It is the tenth win for Mercedes-Benz since the start of the Concours d’Elegance in 1950
22 August 2023 - 12:09
byDenis Droppa
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The current owner paid $9.9m (R187m) for the car in 2002.
Picture: SUPPLIED
A Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster (W29 series) won the prestigious Best of Show title at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2023 on Sunday.
The supercharged luxury sports car beat a top-class field of exclusive classic cars in the jury vote at the final event of Pebble Beach Automotive Week, the prestigious annual motoring event that took place from August 17-20.
The 85-year-old car, with only 21,000km on the odometer, is owned by Jim Patterson from Louisville, Kentucky. The victory is the tenth Best of Show title for a Mercedes-Benz since the start of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1950, making it the most successful brand in the history of this crowning event in the classic-car calendar.
The 85-year-old car has only 21,000km on the odometer.
Picture: SUPPLIED
The 540 K Special Roadster was originally ordered in May 1937 for Mohammed Zahir Shah, King of Afghanistan, and delivered in September of the same year. It has had just five ownership changes in seven decades, with the current owner having purchased the vehicle at the 2002 Pebble Beach Automotive Week for $9.9m (R187m).
The car, powered by a supercharged eight-cylinder engine, was brought back to its original showroom condition by RM Auto Restoration in close co-operation with the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center.
The Untertürkheim plant in Germany produced 760 chassis for the 500 K and 540 K models of the W29 series between February 1934 and November 1939. Nine body variants were available and about 60 units of the variants with roadster bodywork were produced.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
CLASSICS
Benz 540 K crowned Best of Show at Pebble Beach
It is the tenth win for Mercedes-Benz since the start of the Concours d’Elegance in 1950
A Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster (W29 series) won the prestigious Best of Show title at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2023 on Sunday.
The supercharged luxury sports car beat a top-class field of exclusive classic cars in the jury vote at the final event of Pebble Beach Automotive Week, the prestigious annual motoring event that took place from August 17-20.
The 85-year-old car, with only 21,000km on the odometer, is owned by Jim Patterson from Louisville, Kentucky. The victory is the tenth Best of Show title for a Mercedes-Benz since the start of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1950, making it the most successful brand in the history of this crowning event in the classic-car calendar.
The 540 K Special Roadster was originally ordered in May 1937 for Mohammed Zahir Shah, King of Afghanistan, and delivered in September of the same year. It has had just five ownership changes in seven decades, with the current owner having purchased the vehicle at the 2002 Pebble Beach Automotive Week for $9.9m (R187m).
The car, powered by a supercharged eight-cylinder engine, was brought back to its original showroom condition by RM Auto Restoration in close co-operation with the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center.
The Untertürkheim plant in Germany produced 760 chassis for the 500 K and 540 K models of the W29 series between February 1934 and November 1939. Nine body variants were available and about 60 units of the variants with roadster bodywork were produced.
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