Currently taking pride of place in the entrance to the Haynes International Motor Museum in today’s featured Mercedes Benz W24 540K Cabriolet A.
The 540K is often incorrectly believed to have made it’s public debut at the Paris Motor show in 1936, but in fact the it was first seen in October 1935, i.e 1936 model year.
Between 1935 and 1944 Mercedes Benz dedicated 1,500 staff to building just 419 540K’s.
Of these just 89 are believed to have been fitted with factory Cabriolet A bodies like the one seen here.
When Motor tested a 540K they found it was capable of reaching 85 mph over a quarter mile without the supercharger engaged and 102 mph over the same distance with the full 115 supercharged horsepower engaged, the journalists also found that the car returned 11 miles to the imperial gallon.
Autocar took a 540K to Brooklands for it’s test in 1938 and recorded a top speed of 104mph, with three passengers aboard.
Later in 1938 the 540K was given an updated chassis with oval sectioned chassis tubes as per the Silver Arrows Grand Prix cars.
Today’s featured 1935 540K is one of at least two formerly owned by King Hussein bin Talal of Jordan, his other was the Erdmann & Rossi bodied car built for show in Barcelona that was commandeered by Adolf Hitler to give as a gift to King Ghazi of Iraq.
Today’s featured car was stabled in England in is on loan to the Haynes Museum from His Majesties family.
Thanks for joining me on this “Stabled In The UK” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Delage Coupé. Don’t forget to come back now !
