1941 Mercedes-Benz 540K

The Mercedes-Benz 540K was introduced in 1936 at the Paris Motor Show. It was designed by Friedrich Geiger and an evolution of the 500K, which itself was a development of the SSK. The straight-8 cylinder powering the 500K was enlarged in displacement to 5,401cubic centimeters and offered 115 horsepower in naturally aspirated form. With the help of a Roots supercharger, which could be engaged manually for short periods of time, horsepower rose to 180 hp. The engine was backed by a four-speed or optional five-speed manual gearbox that featured synchromesh on the top three gears. Stopping power was provided by vacuum-assisted hydraulic drums.

The Mercedes-Benz 540K was among the largest and finest cars to ever travel the road. They were built by the finest engineers, craftsmen, and machinists with each example taking approximately 6,000 man-hours to build. They rested on a strong and rigid chassis and introduced coil spring four-wheel independent suspension using parallel wishbones at the front and swing axles at the rear.

The 500 K had been introduced to the public in March of 1934, at the international automobile and motorcycle exhibition in Berlin. Most of the 342 examples received in-house coachwork, which was offered in numerous body styles. The cabriolets and roadsters far outnumbered the closed body styles, a trend that would continue with the introduction of the 540K in 1936.

With the 180 horsepower engine, the 540K was a true 100 mph car. During its production lifespan, no more than 419 examples were built, and all but 29 were given factory Sindelfingen coachwork. 83 examples wore Cabriolet A coachwork.

Three chassis versions were available, including two long versions that had a 130-inch wheelbase, but differed in terms of bodywork and powertrain layout. The short version had a 117-inch wheelbase platform. The long-wheelbase versions included the 'B' (four side windows) and 'C' (two side windows) with body styles consisting of touring cars and saloons. The Cabriolet A rested on the shorter platform.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2019