540K

I used to like the stone guards on these cars, but I have changed my mind. My restorer asked me, "Why would you want to obscure that beautiful radiator?" For some reason, the more I look at the stone guard, the more it looks "military" to me.

JMA = Jan Melin Archive. Unfortunately, now in the hands of Damiler-Benz.

I guess on this trip one tire was destroyed - note the bare wheel under the spare. Also, both Netherlands and Great Britain shields on the back - maybe they got out of the Netherlands before it was occupied. My car, presumably still in the Netherlands, was wreckage after WWII.

I hope no one pulled up behind him.

I'm sure many of you saw the dismal results of the Bonham's sale of the green Mayfair 500 K roadster at Amelia. What a haircut! The previous sales, including just last year, were $825,000 and $830,000. This year - $362,500!! Probably a 60% loss after fees to the current owner. Not a great body style, and needs fresh restoration and a new color, but holy crap - it's still a one-of-one 500 K.

Excellent job on the comparative photos!

The factory Spezial-Coupe (not the Caracciola car) is one of the best looking coupes ever made. With the right paint, blackwalls, no sunroof, redone leather and carpet this could be a very nice car, but it still wouldn't be as nice as the factory Spezial-Coupe. Someone's going to be into this car for at least $2M if they restore it, and I'm not sure there would be any meat left on the bone. But I've been wrong before.

One of those links suggested the body work was done "in period." Is 14 years what concours consider in period? I thought it was 10.

If you read the description: This fascinating 540 K Cabriolet A, chassis 189392, was built later in the model run, with its chassis being completed in July 1938, and its coachwork was not completed until October 1939. Built in right-hand drive, 189392 was originally intended for the British market. However, with the outbreak of WWII, German cars could not be exported to the UK and, according to documents with the car, it remained in storage, unsold throughout 1940. In April 1941, 189392 was purchased through the Mercedes-Benz dealer in Helsinki, Finland, by Baron Gustaf Wrede. It is my opinion Gooding should not be advertising this car as a 1941. 1938 chassis, 1939 coachwork, sold new in 1941. I say it's a 1939. 408425 was started in 1939 and not completed until 1952 according to Kienle, the last 540 K ever finished. I think Kienle calls it a 1939/52 which seems cumbersome but descriptive.

Yeah, that's what I thought until I saw this one. I think the only way it could be worse is to add lime green polka dots and whitewalls. As is, I'd still take the Cab C regardless of value, because I'd rather see that in my garage every day.

Only two 500 K / 540 K up for sale in Monterey this year, both at Gooding. A gorgeous Cab C, and an ugly Cab A. I cannot recall seeing a worse paint color than what is on the Cab A. It looks like gray primer. Maybe it looks better in person. On the other hand, best color on the Cab C. As they sit, I'd take the Cab C. With a repaint I'd take the Cab A of course.

Someone told me these aren't correct, that the originals were more flat on the top rather than ball-shaped. I know the shape he's talking about but haven't seen anyone making those.

Black, white, bright red, or silver paint, black or gray interiors - all boring. Give me some damn color!

Von Krieger roadster looks so much better now that it doesn't have whitewalls. They're going to change the orange interior next, which will also be an improvement.

Sold for $1,793,928. I don't remember what the pre-sale estimate was.

500 refers to 5-liter engine. According to Artcurial, this car never had a 5-liter engine. It was 5.4-liter from new, therefore t is not correct to call it a 500 K. A 500 K was ordered, but a 540 K was delivered. Early 540 K's shared much with late 500 K's, including louvered hood; the main difference was the engine. DBAG made small changes throughout 1935-1937, and the changes did not necessarily correlate to a specific year or 500/540 designation.

If it is, I do not believe it is referred to by chassis number. You have a better memory for who owned cars than I do. Until recently I haven't really cared who owned a car, but it is very useful for distinguishing one black 540 K Cab A from another black 540 K Cab A. I don't have a knack for remembering owners' names unless it is someone known for some other reason - like Jack Warner's Special Roadster, or Gary Cooper's Duesenberg.

Artcurial will offer an early 540 K in Paris sale, original interior and top, rebuilt engine and respray in the 60's. This would be very nice for preservation.

Green Mayfair roadster at Bonhams sold for $830,000, a high for this car but only $5,000 more than the 2014 sale, and a "no sale" in 2015.

King of Jordan's 540 K Cab A going up at Bonham's Paris sale, Feb 7. It amazes me that most of the major auction houses refer to the dash on these cars as if it is made from real mother-of-pearl. In this case Bonham's says the car "retains its original inlaid mother-of-pearl detailing." Total bullsh!t. These cars never had real or inlaid mother-of-pearl. They are plastic just like what covers musical drum kits. That's why they discolor over time. Real mother-of-pearl does not grow into a single piece as large as the dash on these cars, and if it were inlaid it wouldn't look like this. Look at any photo of the dash of these cars -- that is clearly all one piece. Mother-of-pearl is made from the inner lining of different mollusk shells, and getting a flat piece larger than a very few inches is not possible. I discussed having a real mother-of-pearl dash made for a car, and the experts told me not to do it because it would not look good piecing dozens of slices together for something that large. It is primarily used for small, intricate detail on musical instruments, jewelry and fine furniture, not large flat things like a dashboard in a car. So if you work for anyone who deals in these cars, tell them they did not come from the factory with mother-of-pearl. Sure, it's possible someone could make one, but I've never seen real mother-of-pearl on any 500 K or 540 K dash. If you have, I'm happy to be corrected and would like to see a photo of it. As a humorous note, these large plastic sheets of faux mother-of-pearl are often used to make electric guitar pickguards ("scratch plates" outside the US). Because it is plastic made to look like mother-or-pearl, it is often referred to as mother-of-toilet-seat, or MOTS.

While I'm at it, alsancle, these are coming up at RM Essen: 1931 370 S Mannheim 1937 540 K Cab A RHD, offered nine years ago for ~$2,000,000 It will be interesting to see how they do since the auction is mostly mid-level cars from the 1980's forward.

Good luck. I haven't seen such for sale in over six years except buckets of bolts or reproduction parts. The one sold in 2012 in Europe had MANY missing and mismatched parts. I assume you want to build a special roadster. Be prepared to spend at least a million $ for a quality car. But don't buy a cabriolet and throw away the body! Sacrilege!

I'm having trouble following this discussion. This is a 770, not a 540 as stated in the caption, right?

1934 500 K coming up at Bonham's Scottsdale auction 2019. Last sold 2014 when red. No sale 2015 in green. Mayfair (UK) body.