540K Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 (edited) Bonham's Stuttgart auction is going on now. The 1934 500K with factory upgraded 540K engine Special Roadster for charity went for only $4.221M despite a pre-auction estimate up to almost $8M. Can't really call it a bargain, but well short of expectations, especially for a charity car. The 1935 500K Cabriolet by Mulliner went for $983K. Sure, right-hand drive, and non-Sindelfingen body, but seems well-bought to me. It just met the low end of the pre-auction estimate. The 1936 540K Cab A sold for about $3.08M. Edited July 12, 2014 by 540K (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 That may be a new record for a 500k Special Roadster "Short Tail" to my knowledge. The 8 million estimate was to get the 4 million buyer. 3.08 is a new high water mark for a Cab A. The Mulliner price is more than double what it sold for 10 years ago but does seem like a bargain in the context of the other sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 I'll second the motion that something is off on the wheels and front end. Front fenders don't look right either. The dead nuts replicas with original chassis were a million not too long ago.I just had a chance to look at the pictures on a real computer (instead of my phone). Very well done in the big scheme when talking about replicas but not a million dollar one in a million years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
540K Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I just had a chance to look at the pictures on a real computer (instead of my phone). Very well done in the big scheme when talking about replicas but not a million dollar one in a million years.Agreed, yet that's what I thought about the price the current seller paid 3 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
540K Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 That may be a new record for a 500k Special Roadster "Short Tail" to my knowledge. The 8 million estimate was to get the 4 million buyer. 3.08 is a new high water mark for a Cab A. The Mulliner price is more than double what it sold for 10 years ago but does seem like a bargain in the context of the other sales.Good point. The "low door" roadster that the German gov't confiscated after the 2011 sale was $3.8M, and it was a much better looking car, imo. The other two cars both doubled their previous sales in 2003 (Mulliner) and 2007 (Cab A).An interesting note that I don't recall the auction catalog playing up -- I believe the roadster (105136) is the earliest surviving 500K, other than a "pre-series" Tourenwagen noted in Melin's book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 I wouldn't even call this a short tail special roadster. It is more of a one off roadster with Special Roadster features. Nice looking car but the 4 million is plenty of money given it is more than the last price on a short tail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 Also, they changed the color, added the hood screens, and removed the rear splats. I would not feel bad about that result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 500k for a long wheelbase 320 Cab A is probably a record too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 I really like the styling on the Mulliner 500k. But, you have to remember the MB market tends to reward factory left hand drive bodies. This car would have brought 500k more in left hand drive and a Sindelfingen name plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 (edited) I can't decide if I like the 500k Cab A better or the first series 540k Cab A more. Anyways, 3.05 million is a record for one of these. The paperwork is interesting but I would get rid of the two-tone - even if it has been that way for 70 plus years. I know there are at least two these 500k Cab A's with factory 540k engines floating around that were built. Edited July 12, 2014 by alsancle (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
540K Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 (edited) I can't decide if I like the 500k Cab A better or the first series 540k Cab A more. Anyways, 3.05 million is a record for one of these. The paperwork is interesting but I would get rid of the two-tone - even if it has been that way for 70 plus years. I know there are at least two these 500k Cab A's with factory 540k engines floating around that were built.[ATTACH=CONFIG]258527[/ATTACH] If 2-tone, lose the bonnet strap and the Saoutchik slant? Edited July 15, 2014 by 540K (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadster36 Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 (edited) Today Classic Days at Schloss Dyck Germany Edited August 6, 2014 by roadster36 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadster36 Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadster36 Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadster36 Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadster36 Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadster36 Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadster36 Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Sorry i make a mistake.The white seats do not belong to the red MB 500 k Cab C. The are from a 170V Cab A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted August 3, 2014 Author Share Posted August 3, 2014 Great pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
540K Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Goring's car now advertised on YouTube http://youtu.be/67D6APVfKGA I guess they aren't consigning it to a major auction because they're still restoring it. The time to buy it would be now and turn it over to a restorer more familiar with these cars.No pre-war supercharged Mercedes at the Concours of America last week. Very surprising. During a 3557-mile journey stopping at five auto museums, three classic dealers and one concours, the only ones I saw were the two at Kemp Museum in St Louis and mine. The Spezial-Roadster at Kemp has a very similar background as mine - both started as Cab B's. The Kemp car was beautiful, but the closer I looked the more I saw that wasn't quite correct. The assistant curator was extremely nice, and admitted that a few things on the car were done to Kemp's taste rather than as original. Wow - I wish I had been at the German show Roadster36 attended! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davlet Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 For Goering car they asking too much. Way too much that the biggest problem for them. . It might be sold very fast with wright price. But now when everyone nows about that car they will have a hard time to sale it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
