There’s something alluring about classic cars, a certain character, that simply isn’t found in most modern cars. This is what drives classic car collectors and enthusiasts to pour money and effort into rebuilding and restoring great classics, and is also the basis for Concours shows and the like. One particularly big show is the Retro Classic Stuttgart week, which is said to be the largest annual exhibition of classic cars in Southern Germany. But also returning this year is the Bonhams single-marque Mercedes-Benz sale, slated for the 28th of March, in conjunction with the Retro Classics Stuttgart show.
A spectacular 1938 540 K Cabriolet (complete with covered spare wheel) heads the sale. The Mercedes-Benz auction is the first time the 540 K has been publicly offered, available at an estimated €2,000,000-2,500,000 (£1,500,000-1,900,000). Restored to Concours condition, the two-seater 540 K is a significantly lighter variant of the original 500 K design. Developed in the mid-1930s, it was one of the most impressive cars available at the time, and today remains distinctly rare.
Also confirmed for the auction is a 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster, estimated at €900,000-1,200,000 (£700,000-940,000). This excellent example was previously owned by German industrialist, Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach (1907-1967) of the Krupp dynasty, and has been in current ownership since 1980, and at its peak was the fastest production Mercedes around.
Held in the Mercedes-Benz Museum, Bonhams auction will showcase a variety of some 40 classic motor cars from across the German marque’s century long history. Last year’s sale alone achieved a total of £9.4 million (€12 million), and they hope to achieve similar success for this year’s auction. The Mercedes-Benz Museum charts the entire history of the world’s oldest car manufacturer. A total of 1,500 unique exhibits are featured in the museum, including 160 vehicles.
