1935 Mercedes-Benz 500K Normal Roadster

This Normal Roadster is one of few bearing this unique body style on the 500 K chassis. Originally delivered to W.H. Beaumont, a tea purveyor in Ceylon, the roadster remained with the family until it arrived in the United Kingdom in 1956. It was then acquired by Helen Lee Kennard, an enthusiast who drove this car along with her Mercedes-Benz SS and SSK, in various vintage racing events. During her ownership the car was prominently featured in a 1968 episode of The Avengers, driven by actor Ian Ogilvy. Lee Kennard had maintained the car for over two decades when it came stateside and attended the 1987 Pebble Beach Concours, receiving the first Mercedes-Benz Trophy. Restored with preservation first and foremost, this 500K still exhibits the original floorboard stamps.

The Stuttgart firm built both a Normal Roadster and a Special Roadster, with the Special wearing curvaceous body lines and the Normal Roadster being taut, with a slightly higher beltline that traveled up and around a rounded rear deck. The fabric top could be folded flush with the body for open-top motoring. Of the two, the Special Roadster was built in higher quantities, making the Normal Roadster even more exclusive and it was only built atop the 500 K chassis. Only five Normal Roadsters remain in modern times.

This particular 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Normal Roadster by Sindelfingen was ordered under Kommission number 205281 and may have originally been delivered to Colombo, the capital of Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka). Other sources state it was delivered to a Mr. Beaumont of London. Or perhaps, a combination of the two as the British-based Beaumont Tea Company (later known as the Beaumont Group) was major forces in Ceylonese tea production for many years. The order may have been placed through the British Mercedes-Benz agency for delivery to Colombo.

Around the mid-1950s, the car was imported to Great Britain and it was registered 'NTR164,' a number that it retained for much of its life. In 1956, Helen Lee Kennard became the car's next custodian. In 1968, it was used in an episode of the British television series, The Avengers, 'They Keep Killing Steed,' in which it was driven by guest star Ian Ogilvy.

The Mercedes-Benz remained with Lee Kennard (as she was known) for over two decades. In July of 1976, it was offered for sale at a British auction and was later exported to the United States. Following a restoration where it was refinished in bright scarlet, it appeared at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 1987, shown by Frank Cherry, and was the very first recipient of the Mercedes-Benz Trophy.

The Mercedes-Benz was later acquired by its current caretaker. Its well-preserved restoration has a dark maroon leather interior, a mother-of-pearl dashboard, clear instruments, and is powered by its original engine.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2022