With six feet of hood separating the driver from the front of the Mercedes 500K, there had to be something important under all that elegantly styled sheet metal. In this case, it was a legend - and an enormous engine. The early thirties saw Daimler-Benz begin to design high-speed touring cars, with the 500K one of the proudest accomplishments. The eight-cylinder, 5-liter big-bore engine was supercharged with the 'K' standing for Kompressor, and engaging it rewarded drivers with a distinctive C-note from the 500K's whining blower. The steering was stiff at lower speeds, but one look at the body (there were nine options) made it clear that speed would never be a problem. The car has four-wheel independent suspension, and is capable of hitting over 100 mph in top gear. This car was rebodied from a 540K to a 500K Special Roadster in 2000, and the engine and chassis numbers are matching. | |
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