1938 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Lancefield Cabriolet
- Engine
- Supercharged straight-eight
- Colour
- Deep maroon with black, maroon leather interior
A right-hand-drive Mercedes-Benz 540 K chassis (number 169317), ordered in February 1938 and bodied by Lancefield Coachworks of London with that firm's distinctive disappearing hood mechanism. It is the sole known Lancefield-bodied example on a 540 K, one of only around nine British-coachbuilt 540 Ks. Documented from new through American ownership from at least 1961, the car retains its original engine, firewall identification plates, and much of its wooden interior trim.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$1,050,000
- 1938-02-01 →Factory deliveryMr. Grey-Cheapefull documentation
Original purchaser who ordered the chassis directly; family photographs from this period survive and are included in the documentation file.
- 1961 →Acquisition unknownJohn H. Possehlpartial documentation
Pennsylvania-based owner who held the car for roughly two decades after it arrived in the United States; during his tenure the car was repainted green, traces of which remain under the door cappings.
- → 1988Acquisition unknownMark J. Smithpartial documentation
Acquired the car from Possehl; photographs from his ownership document the green repaint but otherwise highly original condition. The car was offered for sale in 1988.
- Date unknownPrivate saleCurrent long-term collectionpartial documentation
Acquired shortly after the 1988 sale; a maroon and black respray with matching leather interior was carried out during the late 1980s or early 1990s under this ownership.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Bodywork
Car was resprayed in green at some point during American ownership, while the mechanical and trim components remained largely untouched.
Traces of this green finish are still visible on the undersides of the door cappings beneath the later restoration.
- —Restoration
Largely cosmetic refurbishment completed in the late 1980s or early 1990s, refinishing the car in deep maroon over black with a matching maroon leather interior. Original mechanical components, wood trim, and identification plates were retained throughout.
Carried out under current-collection ownership; the prose characterises the scope as primarily cosmetic given how original the car already was.
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