This was one of the best things you could drive on German soil before the war.
W29 is the internal designation for the large K-Mercedes from Germany in the thirties. They are sold at auctions at staggering prices. So high that no one dares to take them out on the road. But thanks to American replica builders, cars like the 540K are released. Maybe even near you? The concept is quite simple. You put a 5 liter Mustang engine (or Chevy engine) on a chassis with a frame and let skilled coachbuilders and saddle makers recreate the soul of the beautiful car.
The Mercedes copies do not contradict the concept of the original. The pictured 540K has a powerful eight that can drive effortlessly both on Autobahns and American Interstate Highways. I'm guessing it drives like a Ford Mustang from a couple of decades ago. However, the original from 1936 had eight in a row, 4-speed manual gearbox and visible manifolds only on the right side. With its 180 HP, it was no slouch on the newly built German Autobahns of the 30s.
I thank my friend, Knut Haugland, for the nice photos he took, when this great replica was delivered to someone in Oslo. It is similar to the original, both in proportions and details. Unfortunately, some American replica builders over the years have made the replicas a bit more American than the German original. Perhaps a thought Vegas Style, - just so much that the whole thing tips over into being tasteless.
But not this one.
When I look at the pictures of the nice W29 replica and hear Knut tell about the sound when it was started up, I think that the Germans have never made such replicas themselves. The Germans' biggest problem is probably the negative associations W29 can bring in relation to the Nazi regime.
A shame, because otherwise they could have used their own, classic 380 V8 engine, or one of their great inline sixes. The Germans would never take any shortcuts, as various American replica builders have done for decades. They would have perfected the model so that it would have ended up with absurdly great engineering, and an equally absurd price tag.
Das Beste oder Nichts... or something like that.
See how the Mercedes-Benz 540K looked in the 30s.
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