1939 MERCEDES BENZ Typ 540 K Spezial-Coupe (W29) 540 Kompressor

Vehicle Overview

Designed as a Grand Tourer, the 540 K Spezial Coupe was the last supercharged Mercedes-Benz developed before WWII turned the world upside down.

After the Great Depression, Mercedes-Benz regained its position as a top supplier for the rich and famous. One of the lineups it created was the 500 K, which evolved later on into the 540 K thanks to the increase in the engine’s displacement from 5 to 5.4-liter. The letter K designated the Kompressor (supercharger) that helped the car achieve high speeds on the recently built (at that time) Autobahn (highway), which was a network of roads with no speed limits.

The car’s design followed mostly the same lines as its roadster version. At the front, the carmaker installed its already famous headlights on a curved horizontal slat mounted in front of the radiator, supported by the curved wheel fenders. Even though a bumper was not mandatory at those times, the carmaker added one welded on the chassis’ endings. On the profile, unlike its open-top sibling, the Spezial Coupe featured the spare wheels mounted on the engine compartment’s sides, not in the back. Thanks to the short, tilted windshield, the car offered an aerodynamic shape and a pair of long, rear-hinged doors.

Since it was a luxurious GT, the leather-wrapped interior featured a pair of bucket seats. The dash panel sported the dials in the middle.

The car’s underpinnings were shared with the evolved version of the 540 K Spezial Roadster, featuring a five-speed manual gearbox with a semi-automatic feature. That meant that the driver didn’t have to use the clutch pedal when shifting from fourth to fifth gear. Thanks to its hydraulic brakes, and independent suspension in all corners, the car offered a comfortable ride even at higher speeds.