1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Three-Position Roadster (Windovers coachwork)
- Engine
- Supercharged straight-eight
- Colour
- Black over black (previously red and black)
A 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K chassis (no. 123699) carrying a unique Three-Position Roadster body by British coachbuilder Windovers, one of only two similar bodies they fitted to the 500 K platform. Ordered originally by William 'Willie' Rhodes-Moorhouse — Olympic skier and RAF Battle of Britain hero — the car features sweeping pontoon fenders, a tapered tail, and an ingenious folding roof design. With its original engine intact and a documented chain of ownership, it is regarded as among the most distinctive of all surviving supercharged Mercedes-Benz automobiles.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$1,600,000
- 1936 →Factory deliveryWilliam 'Willie' Henry Rhodes-Moorhousepartial documentation
Car initially registered in London in December 1935; Rhodes-Moorhouse took delivery the following month. He was killed in aerial combat during the Battle of Britain in 1940, so ownership presumably ended around that time.
- 1949-11-01 → 1957-12-01Private saleDr. E.F. Robertspartial documentation
Third owner, based in Chiswick; the car was advertised on his behalf by a well-known dealership during the mid-1950s and sold in December 1957, reportedly still carrying the original registration.
- → 2006Acquisition unknownUK-based significant collectionnone documentation
Car formed part of a notable UK collection for approximately a decade before being sold to the current owner in 2006.
- 2006 →Private saleCurrent owner — Full Classics collectorpartial documentation
A dedicated long-term collector specialising in rare custom-bodied prewar cars; commissioned an extensive cosmetic refurbishment by RM Auto Restoration covering paint, interior, and hood after acquisition.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownF.N. Fosterpartial documentation
Second owner according to records held by the Mercedes-Benz Club UK founder; kept the car in storage throughout the war years, from September 1939 to October 1946.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownCharles Howardpartial documentation
British dealer who acquired the car in a deteriorated state in the early 1970s and oversaw a full restoration in a red and black colour scheme before selling it on.
- Date unknownPrivate saleWerner Lutzkypartial documentation
Austrian glass industry magnate who bought the car from Howard; displayed it in his private museum at Schloss Kremsegg and had it refinished in all-over black toward the end of the 1980s.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownAustrian collectornone documentation
Another Austrian enthusiast who purchased the car in the early 1990s; subsequently the car moved back to the UK as part of a sizeable private collection roughly a decade later.
Competition
- 20072007 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Exhibited by the current owner following completion of the RM Auto Restoration freshening.
- 20082008 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance
Shown at the event in the same year the catalogue was written; the car was also separately invited by the manufacturer to be displayed at their heritage venue at Brooklands.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2006RestorationRM Auto Restoration
Extensive cosmetic freshening encompassing new paintwork, a replacement interior, and a new convertible hood, carried out after the current owner's acquisition.
Work described as remaining in fine condition at the time of cataloguing.
- —Restoration
Full restoration carried out under the supervision of dealer Charles Howard, with the car finished in a red and black colour scheme.
Work undertaken after the car had fallen into disrepair; precise date in the early 1970s not specified.
- —Bodywork
Exterior refinished to an overall black finish during Werner Lutzky's period of ownership.
Carried out in the late 1980s; scope limited to exterior colour change.
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