VINTAGE: Rare Pre-War Mercedes At Auction

Automotive Lifestyle

VINTAGE: Rare Pre-War Mercedes At Auction

RM's Monterey auction will feature five magnificent supercharged 500 K and 540 K sports models, each valued in the multi millions.

Bob Golfen | Posted August 06, 2011 Monterey, CA

The 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster, the most spectacular of the pre-war models, sold for $9.68 million in Monterey. (Photo: RM Auctions)

Five of the greatest and most valuable pre-war Mercedes-Benz sports models will be brought to auction by RM at its Monterey, Calif., sale later this month, each of them expected to draw multi millions of dollars.

RM Auctions will offer a total of 13 desirable Mercedes automobiles during its Aug. 19-20 sale, including the five magnificent 1930s examples of the supercharged 500 K and 540 K models that represent engineering and performance pinnacles for pre-war automobiles and stylistic high-water marks for any period.

The 125th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz is part of the celebration at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Aug. 21, which is the signature event and culmination of collector-car week on the Monterey Peninsula. The concours will feature an impressive number of historic Mercedes vehicles including a display of significant prewar grand prix cars.

The 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K boasts the most desirable configuration of high door sills, long tail, covered spare tire and left-hand drive. (Photo: RM Auctions)

The beautiful Mercedes sports cars at the RM auction provide a timely exclamation point to the anniversary celebration.

The 1936 540 K Sports Cabriolet has a pair of spare wheels mounted evocatively on its tail. (Photo: RM Auctions)

“Exceptionally rare and unique in their own right, each car is a wonderful representation of luxury, stunning design, forward-thinking engineering and performance – qualities that have defined the Mercedes-Benz brand throughout its long history,” said Rob Myers, the founder and chairman of RM Auctions.

Known as the Berlin Motor Show Car, the 500 K Roadster was Mercedes-Benz's centerpiece at the 1935 event. (Photo: RM Auctions)

The five big, supercharged Mercedes-Benz classics offered by RM are:

The 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Coupe is a rare 540 K model with a fixed roof. (Photo: RM Auctions)

• One of the most beautiful and charismatic automobiles ever built, the 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster designed by Sinderfingen and one of only three known to exist in its most desirable configuration: high doors, long tail, covered spare and left-hand drive. It’s powered by the 540 K 5.4-liter supercharged straight-eight engine that produces 180 horsepower. The roadster’s rarity and exceptional desirability should guarantee eight-figure bidding at RM’s auction, and it could break the record for the highest price ever paid for a Mercedes-Benz at auction.

The elegant styling of the 1939 540 K Spezial Roadster previews the aerodynamic designs of the German marque's post-war years. (Photo: RM Auctions)

• The rakish 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Sport Cabriolet A also by Sindelfingen gets its sporting look from an extremely low windshield, swept-back radiator and twin spare tires mounted on its abbreviated rear. It’s one of just a small number of transitional 500 K/540 K sport cabriolets and features the then-new 540 K supercharged engine. Like the 1937 Spezial Roadster, no auction estimate was publicized by RM for this one.

• The 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Roadster was introduced to the world at the Berlin Motor Show, the centerpiece of the Mercedes-Benz stand. With its rich red paint and tan leather interior, the “Berlin Motor Show Car” has a value estimated by RM between $4 million and $5 million.

• The 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Coupe is also a former showpiece, displayed at the important 1936 Paris Salon. Designed by Sindelfingen, it’s one of very few coupes built on the 540 K chassis and represents a dramatic variation of the sporting theme. Its value estimated by RM ranges from $3.25 million to $4 million.

• An elegant one-off model, the 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster displays some unique styling cues, including teardrop fenders and a tapered rear deck, and it forecast Mercedes’ streamlined styling direction after the war. This late example of the 540 K lineage features a five-speed transmission with overdrive. Estimated value: $3.5 million to $4.5 million.

The 1939 roadster also has an interesting history. According to the RM catalog: “After going into hibernation during World War II, it eventually resurfaced in the Soviet Union during the late 1960s where it had been stored at a Soviet Generals’ summer house.”

For more information about the RM sale in Monterey, see RM Auction.

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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