The 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster is more than just a classic car; it’s a statement of pre-war opulence, engineering prowess, and timeless design. Recently, a stunning example of this automotive royalty, a 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster, commanded a staggering $11,770,000 at a Gooding & Company auction in Pebble Beach in 2012, underscoring its unparalleled desirability and value in the collector car world. This price wasn’t just a sale; it was a declaration of the 540K Special Roadster’s status as one of the most significant and valuable pre-war automobiles ever created.
To truly appreciate the Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster, we need to delve into its historical context. Daimler-Benz, the company behind Mercedes-Benz, was Germany’s leading automotive manufacturer before World War II, renowned for both its luxury vehicles and heavy-duty trucks. Fueled by innovation and supported by government subsidies that boosted their racing endeavors, Mercedes-Benz engineers incorporated cutting-edge racing technology into their road cars. Features like supercharging, independent suspension, lightweight alloys, and overhead camshafts, typically found on race tracks, became hallmarks of their luxury production models.
The lineage of the 540K can be traced back to 1932 with the introduction of the 380K. This model, featuring a 3.8-liter overhead-valve straight-8 engine, marked the beginning of Mercedes-Benz’s “Kompressor” series, where the “K” denoted the German word for supercharger. This series represented the pinnacle of Mercedes-Benz’s grand touring cars, blending speed, luxury, and advanced engineering.
The evolution continued with the 500K Autobahn-Kurier, unveiled at the Berlin Motor Show the following year. Engine displacement grew to 5.0 liters, and the model showcased striking, streamlined fastback coupe coachwork. The 500K’s supercharger, driven by the crankshaft, force-fed a fuel-air mixture through a twin-throat carburetor, boosting horsepower by an additional 65 for brief bursts and creating a distinctive, high-pitched whine. Engaging the supercharger, or “blower,” required fully depressing the accelerator pedal to bypass a throttle detent. Mercedes-Benz recommended using this power boost sparingly, for only 25 to 30 seconds at a time, adding to the car’s dramatic and somewhat intimidating presence on the road. The 500K was a symbol of prestige, performance, and advanced engineering.
However, the robust but heavy ladder-frame chassis of the 500K, coupled with its substantial bodywork, demanded even greater power. Mercedes-Benz responded by increasing the engine displacement once more, this time to 5.4 liters. This resulted in the birth of the Mercedes-Benz 540K in 1936.
The Mercedes-Benz 540K boasted a supercharged engine producing 180 horsepower and was manufactured from 1936 to 1938. Visually distinctive, the 540K featured twin exhaust pipes encased in flexible chrome sheaths that exited through the hood sides. This design element not only helped dissipate underhood heat but also enhanced the car’s imposing aesthetic. The engineering of the 540K was remarkably advanced for its time. It incorporated an independent front suspension with unequal-length wishbones and coil springs, while the rear utilized an independent, coil-sprung swing axle. The transmission was a semi-automatic 4-speed, with automated functionality in the top two gears. Oversized, servo-assisted hydraulic drum brakes provided stopping power. The engineering genius behind the 540K was Gustav Rohr, who also contributed to Mercedes-Benz’s Grand Prix racing cars, ensuring that racing technology trickled down to their luxury road vehicles.
The chassis of the Mercedes-Benz 540K served as a canvas for a variety of coachwork styles, ranging from grand limousines and cabriolets to a mere handful of fastback Autobahn-Kuriers, elegant hardtop coupes, and the most coveted of all, the Special Roadsters. Prestigious German coachbuilders like Erdmann & Rossi in Berlin, and French design houses such as Jacques Saoutchik in Paris, vied for commissions from wealthy clientele seeking bespoke bodies for their 540K chassis.
However, it was the in-house coachbuilding subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, Karosserie Sindelfingen, under the design direction of Hermann Ahrens, that created what is considered the ultimate expression of the 540K: the Special Roadster (Spezial-Roadster). This flamboyant design was built to order and embodied the pinnacle of pre-war automotive artistry. Characterized by its imposing veed grille, sweeping fenders with scalloped edges, a dramatically long hood, a snug cabin, a low windshield, and a gracefully tapered tail, the Special Roadster exuded opulence and a touch of baroque extravagance. It was an expensive and exclusive creation, built only for select customers. While approximately 400 Mercedes-Benz 540Ks were produced in total, only around 25 (some sources cite 26) examples of the highly exclusive Special Roadster were completed before World War II brought production to a halt.
