1941 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A

This Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A was built in July of 1938 and its coachwork was completed in October of 1939. It is a right-hand drive example that was originally built for the British market. With the outbreak of World War II, German cars were not exported to the United Kingdom, so this example was put into storage, unsold throughout 1940. In April of 1941, it was purchased through the Mercedes-Benz dealer in Helsinki, Finland, by Baron Gustaf Wrede who kept the car until after the war. He later sold it through the dealer, Gjestvang, in Stockholm, which passed it on to its next owner, Valdemar Stener, in February 1947. It was traded through dealer Travelli around 1948. Also in 1948, it was exported to the United States.

The next known owner was George Kreissle Sr. and George Kreissle Jr. of Sarasota, Florida, who acquired it around 1954. Over the next several years, the car was given a restoration by George Sr. and his son in their workshop. Its original dark green paint was changed to a lighter gray which it currently wears today. The work was completed in 1959 and over the next several decades, was driven sparingly. In 2004, it was sold to Herbert von Fragstein, who soon passed it on to the current caretaker.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2019