Hemmings Daily: A numbers-matching, one-off Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster tops RM Sotheby's Arizona sale

1939 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster. Photos by Pawel Litwinski. Ordered by a successful Berlin designer and art retailer in 1939, a Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster carrying chassis number 408383 wasn't driven for long before fuel shortages rendered the car inoperable. Placed into storage, the big Mercedes survived both the war and decades of Soviet occupation intact, and was later driven (or perhaps smuggled) by its then-owner into Sweden in 1967. Last Friday, this one-off classic Mercedes crossed the [View in Browser | Subscribe] [Hemmings Daily] Tuesday, January 24, 2017 [A numbers-matching, one-off Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster tops RM Sotheby's Arizona sale] [A numbers-matching, one-off Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster tops RM Sotheby's Arizona sale] Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster. Photos by Pawel Litwinski. Ordered by a successful Berlin designer and art retailer in 1939, a Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster carrying chassis number 408383 wasn't driven for long before fuel shortages rendered the car inoperable. Placed into storage, the big Mercedes survived both the war and decades of Soviet occupation intact, and was later driven (or perhaps smuggled) by its then-owner into Sweden in 1967. Last Friday, this one-off classic Mercedes crossed the ... [Read More] [Sponsor] [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1991 Volkswagen Golf Country Chrome Synchro 4WD] [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1991 Volkswagen Golf Country Chrome Synchro 4WD] Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: For sale is a 1991 VW Golf Country Chrome SYNCRO 4WD with only 21,049 documented km (13,079 miles). This is an extremely rare and coveted car in itself with only 500 Country Chrome cars ever made. On top of that, this one is equipped with Air Conditioning, Power Windows, and Power Locks, which makes it truly a unicorn. Fully loaded with Huge Power Ragtop Sunroof, Leather Interior, Heated Seat, Programmable Webasto Engine Preheater, etc, etc, etc.. Amazing Condition Throughout. Free, C...[Read More] ["The world's fastest motorcycle," E.J. Potter's 1971 Widowmaker 7, heads to auction in Las Vegas] Posted by Kurt Ernst - Photos courtesy Bonhams. In 1957, 16-year old Elon Jack "E.J." Potter had the crazy, brilliant idea to drop a small-block Chevy V-8 into a motorcycle frame. It took another three years for Potter to build his two-wheeled vision, but the resulting mechanized insanity created both a motorsports career and a lasting identity as the "Michigan Madman." On January 26, the last V-8 drag bike built by Potter, the 1971 Widowmaker 7, crosses the stage as part of Bonhams Los Vegas Motorcycle Auction. Of the seven Che...[Read More] [Sponsor] [A few random observations on "Starsky & Hutch" Season 1] [A few random observations on ] Posted by Thomas A. DeMauro - My friends and I loved to watch Starsky & Hutch when we were kids. Cool plainclothes detectives, David Starsky and Ken Hutchinson, showing their righteous indignation toward the circumstances that surrounded them while apprehending the bad guys in bold fashion made quite an impression. But just as important was the bright-red-with-white-stripe mid-'70s Gran Torino speeding through the city streets. There were probably plenty of kids who were introduced to car chase scenes via Starsky & Hutch. We watched ma...[Read More] [Miami Beach, Florida, 1959] [Miami Beach, Florida, 1959] Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1959 Location: Miami Beach, Florida Source: AmeriCar the Beautiful What do you see here?...[Read More] [Sponsor] [HemmingsPRO] Seller Listings [Learn More] [1957 Oldsmobile 98 J-2] [1957 Oldsmobile 98 J-2 $74,000] [1976 Oldsmobile 98] [1976 Oldsmobile 98 $8,650] [1962 MG A] [1962 MG A $38,500] [1973 GMC Custom] [1973 GMC Custom $10,500] [1955 Mercury Montclair] [1955 Mercury Montclair $37,500] [1968 Chevrolet Camaro] [1968 Chevrolet Camaro $39,500] [This Day in Automotive History] THIS DAY IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY 1/24/1871: Albert Erskine born, Huntsville, Alabama 1/24/1960: Volvo debuts P1800 prototype UPCOMING EVENTS [Amaranth Annual Charity Auto Show] February 2, 2017 - Mesa, AZ [42nd Annual Kansas Sunflower Swap Meet for Charity] February 3, 2017 - Park City, KS [54th Annual Winter Auto Parts Swap Meet] February 4, 2017 - Kalamazoo, MI [46th Annual Tri-State Swap Meet] February 4, 2017 - Denver, CO [MiRPA Winter Banquet honoring Lyn St. James] February 4, 2017 - Schaumburg, IL [Sumter Swap Meets] February 5, 2017 - Bushnell, FL [See All Events] [Sponsor] FEATURED CLASSIFIEDS Sponsored By: [Sponsor] [1960 Plymouth Fury] [1960 Plymouth Fury] [$84,900] [1965 Chevrolet Impala] [1965 Chevrolet Impala] [$29,900] [1973 Ford Torino] [1973 Ford Torino] [$12,900] [1957 Pontiac Safari] [1957 Pontiac Safari] [$150,000] [1956 Chrysler 300B] [1956 Chrysler 300B] [$69,000] [1967 Austin-Healey 3000 MK III] [1967 Austin-Healey 3000 MK III] [$39,500] [1948 Studebaker Commander] [1948 Studebaker Commander] [$11,500] [1962 Ford Galaxie 500XL] [1962 Ford Galaxie 500XL] [$40,000] [Ford 9in. rearend 1968 Mustang] [Ford 9in. rearend 1968 Mustang] [$925] [View All Classifieds] FEATURED IN THE BLOG Sponsored By: [Sponsor] [Planning a getaway, 1950s style] [Planning a getaway, 1950s style] [Padua Auto E Moto DEpoca: Italy's best classic car show, born out of a small swap meet] [Padua Auto E Moto DEpoca: Italy's best classic car show, born out of a small swap meet] [See All Featured Blog Posts] FOLLOW US: [Get RSS Feeds of Hemmings Blog] [Follow us on Twitter] [Join us on Facebook] [View our Flickr pool] [View Newsletter Archives] Hemmings Motor News will not sell or share your e-mail address with other companies. 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