1934 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Cabriolet A (upgraded to 540 K engine specification)
- Engine
- 5.4L supercharged inline-eight OHV, 115 bhp normally aspirated / 180 bhp with supercharger engaged (upgraded from original 5.0L unit)
Chassis 105384 is one of only 33 examples of the Mercedes-Benz 500 K Cabriolet A, a body style prized for its long sweeping coachwork and kinship with the earlier supercharged six-cylinder racing cars. Originally delivered to Adolf Busch of Hamburg, the car later received a factory-style engine upgrade to 540 K specification, combining the larger 5.4-litre unit with the lighter 500 K chassis. After wartime displacement to France, it was imported to the United States in 1961 and subsequently underwent a comprehensive concours-level restoration around 1999–2001 covering both coachwork and full mechanical overhaul.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$3,025,000
- 1934 → 1938-10-31Factory deliveryAdolf Buschfull documentation
Hamburg-based client who ordered the Cabriolet A body style; departure confirmed by a notation on the kommission paper, a copy of which is retained in the history file.
- 1938-10-31 →Acquisition unknownDr. Gavinpartial documentation
Reportedly a director at Mercedes-Benz; the engine upgrade to 540 K specification is believed to have been carried out during his ownership.
- Date unknownPrivate saleDean Weihepartial documentation
US Air Force captain who acquired the car while it was in France during the late 1950s, imported it to the US in 1961, and undertook a cosmetic restoration completed around 1964; kept the car at his Florida home for roughly three decades before selling in the late 1980s or early 1990s.
- Date unknownPrivate saleFlorida collectorpartial documentation
Florida-based collector who purchased the car from Weihe and subsequently relocated overseas with it; commissioned a full concours restoration by Francois Cointreau starting in 1999, with mechanical work by Riefen-Wagner of Landshut completed between 2000 and 2001.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownCurrent caretakerpartial documentation
Held the car for approximately nine years as part of a pre-war classics collection, maintaining the restored condition and entering it in the 2009 Colorado Grand.
Competition
- 2009Colorado Grand2009 Colorado GrandCompleted successfully
A demanding 1,000-mile mountain-road rally; the car completed the full distance without mechanical issues, serving as a demonstration of the quality of the prior mechanical restoration.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1964Bodywork
Cosmetic restoration undertaken by Dean Weihe, commenced after the car's arrival in the United States in 1961 and substantially completed by approximately 1964.
Contemporary Florida newspaper coverage noted Weihe's debut of the finished car at a local old-car gathering.
- 1999RestorationFrancois Cointreau
Full concours-level coachwork restoration commissioned in France: body separated from chassis, outer skin removed, and original timber framing repaired throughout to restore structural integrity before refinishing.
Photographic documentation of this work is held within the car's history file.
- 2000Engine rebuildRiefen-Wagner
Complete engine overhaul carried out as part of a comprehensive mechanical recommissioning programme covering brakes, chassis, suspension, steering, and fuel systems. A replacement radiator core was also fitted.
Work was conducted between 2000 and 2001 at Riefen-Wagner's facility in Landshut, Germany; receipts are retained in the history file.
- —Modification
Engine upgraded from 500 K specification to 540 K, installing the larger 5.4-litre unit for increased torque and elevated supercharged output. Believed carried out during Dr. Gavin's ownership around the time of the 1938 transfer.
The upgrade is well documented within the car's history and is a recognised feature of this chassis.
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