MERCEDES BENZ Typ 540 K Spezial Roadster (W29) 1937 Photos, engines & full specs

Designed as a grand tourer, the 540 K Spezial Roadster was the epitome of luxury, performance, and high-society status in mid-30s Germany.

After the Great Depression, the rich and famous expressed their desire for new, luxurious vehicles. Mercedes-Benz answered promptly in 1934 with the introduction of the W29 lineup, and especially with the 500 K, which was introduced in Berlin. Two years later, in April 1936, at the Paris Motor Show, the German carmaker unveiled an evolution over that model: the 540 K. Like its sibling, the new version showed that letter as a symbol of performance, representing the Kompressor (supercharger) installed under the hood.

Sporting the same high-performance shape of a roadster, with a long engine compartment flanked by the long, curved fenders, the 540 K impressed with its 5-meter (197") length. Unlike its siblings, the 540 K Spezial Roadster featured up to two spare wheels mounted at the back, behind the trunk lid, not on the engine compartment's sides. The V-shaped radiator and the short, tilted windshield were signs of an aerodynamically studied vehicle. Depending on the owner, the carmaker installed half-cut doors or straight ones, the latter being fitted with windows.

Mercedes-Benz installed two bucket seats inside the cockpit and a flat dashboard that sported the dials in the middle. The four-spoke steering wheel was large enough to ease the maneuvers at low speeds. As expected, the carmaker used only expensive materials such as leather, wood, and metallic, chromed trims.

In the beginning, the carmaker used the 500 K's four-speed gearboxes, but later on, it changed that to a five-speed manual transmission fitted with overdrive. Thus, the car was able to dominate the Autobahn in style, at high speeds, outperforming most of the other vehicles on the road thanks to its 5.4-liter, 180 PS (177 hp) engine.