The Mercedes disappeared while Prym was serving a prison sentence under the Allies, and his estate in Stolberg was being used as a base for U.S. troops during their march into Germany. Stolberg, located on the Belgium border, was one of the first places in Germany to be conquered.
The fully restored roadster was part of RM Auctions’ high-profile sale of a collection of five rare and extremely valuable pre-war Mercedes-Benz cars during its annual event held just before the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Unlike the other highly sought-after Mercedes cars that all sold for top dollar, the supercharged 500 K roadster fell slightly short of the pre-sale estimate of $4 million to $5 million, possibly because of its dubious history that includes a 20-year gap in its known provenance.
As World War II was ending, U.S. military personnel took many valuable items and brought them back to the U.S., which has resulted in ownership claims that continue to this day. In 2009, a New York court ordered that a 16th-century book worth $600,000 be returned to a Stuttgart museum.
Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
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