1937 Mercedes-Benz 500K Cabriolet C

Lot details
Registration No: EU-Reg
Chassis No: 123741
Mot Expiry: None

FROM THE VALENCIA COLLECTION

Introduced at the March 1934 Berlin Motor Show, the Mercedes-Benz 500K (or W29 as it was known internally) was the brainchild of technical director Dr Hans Nibel. A former racing driver turned master engineer whose past credits included the mighty 200HP Blitzen Benz and fearsome Mercedes-Benz S / SS / SSK / SSKL series (on which he had collaborated with Ferdinand Porsche), his commitment to a unified design philosophy meant that the marque's fastest road car - the 500K / W29, had a surprising amount in common with its epoch-making 'Silver Arrow' Grand Prix Racer sibling - the W25 (unveiled just a few months earlier). Admittedly poles apart in terms of execution, the two were thus based around low-slung box-section chassis equipped with all-round coil-sprung independent suspension (double-wishbone front / swing-axle rear), high-efficiency hydraulic drum brakes and supercharged straight-eight powerplants.

Ushering in a new generation of extremely luxurious and disarmingly quick tourers capable of sustained high-speed cruising, the 500K was powered by a 5 litre OHV engine. Tuned for torque rather than horsepower, it was quoted as developing a lazy 100bhp @ 3,200rpm in normally aspirated form but an altogether more spirited 160bhp with its double-vane Roots type blower engaged (a process which involved the driver depressing the accelerator pedal beyond a set pressure point). Given that the later 540K was widely credited with a force fed 180bhp and 318lbft of torque, it seems likely that peak torque was approximately 300lbft (though, official figures remain frustratingly elusive).

Fed by a double updraught carburettor of in-house manufacture, the towering M24 straight-eight was allied to a robust four-speed manual gearbox that boasted synchromesh on 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears (the latter ratio effectively acting as an 'overdrive' for autostrada / autobahn motoring). Impressed by the model's excellent roadholding and handling not to mention its 100mph top speed, Autocar magazine summed-up the 500K as "a master car for the very few". Praising its refinement, the publication also commented that "without the supercharger this is a quiet, docile carriage, the acceleration from low speeds being then quite mild. It will amble around town and along by-ways with scarcely a hint of its latent performance. Bring in the supercharger and it becomes another machine, with fierce acceleration".

Benefiting from power assistance, the W29's suitably large four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes gave occupants a more than sporting chance of avoiding contact with slower vehicles (very few road cars could reach 100mph in 1934), while the provision of transverse-mounted coil-springs to the base of the rear swing-axle assembly brought a welcome extra dose of stability. Built at Mercedes-Benz's Unterturkheim plant (more commonly associated with the company's research and development activities) to exceptionally high standards, the 500K could be had with a wide variety of open and closed bodystyles courtesy of factory coachbuilders Sindelfingen. Only listed for two years total 500K production has been put at between 342 and 354 units.

Arriving from Horch in September 1932, Herman Ahrens was tasked with heading-up Mercedes-Benz's Sonderwagen (Special Vehicles) division. A precocious talent, the twenty-eight year old set about imbuing his new employer's flagship models with a stylistic presence to match their technological sophistication. Taking full advantage of the two wheelbase lengths (Normal: 3290mm / Short: 2980mm) and three chassis types that underpinned the W29, Ahrens created a series of designs so striking that less than ten percent of buyers opted for non-Sindelfingen coachwork. A supremely elegant four-seater convertible, the Cabriolet C differed from its Cabriolet B sibling by having two rather than four side windows and a consequently more rakish profile. With its V-shaped radiator grille, gently curving boot, full flowing wings, trademark side-exiting exhaust pipes and plentiful chrome trim, the iconic soft-top did not want for road presence. Expensive and exclusive total Mercedes-Benz 500K Cabriolet C production is thought to have amounted to just 90 cars.

According to its accompanying copy factory commission book extract, the order for this particular example - chassis number 123741 - was placed on November 1st 1935. Interestingly, another piece of paperwork on file suggests that the Cabriolet C was first owned by Lt. Colonel Stancomb and issued with the London registration number 'HXM 325' (one of its sister 500Ks - chassis number 123737 - being dispatched to the Marquis de Portago and road registered as 'GC 5149'). Resident in America by 1938, a contemporaneous photocopied Passenger Vehicle Registration Renewal Stub lists the Mercedes-Benz as belonging to Mark Stevens of Maple Avenue, Scotia, New York. Passing to Robert Saunders of Concord, Massacheusetts many years later, the four-seater had its correct type but replacement engine (number 113623) overhauled by renowned restorer M.L. Bud Cohn of Los Angeles, California during 1971. Despite Mr Saunders' varied attempts at refurbishment, chassis 123741 was complete but somewhat careworn by the time it entered the Valencia Collection.

Stripped back to a bare chassis the Cabriolet C was subsequently renovated by the vendor's own in-house team (though, assorted specialist jobs were farmed out to Germany). A photographic record of the rejuvenation process shows attention being paid to the engine, gearbox, suspension, brakes, electrics, bodywork, paintwork, interior and brightwork. Reportedly costing hundreds of thousands of Euros the result is a motorcar that would not look out of place at any of the world's great Concours events. The 500K (W29) is rightly considered a true automotive great. Among the most brilliant and fabulous designs of the 1930s, its various iterations have long been objects of desire and fascination. Finished in stunning Gloss Black with Light Grey leather upholstery, chassis 123714 is not only worthy of close inspection but would also grace any collection.