Today, the Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster is universally regarded as the zenith of pre-war German automotive design. As the flagship Mercedes-Benz of its era, its construction quality was exceptional, befitting a model that was virtually hand-built in limited numbers. Details such as the mother-of-pearl instrument panel, sumptuous leather upholstery, and twin spotlights flanking the raked windshield conveyed a clear message of speed, power, and exclusivity. While enclosed 540K models could reach speeds of 100 mph on the newly constructed German autobahn, the lighter Special Roadster was capable of nearly 115 mph. Despite its substantial weight of around 5,700 pounds and a length of 17 feet, the advanced suspension provided a relatively smooth ride, although handling was described as ponderous, not akin to a sports car. It was designed for high-speed cruising on the autobahn, not for nimble cornering. Driving a 540K Special Roadster was about making a statement, being seen, admired, and envied. The Special Roadsters were produced in three main variants: a low-door model, the high-door, long-tail version (like the auction car), and a more restrained short-tail variant. Notable owners included Hollywood mogul Jack Warner, the Sultan of Johor, and the infamous Hermann Göring, further cementing its status as a car for the elite.
The ex-Baroness von Krieger Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster, the car sold at Pebble Beach, has a particularly captivating history. After spending World War II in Switzerland, Baroness Gisela von Krieger emigrated to America in 1949, bringing her Special Roadster with her aboard the RMS Queen Mary. She resided in Manhattan but spent summers at the Homestead Inn in Greenwich, CT. Remarkably, the Special Roadster remained in storage at the Homestead Inn for decades. Even after returning to Switzerland in 1958, the Baroness continued to pay storage fees. As the car’s value escalated in the mid-1980s, numerous attempts were made to purchase it. Mercedes-Benz enthusiast George Maley, along with his family, made seven trips to Switzerland over 20 years to try and buy the car. The Daimler-Benz Museum also made an offer. Harold C. Bott, an employee at the Homestead Inn, persistently tried to acquire it. However, Baroness von Krieger consistently refused to sell. Tragically, she lived in poverty in her later years and passed away in 1989, leaving no will, despite owning valuable jewelry and the prized Mercedes-Benz.
Ownership of the von Krieger 540K became a subject of legal dispute. Dr. James Smith, the owner of the Homestead Inn, claimed ownership to settle years of unpaid storage fees. After lengthy transatlantic legal proceedings, the von Krieger heirs were awarded the car. Horst Lautenschlager subsequently purchased it from the estate with plans for restoration. Ultimately, Lee and Joan Herrington acquired the von Krieger Special Roadster after complex negotiations and commissioned Chris Charlton of Classic Car Services in Oxford, ME, to undertake its restoration.
Lee Herrington recounted that the car was in “…remarkable, entirely original condition, although the original black paint was peeling.” He also noted poignant details discovered during the restoration: “In the ashtray, we found cigarette butts with Gisela’s lipstick still on them, and one of her white gloves was under the front seat,” offering a glimpse into the car’s past and its former owner’s life. Painstakingly restored, the von Krieger 540K Special Roadster, accompanied by extensive historical documentation, won the Pre-war Mercedes-Benz Class at the 2004 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It was also featured in “The Allure of the Automobile” exhibitions at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta and the Portland Art Museum. Initially restored in a modern metallic gray, it was later refinished in its original and striking gloss black livery by Chris Charlton and Classic Car Services.
The Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster, particularly the ex-Baroness von Krieger example, represents the pinnacle of automotive collecting. Its record-breaking $11,770,000 sale at Gooding & Company in Pebble Beach was a testament to its unparalleled status. This long-tail 540K Special Roadster embodies all the attributes that collectors seek: extreme rarity, breathtaking beauty, impeccable provenance, a captivating history, famous former ownership, concours-winning restoration, and a fresh repaint in its original color. It simply doesn’t get any better in the world of classic cars. The successful sale was a result of meticulous preparation and promotion by owner Herrington, restorer Charlton, and auctioneer David Gooding. Similar to their approach with another Herrington car, the ex-George Whittell Duesenberg coupe, Gooding created a lavish hardcover book detailing the car’s history, further enhancing its desirability and value. The von Krieger 540K was prominently displayed at the auction entrance, radiating its magnificence. Despite pre-sale rumors of exceeding $15 million, the nearly $12 million result was a resounding success, reflecting the robust collector car market at Monterey Car Week. In 2011, another 1937 long-tail, high-door 540K Special Roadster sold for $9,680,000 at RM Auctions, indicating a strong upward trend in value. While market fluctuations are inevitable, the Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster’s enduring appeal and rarity suggest continued appreciation, solidifying its place as a blue-chip automotive investment and a timeless symbol of pre-war automotive excellence.
