To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Essen event, 24 - 27 June
2020.
- Sold new to Yashwant Rao Holkar II, the 14th Maharaja of
Indore
- One of 83 Cabriolet A examples built on the 540 K platform
- Comprehensive four-year refurbishment by RM Auto Restorations
completed in 2002
- Class awardee at the 2002 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and
Best-of-Show winner at the 2003 Meadowbrook Concours
d'Elegance
- Well maintained by five world-class collectors dating to
1978
Very few collectable automobiles are afforded the degree of
sustained veneration that has been bestowed upon Mercedes-Benz
pre-war supercharged touring cars, of which the 540 K is perhaps
the quintessential model. The 540 K was a development of Hans
Nibel's 380 model, which employed a novel inline eight-cylinder
engine that was soon fitted with a Roots supercharger, elevating
the car's horsepower and corresponding performance. This celebrated
engine was subsequently enlarged to a 5.0-litre variant for the 500
K model, and by 1936 it was further bored to 5.4 litres for the
preeminent 540 K, which became a favourite amongst royals, heads of
state, and the fabulously wealthy. Usually clothed with elegant
coachwork in one of 13 different body styles by the factory's
prestigious Sindelfingen factory (including five cabriolet
variants), the 540 K was built in a modest quantity of 419
examples, and to this day it remains a potent signifier of the
era's finest combination of aesthetics and performance.
This exquisite example benefits from important ownership provenance
and a relatively recent restoration by RM Auto Restoration to
award-winning standards. Chassis no. 154081 was one of roughly 30
"longtail" 540 K examples finished in the Cabriolet A body style
with a rear-mounted spare tyre. Completed in July 1937, the
Mercedes-Benz was delivered new to Yashwant Rao Holkar II, the 14th
Maharaja of Indore. The maharajas of India were often fervent
collectors of the day's most luxurious premium automobiles, and
Yashwant Rao Holkar II was no exception, owning a host of top-shelf
motor cars painted in his dynasty's royal colours of sunglow
saffron and black. His impressive collection included models from
Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Bugatti, Delahaye, Duesenberg, Lagonda, and
Pierce-Arrow, a cross section of the finest cars built in
continental Europe, England, and the United States.
It is believed that the Maharaja drove the supercharged
Mercedes-Benz sparingly, and by the early 1970s, the car had left
his ownership and passed into the possession of Christopher Renwick
in the UK. Displaying minimal use before being domiciled for many
years, the Cabriolet A was exported to England and underwent a
basic recommissioning, as it was intended to be used on the road
before being sold to a noted marque collector in Germany, who
retained possession for two decades. In 1998 the Mercedes-Benz was
acquired by the respected American collector James Patterson,
having undergone one mild restoration, and displaying 17,000 miles
and almost comprehensive retention of its original equipment.
Chassis number 154081 was immediately entrusted to RM Auto
Restoration for a complete no-expense-spared refurbishment that
took four years to complete at a cost of over US$500,000. In
addition to a mechanical rebuild, the original burled-walnut
interior trim (including an ornate dash panel with mother-of-pearl
inlay) was sympathetically revarnished, the interior was
reappointed with tan leather hides and blue carpeting, the
brightwork was re-chromed, and the beautiful Sindelfingen coachwork
was refinished in a deep shade of midnight blue paint and
complemented with a blue canvas top. Almost every original factory
component remained available to accordingly restore with the
exception of the rear spare wheel cover, which was fabricated new
in the original style.
After completing restoration by mid-2002, the elegant 540 K debuted
on the show circuit at the 2002 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance,
winning a class award. A year later the car was presented at the
Meadowbrook Concours d'Elegance to overwhelming acclaim, garnering
the David Holls Memorial Designers Choice Award, the Most
Significant Mercedes-Benz award, and the Founders Trophy for Best
of Show. From 2011 to 2019, the Mercedes-Benz passed through three
other world-class collections while being fastidiously maintained
and occasionally presented at premium events. Most recently, the
Cabriolet A was displayed at the 2019 Riyadh Concours
d'Elegance.
This fabulously restored Mercedes-Benz offers a rare opportunity to
acquire an important example of Stuttgart's most celebrated pre-war
supercharged model and a beautiful exemplar of the famed maharaja
motor cars of British India. It would make an exquisite addition to
any gathering of important Mercedes-Benz models, ideal for
presentation at premium concours d'elegance and motoring events or
enjoyment within the confines of private collections.
- Erstauslieferung an Yashwant Rao Holkar II., den 14.
Maharadscha von Indore
- Eines von nur 83 Modellen des Cabriolet A auf der 540 K
Plattform
- Umfangreiche vierj�hrige Restaurierung bei RM Auto Restoration,
abgeschlossen 2002
- Klassensieger Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2002
- Sieger "Best of Show" Meadowbrook Concours d'Eelegance
2003
- Sehr gute Pflege in f�nf Sammlungen der Weltklasse von 1978 bis
heute
Nur wenigen Automobilen wird eine solche Verehrung zuteil, wie sie
die kompressor-geladenen Vorkriegstourer von Mercedes-Benz
erfahren. Der 540 K, der so etwas wie die Vormachtstellung unter
diesen besonderen Mercedes-Modellen einnimmt, ist eine
Weiterentwicklung von Hans Nibels 380. Dessen neuer
Reihenachtzylinder wurde schon fr�h mit einem Roots-Supercharger
auf die Spr�nge geholfen, mit dem Ergebnis, dass Motorleistung und
Fahrleistungen entsprechend anstiegen. Dieser gefeierte Motor wurde
f�r den 500 K zun�chst auf f�nf Liter Hubraum vergr��ert, und 1936
schlussendlich auf 5,4 Liter aufgebohrt. Der neue 540 K war das
Auto der Wahl f�r Adel, Staatschefs und Superreiche der damaligen
Zeit, und wurde in der Regel in einer von 13 zur Auswahl stehenden
Karosserievarianten der Fabrik Sindelfingen (darunter f�nf
Cabriolet-Varianten) bestellt. Insgesamt nur 419 solcher Exemplare
entstanden, was ihn damals wie heute zum Sinnbild der Verbindung
aus �sthetik und Fahrleistungen machte.
F�r dieses fantastische Exemplar sprechen eine besonders illustre
Besitzergeschichte sowie eine Restaurierung nach den h�chsten
Ma�st�ben bei RM Auto Restoration. Chassis 154081 ist eines von
gesch�tzt 30 �Langheck" 540 K Cabriolet A Modellen mit im Heck
angebrachten Reserverad. Der erste Besitzer dieses im Juli 1937
gefertigten Wagens war Yashwant Rao Holkar II., der 14. Maharadscha
von Indore. Oft waren die indischen Maharadschas eifrige Sammler
der luxuri�sesten Automobile jener Zeit. Yashwant Rao Holkar II.
machte da keine Ausnahme, war er doch Herr �ber eine ganze Flotte
edelster Automobile von Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Bugatti, Delahaye,
Duesenberg, Lagonda oder Pierce-Arrow, alle in den k�niglichen
Farben saffrangelb und schwarz.
Es wird vermutet, dass der Maharadscha den aufgeladenen
Mercedes-Benz nur wenig genutzt hat. Anfang der 70er Jahre ging der
Wagen dann nach Gro�britannien in den Besitz von Christopher
Renwick. Der vor dem Export nach England nur wenig gefahrene 540 K
wurde nach seiner Ankunft in Europa f�r den Stra�eneinsatz
grund�berholt. Anschlie�end ging er an einen namhaften Sammler nach
Deutschland, der den Wagen zwei Jahrzehnte lang behielt. 1998
erstand...for more information please contact the seller.
