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Specifications
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Stock Number
1927MB630K-32019
Year
1927
Make
Mercedes-Benz
Model
630 Model K
VIN/Serial Number
32019
Exterior
Black
Interior
Red
Body Type
2-door DHC
Engine
6.24-liter SOHC inline 6-cylinder with Roots-type Supercharger
140 bhp
Transmission
4-speed manual
Mileage
TMU
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Features |
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Extremely rare opportunity to purchase a pre-war supercharged Mercedes-Benz.
Exciting and Sporty Short Chassis “Model K”
Chassis and Engine Numbers Match Factory Records.
Only Known Surviving Harrington-Bodied Supercharged Mercedes-Benz.
Complete with Original Bits Commonly Lost on Cars of this Age.
Recent full service by Mercedes-Benz Classic Center (Irvine, CA)
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Comments |
This car is correctly identified as both a 630 Model K and a 24/100/140. “24” referred to the taxable horsepower (a function of engine displacement), “100” was the actual horsepower and “140” the horsepower with supercharger engaged. While later supercharged cars were designated “K” for Kompressor (supercharger), this particular car is “K” for “Kurz,” the German word for short. The 3400 mm “kurz” short wheelbase sports car chassis of the 630 K evolved into the infamous “S” series. The S models (Sport), SS (Super Sport), SSK (Super Sport Kurz) and SSKL (Super Sport Kurz Leicht), “Kurz” standing for short and “Leicht” for light entered the market in 1927 and dominated motorsports until 1933. They were revered for their achievements and instantly recognizable by their three pointed stars and the high pitch scream of their superchargers.
Factory records confirm that chassis 32019 was fitted with engine number 60434 and consigned to British Mercedes-Benz, Ltd, London on April 13, 1927. Although many of the chassis left the Mercedes-Benz factory without coachwork, they were complete with radiator, headlights, full running gear, large wire wheels, firewall and three massive exhaust pipes protruding from the side of the engine. Mercedes-Benz was the first major manufacturer to install the distinctive exhaust system, which found its way onto many notable cars in the following years.
The first owner is unknown, but 32019 was dispatched to the well-known Brighton firm of Thomas Harrington Ltd. where it received the sporting drophead coupe coachwork that remains on the chassis today. From the English registration plate, we can assume the car spent some time in the U.K., but further research is being conducted at the moment. In the late 1980s, a prominent Thai family with government connections heard that the car had been seized by customs officials many years earlier and was in storage. They used their influence and were able to purchase 32019 for their collection where it sat for nearly twenty years. Upon being purchased by the vendor earlier this year, the car was imported to the United States and immediately delivered to the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center (Irvine, California) for a full service, safety check and road test. The car is fit for road use, but will need further road miles and sorting prior to embarking on a long drive. 32019 remains largely original, but has been repainted and re-trimmed as the original materials deteriorated. The car shows a nice patina and exudes and overall honesty and correctness that is the result of careful storage.
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for Sale
