The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering : Best of Show

For eighteen years, The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering has provided an exclusive experience for motorsports enthusiasts from around the world to enjoy rare collections of fine automobiles and motorcycles in a garden-party setting on the rolling greens of Quail Lodge & Golf Club.

This year's celebrated themes included 'Cars of Curiosity,' '50th Anniversary of the Alfa Romeo Montreal,' and 'Automotive Couture, French Cars Featuring the 50th Anniversary of the Citroën SM.'

The 'Best of Show' honor was bestowed upon a 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster owned by K. Heinz Keller. It wears Sindelfinger Karosserie Coachwork and was considered one of the fastest production cars of its era. The 5401cc straight-eight engine was the ultimate production version of the supercharged 'Kompressor' line that had begun with the 380K in 1932. Developed by the new chief engineer of Mercedes-Benz, former racing driver Max Sailer, the 540 K succeeded the outwardly similar 500 K in 1936, and some 447 were built before production ended in 1939.

The Mercedes-Benz 540K was perfectly suited for the network of high-speed Autobahns that were spreading across Germany in the 1930s. With its all-round independent suspension by swing axles and an unusual gear shift, with direct-drive top semi-automatically engaged, the 540 K represented the pinnacle in automotive engineering in its day. The Mercedes-Benz-derived supercharger was a unique 'at will' supercharger derived from the company's experience in aero engine design, enabling World War One German aircraft to gain a performance advantage by boosting engine power at altitude. The 540K's supercharger was only clutched in at full throttle, endowing the 540 K with a short power boost for overtaking.

Over the past eighteen years, The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering has become a prominent component of 'Monterey Car Week.' After such a difficult year for the entire world, The Quail returned with an outstanding array of vintage and modern automobiles and several worldwide debuts.

Photo credit: Dan Vaughan
posted on conceptcarz.com

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