Mercedes-Benz

Used

540K

540k

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RM Sotheby’s is the world's largest collector car auction house by total sales. With over 40 years of proven results in the collector car industry, RM’s vertically integrated range of services, from auctions (live and online) and private sales to estate planning and financial services, coupled with an expert team of Car Specialists and an international footprint, provide an unsurpassed level of service to the global collector car market. RM Sotheby’s is currently responsible for seven of the top ten most valuable motor cars ever sold at auction.

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To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Miami event, 27 - 28 February 2025. rn$2,750,000 - $3,000,000 USD rnrnOne of just 32 second-series Cabriolet A models producedrnSought-after Special Roadster-inspired design with set-back radiator and rear-mounted sparesrnFormerly owned by Paul Hauck and Thomas KreidrnWell-preserved, award-winning restorationrnRetains original, numbers-matching enginernAmong the most beautiful supercharged Mercedes of its erarn rnrnFew automobiles of the Classic Era could compare in prestige, grandeur, and performance to the Mercedes-Benz 540 K, inarguably one of the finest and most beautiful cars ever to come from Stuttgart. Engineered by Hans Nibel, the 540 K boasted a pushrod overhead-valve inline eight-cylinder engine displacing 5,401 cubic centimeters and was equipped with a double-vane Roots-type supercharger. When engaged at full throttle, the supercharger boosted output to 180 horsepower, enabling most any body style to reach 100 mph.rnrnOne of the all-time greatest designs on the 540 K chassis is the second series of the two-passenger Cabriolet A, which elegantly bridged the gap between the more formal Cabriolet designs and the renowned Special Roadster. Like the Special Roadster, this style had the radiator set back behind the front axle, enhancing the appearance of the long, sweeping front and rear fenders, much like those used on the roadsters. The spare tires were tucked into a recess on the tail which, along with a lower top, emphasized the sleek, truly special appearance.rnrnJan Melin's well-known standard reference work on the model, Mercedes-Benz 8: The Supercharged 8-Cylinder Cars of the 1930s, indicates that only 32 examples of this version of the Cabriolet A were produced. Today they are considered among the most sought-after examples of coachwork on the 540 K, commanding attention and prestige perhaps second only to the revered roadsters, as well as much of their dramatic styling charms.rnrnMS. JORDANS' 540 KrnrnChassis number 154146 was ordered in Paris in late 1936 by one Martha Jordans, with delivery made in February 1937 to her German residence on Albertusstra?e in Monchengladbach, as documented by an accompanying copy of its commission paper and the related excerpt from the karosserie buch. A handwritten note on the latter indicates that only 10 bodies of the 826200 series were made, and this, as body number 826201, was the first.rnrnMs. Jordans reportedly later immigrated to the United States, bringing her 540 K with her. In the 1950s it re-emerged with Classic Car Club of America member Paul Hauck of Union, New Jersey, in whose ownership it was seen in the Spring 1957 issue of The Classic Car. It remained with Hauck until at least 1965 and is pictured, late in his ownership, on page 220 of the second volume of Melin's book.rnrnDennis Adler's article on the car, published in the October 1989 issue of Car Collector, indicates that it later spent time in San Francisco during the 1970s, as well as five years in Colorado. It then joined the large Mercedes collection of the late Thomas Kreid of California, in whose ownership it was held at the time of Adler's article. In 1996 it returned to Germany in the hands of Alfred Richter of Lampertheim, who reportedly drove the car on several rallies and accumulated some 30,000 kilometers (~18,641 miles), before passing it to another longtime Mercedes-Benz aficionado in the Golden State, Thomas Taffet.rnrnMr. Taffet commissioned Mercedes-Benz expert Jim Friswold of Tigard, Oregon to perform a ground-up restoration of the car, in which the body was removed, the chassis stripped and powder-coated, and the suspension rebuilt. The transmission and rear axle were fully disassembled and had new bearings and seals installed; the engine had been rebuilt by the vaunted German specialists Reifen-Wagner during Mr. Richter's ownership and was found to require no work. The cosmetics were thoroughly attended to with all chrome replated, and the body refinished in an attractive deep burgundy hue with biscuit tan leather upholstery and high-quality German materials used for the top and headliner.rnrnWith the work completed, the car was exhibited at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, winning Third in Class, followed by achieving Best of Show at the 2015 Arizona Concours d'Elegance.rnrnIn 2017, the immediate prior owner acquired the car and then passed in trade several years later to the current caretaker, a longtime enthusiast of the supercharged Mercedes-Benz who has enjoyed several excellent examples. In his ownership it has benefited from further mechanical sorting, including the radiator being rebuilt by the foremost specialists at Blaak Radiators in the Netherlands, and rebuilding of the shocks, a valve job, and a new head gasket by the consignor's in-house facility.rnrnA beautiful example of the iconic 540 K, this car combines wonderful known provenance, beautiful condition, and one of the finest body styles to become a specimen that few presently on the market can equal.rnTo view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM Sotheby's website.

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1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K For Sale

1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K

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