Mercedes-Benz 540K
The Mercedes-Benz 540K (W29) is a car built by the German firm Mercedes-Benz from 1936 to 1940. History Introduced at the 1936 Paris Motor Show, the Friedrich Geiger designed car was a development of the 500K, itself a development of the SSK. Available as a both a two- and four-seat cabriolet, four seater coupé or seven seater limousine (with armoured sides and armoured glass), it was one of the largest cars of its time. It retailed for 28,000 RM (approximately $230,000 in 2021) in 1936. The straight-8 cylinder engine of the 500K was enlarged in displacement to . It was fed by twin pressurized updraft carburetors, developing . In addition, there was an attached Roots supercharger, which could either be engaged manually for short periods, or automatically when the accelerator was pushed fully to the floor. This increased power to , enabling a top speed of . Power was sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed or optional five-speed manual gearbox that featured synchromesh on the top three gears. Vacuum-assisted hydraulic brakes kept the car under the driver's control. The 540K had the same chassis layout as the 500K, but it was significantly lightened by replacing the girder-like frame