It is widely believed that Mercedes-Benz only produced slightly more than 400 units of its 540K model back in the distant 1930s. An example assembled in 1938 is now heading to an RM Sotheby’s auction in late January, expected to win between $1,750,000 and $2,250,000 despite no longer having its factory bodywork.
The original 540K came in a variety of body styles and wheelbases to choose from, ranging from topless cabriolets to sealed armored vehicles. This particular example was delivered as a four-seater convertible powered by a 5.4-liter inline eight-cylinder engine (I8). Assisted by a mechanical supercharger, the engine pumped out a cool 180 PS (178 hp / 132 kW). Its non-supercharged output was also rather impressive for the era at 115 PS (113 hp / 86 kW).
Unfortunately, the bodywork has rotten away throughout the years. A restorer from the United States bought out the car in lamentable condition and fabricated an all-new body for it, essentially turning the convertible into a roadster. The goal was to make the old-timer look like the much more exotic 540K Special Roadster modification, out of which only a dozen or so units are said to survive to this day. The large-scale restoration has taken five years to complete.
Once fully restored with the new body, the car once again went under the hammer, fetching $1,870,000 in 2015. Its current owner and seller had it upgraded with modern power steering and did some further maintenance on the engine, apparently because he drove it on the roads every now and then.