alsancle Posted October 7, 2023 Author Share Posted October 7, 2023 Looks like Peter Kumar found a cool 320 Cab B. I find these attractive with the wire wheels. There was a blue one at Pebble beach years ago that was fantastic. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1938-Mercedes-Benz-320-Cabriolet-B-/276085900440 1938 Mercedes-Benz 320 Cabriolet B This 1938 Mercedes-Benz 320 Cabriolet B is an unrestored Texas barn-find that's been sitting off the road since 1983 patiently awaiting a straightforward restoration. Burgundy with tan leather interior. An extremely collectible and sought after Mercedes to restore. A solid Texas car that's complete and intact. The ideal original car that's remained undisturbed and untouched for most of its life. A very special discovery indeed. This handsome 320 Cabriolet B is easily one of the most elegant body styles Mercedes-Benz offered at the time. An attractive body style that fits in quite well with the most elegant era in automotive design. Don't miss this incredibly exciting opportunity to own and restore this 320 Cab B. Highly Original Texas Barn-FInd Off the Road Since 1983 and Just out of Long-Term Ownership The Ideal Original Restoration Candidate Extremely Collectible and Highly Sought-After 320 Cabriolet B Price: $107,500 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted October 21, 2023 Author Share Posted October 21, 2023 Why are you asking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted November 9, 2023 Author Share Posted November 9, 2023 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prewarnut Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 Neat video. However, I thought (and just checked to make sure I am not ill at remembering this) per my book by Boesen and Grad there are no true SSKLs in existence post-war. A number of modified SSKs were faked. This looks like it has MB Classic technical support. So....what's the story here? Maybe I can ask Frank to translate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted November 10, 2023 Author Share Posted November 10, 2023 9 minutes ago, prewarnut said: Neat video. However, I thought (and just checked to make sure I am not ill at remembering this) per my book by Boesen and Grad there are no true SSKLs in existence post-war. A number of modified SSKs were faked. This looks like it has MB Classic technical support. So....what's the story here? Maybe I can ask Frank to translate. This car was at Pebble a few years ago. I'm gonna guess the factory built it from surviving scraps, much like the Streamliner. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted November 10, 2023 Author Share Posted November 10, 2023 Sold for $340K. I know nothing about cars. https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/lf23/london/lots/r0004-1933-mercedes-benz-370-s-mannheim-sport-cabriolet-project/1367445 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HermanOTO Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 6 hours ago, alsancle said: This car was at Pebble a few years ago. I'm gonna guess the factory built it from surviving scraps, much like the Streamliner. the Avus Renner is also a recreation: https://mercedesheritage.com/mercedes-heritage/sskl-recreation Translation/compilation about the Avus Renner: It had a 7.1 liter 6cylinder kompressor engine with twin-spark, 300PS. Topspeed 230KM/H. It ran at Avus at an average of 200KM/H. It had drumbrakes on all wheels. The car was 20km/h faster then the non-aerodynamic SSKL's. Materials used were Electron and aluminium. Holes in the chassis made the car even lighter. Total weight 1440KG. Aerodynamic shape of the grille and chassis covers helped the wind flow. Whilst running such a car the max RPM is the (only) important thing. "Sieg oder tot": win or dead. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted December 12, 2023 Author Share Posted December 12, 2023 On 11/10/2023 at 2:00 AM, HermanOTO said: the Avus Renner is also a recreation: https://mercedesheritage.com/mercedes-heritage/sskl-recreation Translation/compilation about the Avus Renner: It had a 7.1 liter 6cylinder kompressor engine with twin-spark, 300PS. Topspeed 230KM/H. It ran at Avus at an average of 200KM/H. It had drumbrakes on all wheels. The car was 20km/h faster then the non-aerodynamic SSKL's. Materials used were Electron and aluminium. Holes in the chassis made the car even lighter. Total weight 1440KG. Aerodynamic shape of the grille and chassis covers helped the wind flow. Whilst running such a car the max RPM is the (only) important thing. "Sieg oder tot": win or dead. Here is the quandary with that car. So it was 20km/h faster but about 1/10 as stylish. Is it better to come in first in a whale or a little later looking fantastic? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted December 20, 2023 Share Posted December 20, 2023 I believe this car may have been discussed somewhere along the line here. I just took this photo off of a FB post. I remember the car being "restored" by a Classic Car dealer in Atlanta in the 1970s. Apparently, rumor says the chassis of it is now under a replica Special Roadster. Anyone have more information? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted December 20, 2023 Share Posted December 20, 2023 I found my post back around page 36. No remarks on it, from what I could find. Here are the photos I posted then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted December 20, 2023 Author Share Posted December 20, 2023 53 minutes ago, West Peterson said: I believe this car may have been discussed somewhere along the line here. I just took this photo off of a FB post. I remember the car being "restored" by a Classic Car dealer in Atlanta in the 1970s. Apparently, rumor says the chassis of it is now under a replica Special Roadster. Anyone have more information? Yes, that is the rumor. And it is a shame That bodied was mounted in 1947 by a Frejat a French coachbuilder. Car was black then white before it was red. Owned by Thomas Barrett at one time. Here is a picture Tim Heywood posted earlier in the thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tph479 Posted December 21, 2023 Share Posted December 21, 2023 6 hours ago, alsancle said: Yes, that is the rumor. And it is a shame That bodied was mounted in 1947 by a Frejat a French coachbuilder. Car was black then white before it was red. Owned by Thomas Barrett at one time. Here is a picture Tim Heywood posted earlier in the thread. This picture was taken in Chicago after the car was pulled out of the sticks somewhere in Florida. A mangrove tree fell on it and that is why the headlights are out of wack. I always wonder if there is a building somewhere where a bunch of closed car bodies are hiding after having there chassis donated to new coachwork projects. