The 1938 540K Autobahn Kurier was voted the most beautiful classic car at the world-famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Every year, classic car enthusiasts and collectors from all over the world make the pilgrimage to Monterey, California. The most prestigious charity event for cars takes place very close to this city, in Pebble Beach, in August: the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Here, experts judge collector’s cars from the pre-war and post-war era according to authenticity, function, history and style. As a rule, hundreds of competitors take part in the Concours, whose cars are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and more recently even millions of dollars. This in turn attracts thousands of spectators, making the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance the most popular of its kind in the world.
And this year, in the 70th edition of the competition, the winner was a 1938 Mercedes-Benz. The 540K Autobahn-Kurier was chosen from 230 other vehicles and is certainly one of a kind: only two examples were made and the other has not survived to this day. Its value is therefore inestimable.
The classic car was presented at the Berlin Motor Show in 1938 to great acclaim due to its futuristic design. It explored the aerodynamic limits of the time with the aim of making the most of the newly opened highway network. After several changes of ownership, it was restored in 2006.
230 models competed in the Concours this year, including a Bugatti Type 57S Corsica Drophead Coupé from 1937, a Ferrari 365 P Pininfarina Berlinetta Speciale and a Maserati A6G Zagato Coupé. The competition raised 1.75 million dollars for charity.
With this triumph, Mercedes drew level with Bugatti in the Concours with nine successes each. Undoubtedly a source of pride for the Stuttgart-based car manufacturer.