1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K

The road leading to the 540K included the 3.8-liter Mercedes-Benz 380 of 1932, having both the appearance and the supercharger ('K' represented Kompressor). Instrumental in development was Dr. Hans Nibel, who served as chief engineer for Benz prior to the merger with Daimler and who succeeded Ferdinand Porsche on his departure in January 1929. Prior to World War I, Nibel had worked on the Blitzen Benz racers.

The Mercedes-Benz 380
The 380 was introduced at the 1932 Berlin Motor Show and remained in production through 1934. It rode on a 124-inch wheelbase chassis with large side members and was powered by a 3,820cc inline eight-cylinder engine with or without a 'Kompressor.' The engine was cast as a monobloc, with head and block together. With it installed, it produced around 118 horsepower and 138 hp when the supercharger was active. It was the first Mercedes-Benz to receive an independent suspension setup, with a double-joint swing axle at the rear with double coil springs, and unequal-length wishbones with coil springs at the front. Hans Wagner assisted with the development of the suspension. The four-speed manual gearbox had synchromesh on the top two ratios and the four-wheel brakes were operated via a hydraulic control mechanism.

The Mercedes-Benz 500
As coachwork became heavier, Mercedes-Benz quickly responded with the 500 K at the 1933 Berlin Motor Show. The engine had grown to five liters and output to 160 bhp. The short-wheelbase platform measured 117.3 inches and the long-wheelbase version at 129.5 inches. A total of 342 cars were built before the introduction of the 5.4-liter 540K in 1936.

The contributions Dr. Nibel made to the 500K would be his last, as he died of a stroke in 1934. Beyond enhancing the mechanical sophistication of the Mercedes-Benz, Dr. Nibel was instrumental in establishing the Mercedes-Benz in-house coachworks, which would become known simply as 'Sindelfingen', for the town in Germany. With the arrival of the 500 K, the appearance had been established, with its classic V-shaped grille positioned back from the front bumper, flanked by spotlights and trumpet horns. The supercharger was concealed under the bonnet but its presence was announced via the twin exhaust pipes that projected from the side of the hood. With the engine placed back in the bay, almost in a mid-location position, the cockpit was moved back near the rear wheels.

Proving its potential in motorsports, the 500 K competed in the 1934 Deutschland Fahrt (Tour of Germany) where it (they: both factory and private 500K entries) dominated the field of 190 cars over the 1,364-mile course.

The Mercedes-Benz 540
The 540K was similar in many regards to the 500K, but with a larger engine displacement and greater output. In naturally aspirated form, the engine produced 115 horsepower. When the Roots supercharger was engaged, power rose to 180 hp. The engine was fed via twin pressurized updraft carburetors and paired with a four-speed or optional five-speed manual gearbox that featured synchromesh on the top three gears. Wheelbase sizes continued to measure 117.3 inches for the short platform, 129.5 inches for the 'Normal,' and 152.8 inches for the 'Special' allowing the coachbuilders at Sindelfingen the ability to create even longer and more elegant bodies. Using information gained from the Silver Arrow racing program, the chassis was significantly lightened by replacing the girder-like frame of the 500K with oval-section tubes. At all four corners were vacuum-assisted hydraulic brakes.

Around 419 examples of the 540K chassis were produced before production ended in 1940. Of those, most were bodied by Sindelfingen and 70 examples wore independent coachwork. Eleven factory-cataloged body styles were available from Sindelfingen. Sindelfingen built a variety of Cabriolet bodies, designated 'A' through 'D,' a handful of special bodies were also built.

The touring cars, saloons, four-seater cabriolets, the 'B' (with four side windows) and 'C' (with two side windows) all rested on the 'Normal' platform. The two-seater cabriolet 'A' used a short wheelbase (SWB). The radiator on the 'Normal' sat in front axle while the 'SWB' had its radiator, engine, and cockpit moved rearward by 7.3 inches from the front axle.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2019