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I like the style of the Aktion P cars and more or less agree with Craig as to their history. I have never cared much for "celebrity ownership" when it relates to cars and certainly not in this case. The NY one that was a mess was for sale for 900k I believe? When I say a mess I mean mess...

Has anyone checked the E&R book? Mine is buried at home somewhere and I could look.

Kit car.

So the Caribbean engines were distinguishable by engine number?

I have seen the Cab "A" with luggage either in the trunk or behind the front seats. If the luggage is in the trunk then there is a small sideways facing seat behind the front seat. I have not seen a Special Roadster without the dickey. The luggage is very expensive so you are lucky if you don't have to buy any.

Craig, I didn't see what the high bid was. Depending on condition they may have been optimistic on the low estimate. Bill, good idea. I just did what you suggested and I should have the book next week.

Looks like I won't have my Taylor book for some time. Amazon seems to have run out because what was supposed to be two days is now showing a delivery estimate of March.

Bonhams is selling 205 178 which is a 500k Cab A. http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21768/lot/375/

I didn't get it yet!!! Should have arrived already.

The Graber bodied car was put up for auction sometime in the last 10 years. I'm thinking it was Bonham's but honestly don't remember. I probably have the catalog somewhere. My recollection is 1948.

I like the Feestone & Webb bodied 540ks - I think there are 2 or 3 with slightly different details. Not sure the hard core MB guys would though, as they look like a RR or Bentley.

Here is a picture of the Graber bodied 500k. I think it started life as a Cab B and sustained some damage during the war.

The Hebmuller coupe is well done . I think I have a picture of it taken in the US in the 50s. Have not seen or heard of it recently. There was a Graber bodied 500k built after the war that was also well executed.

Ok, I sent them some email. I'll let everyone know if I hear anything.

I have that Panhard on my bucklist of cars. I think most prewar French cars were right hand drive and they swapped to left after WWII? Another thing I found today, I knew where a couple of 540ks down under. This one is in the Southward Car Museum in NZ. It has right hand drive and what looks like the identical roof. Not sure why they are calling it a 36. I should probably send them some email.

Which countries were right hand drive in 1940/41 where someone would be ordering a right hand drive 540k which is basically a sports model? France? I know in my pile of stuff there is a one page right up done by Bob Hannaford on what he thought the history was. I'll scan it and post it the next time I find it.

Definitely an interesting story. I thought the last paragraph was funny too. Would probably make a good magazine article. What I particularly like is the correspondence with other owners in the 1950s. It allows me to connect some dots that I did know know about.

Some other interesting tidbits. This car was a 5 speed model and is referred to consistently as a 41. Bob Hannaford in a letter to Mr Roehrs reports that at 60 mph in 5th gear the engine is turning 1700 RPM. Redline on a 540k is around 3800 so somebody can help with the math. After Mr Roehrs received the car he reported that in test drives he could go as low as 30 mph in 5th gear but acceleration was very slow without downshifting. There were no roads long and straight enough in Puerto Rico to go really fast so he was never able to test high speeds although he seemed very eager to try.

I'll get the book tomorrow. Looking forward to it. I'm going through the big box I have on the Roehrs 540k I mentioned above. There is some interesting material. Here is a letter from the factory telling Mr Roehrs that they have no parts or capability to work on his 540k and he should find a shop in England or the U.S. He eventually sent it to England for restoration where it was stolen (sold by the restoration shop) and started a 5 year odyssey to get the car back. At the time it was sold by the restoration shop, a number of parts including the one piece top were separated from the car. I'm not sure of the condition when it got it back but I'm wondering if the missing parts would have made it a likely Special Roadster candidate?

I think Bill asked this. The last recorded sale of a new MB in the USA that I know of was a 320 Cab B delivered on April 27th 1939.

Sorry, should have listed this above, Green right hand drive 500k A sold 2003 is 130-852

The Mulliner 500k sold at Articrial/Paris 2003 was 123-683

The Coys 500k Cab C Red/Black is 113-655

I believe the black 500k Cab A sold by Worldwide is 105-384 and is not in Melin's second volume. The green 500k Cab A sold at retro mobile was right hand drive and I think it is in the Fostick list. I considered it quite the bargain at the time.

My copy will be here on Monday. I think the last cars were sold in 1939 in the U.S.A. but would need to check. One of the posters to this thread has a copy I believe.