Mercedes-Benz 500 K Special Roadster (W 29): Red beauty

Rarely have 90 years looked better

Mercedes-Benz 500 K Spezial-Roadster

By: Roland Hildebrandt

Published by: Brian Potter

Mar 17, 2024 at 7:09am ET

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An old lady in the limelight: The 500 K special roadster is a superstar in the Mercedes-Benz Museum. What makes this 500 K so fascinating? The colour, of course, but the manufacturer itself says, "It is an extraordinary automotive sculpture whose elegance radiates effortlessly from the 1930s to the present day. The best technology, highly elegant style and luxurious equipment come together here." There is some truth in that.

The Mercedes-Benz 500 K made its debut at the International Automobile and Motorcycle Exhibition (IAMA) in Berlin from 8 to 18 March 1934 - 90 years ago. The luxury automobile was on display there as a spectacular "motorway courier" with a closed, aerodynamically optimised body.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz 500 K Spezial-Roadster (W 29)

Mercedes-Benz 500 K Special Roadster (W 29)

The special roadster with a recessed radiator is the eighth and most expensive body variant added to the range in October 1934. It costs 28,000 Reichsmarks. An exorbitant amount, for which you could easily buy a detached house in a prime location at the time.

This naturally narrowed the circle of buyers. Well-known names from the worlds of culture, show business, and politics bought the 500 K - and also adorned themselves with this vehicle.

The great effort that went into building the special roadster still amazes today. It starts with the design. The body with the large, elegantly curved wings and the metre-long bonnet was designed by stylist Friedrich Geiger. Today we would call him a designer. After the war, he also designed the 300 SL Gullwing and, as his last project, the W 116, the first S-Class.

Mercedes-Benz 500 K Spezial-Roadster (W 29)

The interior resembles an elegant salon. Leather caresses the driver and front passenger and is used as seat upholstery and on the doors with the finest craftsmanship. Everything is colour-coordinated. The driver's hands grip an ivory-coloured steering wheel. The driver's gaze falls on a dashboard with instruments as if from a watchmaker's workshop.

Even back then, many customers had individual wishes, and so the vehicles were produced under the direction of Hermann Ahrens as one-offs in the special vehicle construction department at the Sindelfingen plant - an address of the time for the best bodywork construction. The "Sindelfingen bodywork" badge on the side of the special roadster was a sign of quality. Holy metal, so to speak.

Mercedes-Benz 500 K Spezial-Roadster (W 29)

The highest standards were also applied under the bodywork. The M 29 supercharged engine is legendary in the 500 K. It produces 100 PS and 160 PS with the supercharger switched on. The two-bladed Roots blower located in front of the carburettor is activated by moving the accelerator beyond the full throttle position via a pressure point (kickdown effect). This is followed by the distinctive roar of the supercharger and the immediately noticeable increase in power. Consumption? If you can afford a 500 K, you don't think about it.

The modern chassis of the 500 K by the standards of the time, adopted from the Mercedes-Benz 380 (W 22), takes the engine power into account. With its trapezoidal-link front axle and rear swing axle, the Daimler-Benz design, which was protected by patents, was not only progressive, but quickly developed into a common feature of automotive engineering that is still valid today and is used worldwide. The rear axle design enables high speeds with outstanding driving safety.

Mercedes-Benz 500 K Spezial-Roadster (W 29)

The 500 K invites you to indulge in the details. What might the step on the rear mudguard be for? Surprise - the special roadster is not a two-seater. The flap behind the interior opens up another bench seat, commonly known as the "mother-in-law's seat". The step makes it easier to get in.

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The 500 K was already rare in the 1930s. Only 342 were produced in all body variants between 1934 and 1936. This was followed seamlessly by the 540 K with a larger displacement engine. Today, both versions of the W 29 series are guaranteed top prices at auctions. Occasionally, they even break the 10 million barrier.