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HermanOTO Posted December 21, 2023 Share Posted December 21, 2023 a lot of history about the MB540 Fréjat on Coachbuild.Com: https://www.coachbuild.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18679 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HermanOTO Posted December 21, 2023 Share Posted December 21, 2023 some more infoabout the MB540k Fréjat from my files 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HermanOTO Posted December 21, 2023 Share Posted December 21, 2023 it was rebodied again, now as a 540K cabriolet A, and presented at the Meadow Brook Lall concours in 2000 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tph479 Posted December 21, 2023 Share Posted December 21, 2023 18 hours ago, alsancle said: Yes, that is the rumor. And it is a shame That bodied was mounted in 1947 by a Frejat a French coachbuilder. Car was black then white before it was red. Owned by Thomas Barrett at one time. Here is a picture Tim Heywood posted earlier in the thread. I was told that this car was very, very awkward to drive because of how much space there was between the drivers seat and drivers door. I have another picture of it somewhere that I’ll try to dig up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
540K Posted December 21, 2023 Share Posted December 21, 2023 (edited) 6 hours ago, HermanOTO said: it was rebodied again, now as a 540K cabriolet A, and presented at the Meadow Brook Lall concours in 2000 Do you have a photo of what it looks like now (the Cab A or whatever is on the original chassis), or at least in 2000? Thanks Edited December 21, 2023 by 540K (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HermanOTO Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 Correction to earlier post. in my earlier post with info from Coachbuild.com I found a chassis number: “This car, equipped with a very special body, is a big mystery. Chassis n° 408335 was originally delivered as a 540 K bodied as a coach, painted brown and beige. Today, the car has a 500 K engine (n° 113675). This engine was originally in a 500 K “cabriolet C”, delivered in Switzerland in 1935, painted two-tone gray. In the same Coachbuild.com someone else mentioned #408355 as beeing the chassis number. This one is rebodied as a Spezial Roadster. Jan Melin Vol 1 page 30 also mentioned it as # 408.355 As I searched on #408335 and found the mention about a Cab A at Meadow Brook Hall, I made a mistake. The Cab A was NOT the former Frejat bodied car. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted December 28, 2023 Author Share Posted December 28, 2023 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prewarnut Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 An interesting 540K is up for auction at Amelia. I forget the details but I have seen it before and it is immaculate. First photo credited to Broad Arrow Auctions, other photos mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HermanOTO Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 Here You'll find more details: https://www.broadarrowauctions.com/vehicles/am24_r050/1938-mercedes-benz-540-k-norrmalm-spezial-cabriolet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 14 Author Share Posted January 14 Back in January 2002 Barrett Jackson had this for sale in their showroom in Scottsdale. The ask was somewhere around 275K but I'm pretty sure less would have got it. Since then lots and lots of money has been spent on it. I was parked next to it at a show in New England maybe 20 years ago. It is one of the later "wide body" cars that can seat 3 across the front seat. I'm sure the low estimate would not cover the restoration these days. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
540K Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 I also was parked next to it at a show. I believe it was the inaugural Las Vegas show in 2019. Seems to be a buyer's market for these cars. Will be interesting to see what the Special Roadster does in Phoenix, and the Cab A in Miami. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 15 Author Share Posted January 15 4 hours ago, 540K said: I also was parked next to it at a show. I believe it was the inaugural Las Vegas show in 2019. Seems to be a buyer's market for these cars. Will be interesting to see what the Special Roadster does in Phoenix, and the Cab A in Miami. The only time it wasn't a buyer's market was when I was buying. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 24 Author Share Posted January 24 Gullwing is reselling the Cab A that BroadArrow sold at Monterey. I thought the auction price was a steal so the new price is a little closer to what I would consider retail for such a great car. https://www.gullwingmotorcars.com/1935-mercedes-benz-500k-cabriolet-a-c-5009.htm 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 Not only do I prefer those Cab As over Special Roadsters, but you also don't have to wonder if it's a new body or not. Extremely handsome/sporty body. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 24 Author Share Posted January 24 30 minutes ago, West Peterson said: Not only do I prefer those Cab As over Special Roadsters, but you also don't have to wonder if it's a new body or not. Extremely handsome/sporty body. This particular car has a great provenance. However, I would not apply that as a general rule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
540K Posted January 25 Share Posted January 25 I can see liking the Cab A over the Special Roadster with the tops up. Put the tops down, give me the one that disappears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 On 1/25/2024 at 9:34 AM, 540K said: I can see liking the Cab A over the Special Roadster with the tops up. Put the tops down, give me the one that disappears. I understand. I hardly ever put top down. I do not like top-down driving. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
540K Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 5 minutes ago, West Peterson said: I understand. I hardly ever put top down. I do not like top-down driving. The coupe (not sedan) has always been the car I would prefer over any of the Cabs or roadsters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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