Mercedes 500K Replica VIN: MAR11/0066
1993 Replica Classic Roadster 500K License Plate: L20 VVV Chassis Number: MAR11/0066 Engine Number: 2732/105589 • A tribute to one of the most desirable high-performance cars of the 30s • 5.0L V8 engine • Automatic transmission • Owned since 2020 The legendary Mercedes-Benz 500K supercar, a sensation at the Berlin Motor Show in 1934, cost a small fortune new. Today, an original example, so rare is it, is for sale for millions of dollars. The 30s were a period of unprecedented fertility in automotive design, of which the sublime 500K was the absolute pinnacle. Its timeless appeal endures to this day. The 500K, which featured an ingenious independent rear suspension with swing axles, was designed by engineer Hans Nibel, who had started at Benz in the early years of the 20th century. The supercharged street models from the 30s are a beautiful tribute to his technical skills. Together with its successor, the 540K, the magnificent Mercedes-Benz 500K was perhaps the most remarkable production model offered by the Stuttgart-based company in the 30s.
Replica Classic Roadsters 500K from 1993
License plate: L20 VVV
Chassis number: MAR11/0066
Engine number: 2732/105589
• A tribute to one of the most desirable high-performance cars of the 30s
• 5.0L V8 engine
• Automatic transmission
• Owned since 2020
The legendary Mercedes-Benz 500K supercar, a sensation at the 1934 Berlin Motor Show, cost a small fortune when new. Today, such is its rarity, an original example can be purchased for millions of dollars. The 30s were a period of unprecedented fecundity in car design, of which the sublime 500K was the absolute pinnacle. Its timeless appeal endures to this day.
The 500K, which featured an ingenious independent rear suspension with swing axles, was designed by engineer Hans Nibel, who had started at Benz in the early years of the 20th century. The supercharged street models from the 30s are a beautiful tribute to his technical skills. Along with its successor, the 540K, the magnificent Mercedes-Benz 500K was perhaps the most remarkable production model offered by the Stuttgart-based company in the 30s. The 500K was powered by a 5018 cc supercharged inline eight-cylinder engine with overhead valves, equipped with Mercedes' famous Roots supercharger system. With this system, fully depressing the accelerator pedal simultaneously engaged the compressor and shut off the alternative atmospheric supply to the carburetor. This system had been thoroughly tested in the preceding S-Type series, designed by Dr. Porsche, and in fact the 500/540K was the last supercharged production Mercedes until relatively recently.
Fortunately for those who cannot afford the original, in the case of the 500K – and many other long-vanished exotic cars – there is sufficient interest to support a thriving replica industry. It is not known which manufacturer was responsible for this 500K replica, but online research seems to indicate that the bodywork matches that of Classic Roadsters from North Dakota. The registration certificate (V5C) states that the car is a 'kit/conversion – assembled from parts that may not all be new' and is registered as a 'Mercedes Sports'. The engine displacement is listed as 4.950 cc. The car also comes with two expired MOTs and various invoices for parts, etc. from Superspoke Ltd of Hanley Castle, Worcestershire, dating from 2015, totaling approximately £13.575.