Mercedes-Benz: sculpture in bright red 🎥
PUBLIC LOVE At the Mercedes-Benz Museum, the classic 500 K Special Roadster is a magnet for visitors. The car, equipped with a supercharged engine and advanced chassis, was presented in Berlin 90 years ago.
The Mercedes-Benz Museum's Close-up series is a program. Each episode tells surprising and enigmatic stories. It focuses on the details of a vehicle, an exhibit or a design element. Now the Mercedes-Benz 500 K Special Roadster (W 29) in the Mythos 3 room takes center stage.
Technology and elegant design
The 500 K Special Roadster is a superstar in the museum. It is an extraordinary automotive sculpture whose elegance from the 1930s radiates right up to the present day. The best technology, elegant design and luxurious equipment come together here. Anyone approaching the red vehicle will be captivated by its grandeur.
The 500 K celebrated its premiere at the International Automobile and Motorcycle Exhibition (IAMA) in Berlin from March 8 to 18, 1934, where the luxury car was presented as a spectacular "freeway courier". The special roadster (see video) cost 28,000 Reichsmarks. That was an exorbitant amount, for which you could even buy a detached house in a prime location at the time.
Flair of the Roaring Twenties
Celebrities from the worlds of culture, show business, business and politics buy the 500 K. The great effort that went into building the special roadster still amazes us today. The bodywork with the large, elegantly curved fenders and the meter-long hood was designed by stylist Friedrich Geiger, who would of course be called a designer today. He lent the vehicle the flair of the Roaring Twenties, which were famous for their exuberant lifestyle.
Supercharged engine with 160 hp
The 500 K's M 29 supercharged engine produces 100 hp, or even 160 hp with the supercharger switched on. The two-bladed Roots blower located in front of the carburetor is activated by moving the accelerator pedal beyond the full throttle position. This is followed by the distinctive roar of the supercharger and the immediate increase in power. The chassis of the 500 K includes the trapezoidal-link front axle and swing axle at the rear. The 500 K was already rare in the 1930s. Only 342 of all body variants were produced between 1934 and 1936.
