The Mercedes-Benz W 29 was a passenger car series from Mercedes-Benz in the 1930s. It includes the types Mercedes-Benz 500 K and Mercedes-Benz 540 K. In the years before the Second World War, the Mercedes 500 K special roadster was the automotive non plus ultra. A super sports car for the rich and beautiful – you can still feel it today.

The Mercedes-Benz 500 K was presented as the successor to the SS/SSK types in February 1934 at the 24th International Automobile and Motorcycle Exhibition (IAMA) in Berlin. The Mercedes 500 K Special Roadster was built on a standard sedan platform. Designed for self-driving, the driver’s cab could be moved back 20 centimeters, giving it a particularly elegant shape. The cars were available with three different chassis: the normal chassis has a wheelbase of 3290 mm, as does the chassis with the engine set back, where the drive unit and radiator are offset 185 mm to the rear. The space conditions of the latter chassis again correspond to those of the short wheelbase chassis of 2980 mm. Four-door sedans, two-door touring cars and the B and C convertibles were offered on the normal chassis, while Cabriolet A, Roadster 2+2, Coupé, Special Roadster and Autobahn Courier used the chassis with the engine set back. On the short chassis, there was the Sport Roadster and Sport Coupé.

This Mercedes 500 K Special Roadster is powered by a five-liter eight-cylinder engine. A Roots supercharger blows the power of 160 hp into the cylinders. Technically, the Mercedes 500 K is based on its Type 380 predecessor. The chassis was virtually unchanged and featured a swing axle, double wishbones and hydraulic brakes. The cars reached a top speed of 160 km/h.

116 of the Cabriolet A were built, but the technology is still on a large-scale production level thanks to the adoption of the chassis. For example, there is direct steering, a synchronized three-speed transmission with additional highway overdrive and powerful brakes. At the time, the dream car was one of the fastest production cars of its time. With a bit of a run-up, it was possible to break the 160-km/h mark.

No one knows today how many examples of this legendary car are still alive and in what condition they are. This dream in chrome and paint is one of the few super sports cars that the German car industry had to offer before the Second World War and even afterwards.