Vehicle Description
1935 Mercedes-Benz 500k Replica It is not a Marlene, a Thorobred
Roadster, or a Heritage Roadster. These are some of the 500 and
540K replicas on the market today. It is not a kit car. It is a
one-off replica based on and using parts from the Classic Factory
500K replica that was built in the mid-1980's. Unlike the other
500K and 540K replicas, the Classic Factory car is much truer to
the original Mercedes design, and is in all respects far superior
to any other replica available today. This is a very sturdy car.
Body parts are bolted on, the same as they were on the original
Mercedes. Some present-day replicar manufacturers choose to form
the entire rear half of their cars and other large panels from one
piece. This not only looks cheap, but it allows them to use thinner
materials, which makes the car less stable. This type of
construction, although more economical, can cause doors to rattle,
windows to not fit properly, convertible top leaks, etc. If you've
ever seen or driven one of these cheap imitations, you'll
understand what I mean. This type of construction may be fine for
toys, but not for real cars. On this car, body parts are made from
hand-laid fiberglass, 1/4' thick or more, depending upon expected
stresses. (The floor and firewall are much heavier) The only
exception to this is the two-piece fully hinged hood, which is made
from aircraft aluminum. The finish is excellent with none of the
orange-peel or texture often seen on fiberglass products of lesser
quality. As with the original Mercedes 500K, many of the trim
pieces are made of cast brass and triple plated
(Copper/nickel/chrome). Origin of this Car: The Classic Factory,
was founded by Mr. H. T. Price. He saw an original Mercedes 500K.
During the 1980's the Classic Factory sold about 60 turnkey
500Kreplicas for $58,000 each. (That equals $208,918 in 2022) Be
assured that this is a quality car, not to be compared with kit
cars or cheap replicas. Production of this fine car ceased after
Mr. Price passed away in the late 1980's. The rights and tooling
for the 500K were sold to Heritage Motorcars (Miami, FL) who
redesigned the car in order to reduce cost (with predictable
results!). Parts for the original H.T. Price car are still
available from the Classic Factory.As an improvement over the
already superb Classic Factory car, this one has many original
Mercedes parts. Most of the interior is Mercedes, including the
seats, steering column and wheel, carpeting, dashboard knobs and
switches, clock, rear-view mirror, and door panel parts. The wiring
harness is also Mercedes, as are the grille screen and emblem,
along with other trim parts. Specifications: The car sits on a
mid-70's full-sized Ford chassis, which closely matches the
original Mercedes 500Kwheelbase. Although the Classic Factory car
used Ford mechanicals, this one has GM power - - a 325 horsepower
350CID V-8 with aluminum heads, oversize valves, performance
camshaft, etc. The automatic transmission is a 3-speed GM Turbo
Hydramatic with some performance modifications, including a 1900
RPM stall speed torque converter. There are no 'junk yard parts on
this car. Stainless steel fasteners were used almost exclusively in
the construction of the car. In those cases where stainless was not
available, brass or other non-rusting material was used and the
exhaust system is also stainless. In short, the built-in longevity
of the car matches its timeless styling. Other modern amenities and
creature comforts are included such as power steering and brakes,
air conditioning (charged with environmentally friendly R134), and
a high-quality Blaupunkt AM/FM/CD stereo with front and rear
speakers. For security reasons, and to maintain original pearance,
the radio and the antenna are not visible from the outside of the
car. The dashboard, center console, and window sills are burl
walnut, the leather is Connolly, (as used in Rolls-Royce). All
woodwork is finished in a modern polyester material which contains
a UV filte
