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Nice work. I'm shocked at how quick you did that.

This may be of interest. A baby Bugatti just sold at auction. A half scale 'Baby' Bugatti Type 52 replica child's car, by Crosthwaite & Gardiner, hand-built aluminium construction and bodywork finished in blue, chromed radiator and enamel Bugatti badge, fitted with rear-mounted 12-Volt electric motor (requires battery), featuring forward and reverse drive, cast alloy wheels with pneumatic tyres, leather seat, removable bonnet secure with leather straps and spare wheel, stamped '526' behind the seat, measuring 195cm long overall. Sold for £6,875 (US$ 10,491) inc. premium

Great pictures Jason. Thanks for posting them. Do the 38 & 39 LeBaron Lincolns have the same chopped side window effect of the sliver car?

I like all those cars but you are way way off because of your criteria.

I like it and the body style is rare as many are gone of the original 28. The 800k selling price means someone else must agree with me - quite a bit. Built to commission number '247491', the 540K offered here was delivered in July 1937 to Messrs Souheur & Chappuis, a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Brussels, for a Baron de Montpellier. According to the factory records the official designation of the body was two-door sedan, although it resembles a coupé in some ways. Irrespective of the designation this was one of the rarer body styles on the 540K chassis. According to the official body production figures, only 28 were built (presumably by Mercedes-Benz's in-house coachbuilder, Sindelfingen). Bonhams is grateful to Mercedes-Benz for providing the foregoing information from the factory records, which sadly contain no documentation concerning what happened to the car after delivery. At time of cataloguing no further information was to hand concerning its current mechanical condition or subsequent history. Apparently an older restoration, '169341' is finished in dark midnight blue with dark sandy beige cloth interior trim. The dashboard boasts a full complement of instruments while other noteworthy features include twin side-mounted spare wheels, Bosch headlamps, centre spotlight, air horns and side exit exhausts. The supercharger is in place beneath the bonnet. Offering four-seater accommodation allied to breathtaking performance, this rare and stylish 540K coupé represents the very best that money could buy in the late 1930s and is a fine example of this classic German model.

Hi Greg, Is it constructed in the same way as the later 540k/500k radiators which were individual tubes soldered together on the outside edges? If so you can create a new one by using the same technique. Painful and long but possible as it has been done for the later cars.

Craig, I'm just speaking from experience. Ten seems to be the magic number if you are dedicated. Never may happen more than 10 unfortunately. Your project seems to be rolling along nicely. I think you were lucky to find a perfect chassis. If you had found a complete Cab B there would have been many (including me) that may have frowned at rebodying it. With what you started with you are a hero.

I think that would make a cool car carrier. I'm thinking the 4.5 million attained at BJ might not be attainable anymore.

Wow they are moving fast. If you asked me I would have predicted a 10 year project. Your picture is a great shot of the exhust port through the chassis. One of the minor differences between the 500k and the 540k is the size of that hole. The 540k is about 1/2 an inch longer.

Could anyone recommend someone within driving distance of Columbia KY that could look at a car for me? I willing to spend the money even for a professional appraiser. I talked to Jeff Locke at I-Van which has been recommended on this forum. Unfortunately the two guys in KY he has are retired. I'm not looking for a value, just verification of the condition. I'm looking at this to be a father/son project. thanks, A.J.

The 230s do not do as well as the 320s and they are not as attractive. I will say that the price was about right. As with most cars, if you wanted one you would be better off buying a restored one because I see an easy 100k in cosmetic work alone.

Ditto.

Like I said 50/50.

Looks great!

I like the color and painted wheels.

Believe nothing you see on reality TV. Everything is staged.

The one off "Formerly known as Stalin" car (I know it was never Stalin's) is unique and attractive but does not seem to be the money generator of the long tail roadsters. It would be interesting to see what the final version of the Special roadster would bring in comparison to this car. Not sure it is a good thing it was just sold a couple of years ago.

I think you will find it is about 50/50 on the whitewall vs. black wall argument. Your choice of pictures is a good sampling of why whitewalls should be avoided.

Never go with whitewalls. There are a couple of different black wall radials now that are dimensionally and tread correct for the original bias ply.

One of the possibilities Pete mentioned above was Willis St Claire. Thanks goes out to Ed Minnie for pointing out the Willis St Clair A-68 roadster and finally figuring this out. Here is a link. ohc V-8, a 265-cid unit putting out 67 horsepower

It is not this car is it? If so I assume your original post wasn't serious? http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=290942883621

A 4 door for a 2 door? No.

Then maybe I posted a 27 AA

Here is a picture of a 1928 BB.

I like the color.