The Mercedes-Benz 500K is a grand touring car built by Mercedes-Benz between 1934 and 1936. First exhibited at the 1934 Berlin Motor Show, it carried the factorydesignation W29. Distinguished from the 500sedan by the "K" for Kompressor, only fitted to these performance cars, it succeeded the Mercedes-Benz 380 introduced just the previous year. It offered both a larger, more powerful engine and more opulent coachwork to meet customers' demands for greater luxury and performance.
Specifications
The 500K used the same independent suspension as had been introduced on the 380, with a double wishbonefront axle, double-joint swing axle at the rear, and separate wheel location, coil springs and damping, a world first. Consequently, it was a more comfortable and better handling car than Mercedes' previous S/SS/SSKgeneration of roadsters from the 1920s, and offered greater appeal to buyers, particularly the growing number of well-heeled female drivers of the time. Pressing the throttle pedal fully engaged the Rootssupercharger, inducing the five litrestraight-eight engine to produce up to and making the car capable of over, while consuming fuel at the rate of up to as it did so. Three different chassis and eight bodies were available for customers; the two longer "B" and "C" four-seat cabriolet versions rode on a wheelbase of, and would later be used on other sedan and touring car models. The short "A" chassis, with a wheelbase, underpinned the two-seater models: the MotorwayCourier, and the 1936 Special Roadster which offered the highest performance. All models featured such advanced equipment as safety glass, hydraulic brakes, and a 12-volt electrical system sufficient to bear the load of the electric windscreen wipers, door locks, and indicators.
Production figures
Of the combined production of the 500K, including 29 "Special Roadsters" during its two years in production, and the later 540K from Sindelfingen, the deliveries were:
70 chassis without body
28 open cars
23 sedans with 4 doors
29 sedans with 2 doors
12 Coupés
6 Autobahn cruisers
58 Roadsters
116 Cabriolets A
296 Cabriolets B
122 Cabriolets C
Current value
Today, the cars remain highly prized for their heritage and scarcity. When the car collection of Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone was auctioned in October 2007, it included five pre-war Mercedes cars, and his 500K Special Cabriolet fetched almost £700,000.
