1928 Mercedes-Benz 630K Sports Tourer

Retained by the manufacturer for display and competition purposes; documented in the Mercedes-Benz Order Book and Archives.

Stuttgart physician and accomplished amateur driver who had also used the car as a factory entry prior to formal acquisition; fled Germany in 1933 and drove the vehicle to Finland, where it was damaged in a crash injuring his wife Britta.

A relative of hers, a museum owner, had found the unrepaired car in a forest shed and acquired it with display intentions that were never realised; ownership passed to Pakula at some point thereafter.

Collector from Bad Oeynhausen who negotiated the purchase from Pakula and brought the car back to Germany; oversaw a full mechanical and body restoration during the 1990s using factory photographs for reference.

Intermediary through whom the car was sold following Schaeffer's death.

Commissioned a thorough engine overhaul by specialist Peterheinz Kern of MTK before a planned rally entry; subsequently had the engine repaired after a piston failure during competition.

Entered as factory entry number 76; car was still factory-owned at this point, with Krailsheimer driving on the factory's behalf.

Display appearance at a Düsseldorf exhibition before the Alpine Rally.

First running of the International Alpine Rally, held 12–18 August 1928; Krailsheimer finished behind W R Wittich's 630K, entry number 47.

Participation recorded in the factory Order Book.

Second edition of the event, 7–11 August 1929, covering 2,500 km in five days; Krailsheimer finished behind the two works SSKs of Wilhelm Merck and Georg Kimpel.

Current vendor's entry; a new piston installed during the pre-event overhaul failed during the rally, causing retirement.

Historic regularity event participation following engine repair after the 2006 rally retirement.

Thorough engine overhaul carried out ahead of a planned rally entry. Inspection confirmed the engine was original and had covered limited mileage with minimal wear; all internal components bore matching numbers. Only the pistons and radiator were replaced with new parts.

During the subsequent rally, one of the replacement pistons failed, causing retirement; the engine was repaired afterwards.

Engine repaired following piston failure that caused retirement from the 2006 Safari Challenge Rally.

Following rediscovery in Finland, the car was brought back to Germany and fully rebuilt to original mechanical specification by the new owner with assistance from multiple specialists. Surviving original components — chassis, engine, gearbox, axles, differential, fuel tank, bonnet, doors, and seats — were retained, while the Sindelfingen body was reconstructed using period factory photographs as reference.

Work was carried out over a number of years and completed during the 1990s. Many original body parts survived but not all; reconstruction relied on factory archive photographs numbered 7898 and 7899.