540K Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 My body fabricator showed me a photo of the front end of the Nazi Spezial-Roadster. It was clear that the fender valances were way off - the right side was wider than the left side. His comment was essentially that the original cars were not nearly as perfect as his work. Of course, he has almost unlimited time to perfect one car at a time (and someone is on the hook to pay for it). He also showed me photos of award-winning restored cars and pointed out various panels that were slightly off - too high, or an edge was sharp and should have been doubled under. He has spent 30 years with these cars, with plenty of access to original cars. I'd like to think each body he builds is more perfect than the previous one, but I have a feeling they've all been perfect from the word go. He says his age is such that this is the last one he will build because it is too time-consuming. He will focus on short-term projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Great progress on the Special Roadster, Craig. Can you share the approximate amount of hours to get to that stage and what you think it will be in total for the body?What have you decided on for powertrain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tilomagnet Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 My body fabricator showed me a photo of the front end of the Nazi Spezial-Roadster. It was clear that the fender valances were way off - the right side was wider than the left side. His comment was essentially that the original cars were not nearly as perfect as his work. Of course, he has almost unlimited time to perfect one car at a time (and someone is on the hook to pay for it). He also showed me photos of award-winning restored cars and pointed out various panels that were slightly off - too high, or an edge was sharp and should have been doubled under. .These are hand built cars, they arent meant to be perfect with 0.001 mm tolerance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadster36 Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 (edited) Ok some more from Classic Days at Schloss Dyck Germany I wish she was my girlfriend Edited August 6, 2014 by roadster36 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted August 6, 2014 Author Share Posted August 6, 2014 Craig, looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
540K Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 (edited) These are hand built cars, they arent meant to be perfect with 0.001 mm tolerance.I did not say anything about 0.001 mm tolerance. I said they were way off from a photo of the front end. To be that obvious in a photo taken 10 feet away from the car we aren't talking about 0.001mm. They are off the better part of a half inch. And you missed my point that this fabricator is taking all the time he needs to hand build a better body than Sindelfingen could afford to take. Hand built when the company is paying you is one thing; hand built when the client is paying is different. Edited August 7, 2014 by 540K (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
540K Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Thanks for posting the photos, Roadster36 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted August 7, 2014 Author Share Posted August 7, 2014 I can tell you that on at least one Cab A the left door was 1 inch longer than the right. I know because we tried putting the wrong window in. These were hand built cars and the tolerances were probably more like one inch on the body parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 A.J. every now and then you see an article on some well known coachbuilt cars & they reference fitment issues like that with handbuilt cars, it is always interesting. Of course today if anyone of us were involved in a project like Craig's we would want it as precise as can be.Craig - sounds like patience has really paid off, seems to me you were looking at MB powertrain options some time ago, did not reallize chassis came with powertrain which is a huge plus, obviously! My guess is your builder has more time in this than he will ever accurately bill you for - but he has probably calculated that into the hourly rate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
540K Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Mercedes-Benz will bring the fully restored 1938 540K Streamliner to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Alongside the 540K will be the surviving trio of 1914 Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix cars. That will be fun to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadster36 Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 That must be the 3 racers in the latest Mercedes-Benz Classic magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
540K Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 I saw the streamliner on the road today in Carmel. Pics when I get home next week. Ferrari GTO went for $38M about 2 hrs ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davlet Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 540k. On rm. Sold for 1.4 mil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 540k. On rm. Sold for 1.4 milI assume the Burden cabriolet with the "French" nose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
540K Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Actually, with the commission, $1.54M. At first it looked like it was going to sell for under $900K, but finally the bidding kicked in. I wasnt there last night for the Tourer. Last time I looked bidding on the Cab A was at $3.2M with reserve not met. Will check later after auction ends but I dont know if they will leave the high bid posted.Best M-B imo at Pebble were a Cab A and a stunning 770 owned by General Lyons. I understand he gets quite rankled when he doesnt win. The car was done by Randy Ema who was there showing it for the old man. I didnt stay for the awards. Some great Fernandez and Darrin cars. Awesome display of Ferrari race cars, even for someone like me who doesnt know squat about racing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 1.54 means it has gone up 20% every time it sells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davlet Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 I got few photos. But can't load them from my phone. But I will be home tomorrow. Will share with photos of 770. 540 cab d cab a. Cupe. 640. And some others photos. Dav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 Streamliner looks to be Michelin tire test car. Unique but not my favorite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davlet Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 is it okay if I will post my pictures over here or should I post some where else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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