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Mercedes-Benz 500 K from 1935 - experienced behind the wheel

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Created in 1989

Reading time 16min

Written by:

Roger Gloor

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

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Copyright Daimler AG

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Roger Gloor

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Archiv

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Daniel Reinhard

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Copyright Daimler AG

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Roger Gloor

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Archiv

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Mercedes-Benz 500 K (1935) - imposante Erscheinung

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Auch mit geschlossenem Verdeck präsentiert sich der 500 K, Cabriolet B, als elegantes Luxusauto - Mercedes-Benz 500 K (1935)

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Das Interieur aus rotem Leder ist das Resultat perfekter Restaurationsarbeit Mercedes-Benz 500K (1935)

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Beidseits findet sich im Trittbrett ein «Schuhsohlenkratzer» Mercedes-Benz 500 K (1935)

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Mercedes-Benz 500 K (1936) - Spezialroadster

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Mercedes-Benz 500 K (1936) - Spezialroadster

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Mercedes-Benz 500 K (1935) - 500 K Cabriolet B

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Mercedes-Benz 500 K (1935) - 500 K Sportlimousine

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Mercedes-Benz 540 K (1938) - Sport-Roadster

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Mercedes-Benz 500 K Spezialroadster (1936) - An der internationalen Automobil-Austellung von Berlin im Jahre 1936

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Mercedes Benz 500K (1934)

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Mercedes Benz 500K (1934)

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Mercedes Benz 500K (1934)

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Summary

Being able to experience a 1935 luxury car behind the wheel means looking back to the deep Middle Ages of motoring history. Driving a pre-war luxury car is very different from what modern motorists are used to. Roger Gloor introduces us to the secrets of the Mercedes-Benz 500 K and succinctly illustrates the specifics of this sought-after classic.

This article contains the following chapters

Welcome instruction
Power and caution required
Power-to-weight ratio: 14.7 kg/hp
Still real steering work
Drive gently on the brakes!
With the star in your sights
Heating and ventilation chapter
The breakdown
Technical data

Estimated reading time: 16min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Being able to experience a luxury car from 1935 behind the wheel means looking back into the deep Middle Ages of engine history. Mercedes-Benz AG provided us with just such an opportunity on the occasion of the SMVC Alpine Tour held at the beginning of July (note: 1989) by making a Mercedes-Benz 500 K, Cabriolet B, from the factory collection available to us. Our thanks go to Mr. von Pein and Mr. Pless from the MB Works Museum and Mr. Steinemann and Mr. Knecht from Mercedes-Benz (Schweiz) AG, as well as to the active managers of the Swiss Motor Veterans Club, Mr. Wenger and Mr. Oertli. In the mid-1930s, a Mercedes-Benz 500 K was even more exclusive than today's Mercedes-Benz 500 SEC, quite apart from the fact that only rich people could afford a car at that time anyway. Even at that time, the three-digit number in the Mercedes-Benz model designations referred to the engine capacity, i.e. 5 liters. The letter K, however, stood for compressor, and this was a term associated with even more prestige than the word turbo today. Superchargers, those additional performance-enhancing units driven by the engine, were only fitted to a few particularly sporty luxury class or racing sports cars. In the Mercedes-Benz 500 K with an in-line eight-cylinder engine, the "blower" increased the maximum output from 100 to 160 hp, i.e. to a far greater extent than can be expected from exhaust gas turbochargers in road vehicles today.

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