1929 Mercedes-Benz 710 SSK Roadster
- Engine
- 7.1L supercharged straight-six
- Colour
- Black over black leather
The Mercedes-Benz 710 SSK (chassis 36040), bodied at the Sindelfingen works and completed in 1929, is powered by a 7.1-litre supercharged straight-six on a shortened Model S platform developed by Ferdinand Porsche. Its first owner, Dr Eugen Winter of Chemnitz, campaigned it actively in German hill climbs and circuit races, including a fifth-place finish at the 1931 Eifelrennen. The car subsequently passed through American ownership across several decades before returning to Europe, where restoration work and FIA identity papers prepared it for renewed historic participation including the 1995 Mille Miglia Storica.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold €1,580,000 (≈ $1.74M)
- 1929 → 1933Factory deliveryDr. Eugen Winterpartial documentation
Based in Chemnitz, Germany; actively campaigned the vehicle in hill climbs, touring events, and races before emigrating to the United States.
- 1939 → 1950Acquisition unknownCharles Zumbachpartial documentation
Resident of New York City; the vehicle's whereabouts between 1933 and 1939 are unaccounted for.
- 1950 → 1955Private saleConnecticut brewery ownerpartial documentation
Anonymous owner based in Connecticut; the car remained in that state during this period.
- 1955 → 1979Acquisition unknownEdward Tragerpartial documentation
Kept the vehicle in Chicago over a lengthy period of custodianship.
- 1979 →Private saleSkip Bergpartial documentation
Based in Tiburon, California; bodywork restoration is believed to have taken place around 1983 during this ownership.
- → 1994-12-01Acquisition unknownUnidentified intermediate ownernone documentation
Brief tenure between Berg and the Aumann Collection; no further details provided.
- 1994-12-01 →Private saleAumann Collectionfull documentation
Acquired for 565,000 Deutsche Mark; commissioned further restoration by MTK Automobile of Großmaischeid beginning February 1995, and subsequently entered the vehicle in the 1995 Mille Miglia Storica.
Competition
- 1928-07-011928 Gabelbach Hill ClimbDriver: Rudolf CaracciolaCourse record broken
Competitive debut for the SSK model; this was not chassis 36040 but is cited as context for the model's racing pedigree.
- 19311931 EifelrennenDriver: Dr. Eugen Winter5th overall
Caracciola won the event in a sister SSK; Winter also recorded multiple national-level victories during his ownership.
- 19951995 Mille Miglia Storica
Participated under the Aumann Collection following restoration work; photographic documentation of the event is included in the history file.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1983Bodywork
The coachwork is believed to have been restored around this time, though details of the scope and workshop are not recorded.
Attributed to the period of Skip Berg's ownership; described as believed rather than confirmed.
- 1995RestorationMTK Automobile
Further restoration work was undertaken the month after acquisition by the Aumann Collection, covering unspecified aspects of the car's preparation.
Commissioned in February 1995 by the Aumann Collection; photographic documentation of the work is retained in the history file. The chassis is believed to have been replaced at some point.
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