1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet C

The Mercedes-Benz 540K, introduced at the Paris Salon in October of 1936, was a road-going vehicle capable of 100 mph. They were built upon the success of the earlier S-Type and 500 K models. Power was sourced from a 5.4-liter supercharged straight-eight engine, a configuration inspired by the Grand Prix Silver Arrows. The Roots supercharger was engaged manually or when the driver floored the throttle. With the compressor engaged, the alternative atmospheric intake to the carburetor was closed, and power was boosted from 115 bhp to 180 bhp. Along with the supercharger, the 540K had servo-assisted hydraulic brakes, an independent suspension, and a four-speed gearbox with a direct top gear. Most Mercedes wore coachwork assembled in Stuttgart, at the Sindelfingen works. Many different chassis and body styles were offered, including four different cabriolet designs.

The Cabriolet C body style was elegant, with two large doors, sweeping fenders, and accommodation for five occupants. In total, just 419 examples of the 540 K were produced, with 97 of those in 1936. Of the 32 Cabriolet Cs built, it is believed that six to eight were finished with a 'steep rear,' or sloped back.

This particular example, chassis number 154062, was delivered new under production order number 233717 on October 26th of 1936, to Souheur & Chappuis, the Mercedes-Benz dealer in Brussels. A British individual acquired it in January of 1937.

The car's early history is not fully known, but by the early 1970s, it was owned by the Specialty Cars Store Inc., of Warrendale, PA. It was acquired in January of 1975 by Margaret B. Cowan, of Colorado Springs, Colorado. By the early 1980s, it had become part of the Imperial Palace Collection in Las Vegas. Shortly thereafter, it came into the care of a private collection in Japan.
In the early 2000s, the car returned to the United States and into the care of Cave Creek Classics of Cave Creek, Arizona. The current owner acquired it from the Cave Creek Classics.

In 2016, the car was offered for sale at Gooding & Company's auction held in Pebble Beach, CA where it had an estimated value of $1.2 -$1.4 million. As bidding came to a close, it had been sold for $1,072,500 including buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2016

With six feet of hood separating the driver from the front of the Mercedes 540K, 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, culminating in 1936 in the construction of the 540K. The eight-cylinder, 5.4-liter, big-bore engine was supercharged - the 'K' designation stands for Kompressor - and engaging; it rewarded drivers with a distinctive note from the 540K's whinnying blower. The steering was stiff at lower speeds, but one look at the hody (there were nine options from which to choose) made it clear that speed would never be a problem. The car was one of the first to employ four-wheel independent suspension. The transmission is an unsynchronized four-speed manual; the car has a top speed of 105 mph. This example was found in Japan and brought to the United States in 2004, where it was completely restored to its original condition.