Mercedes-Benz’s supercharged pre-war cars rank among the most significant performance-luxury automobiles ever built, regardless of era. Rare, powerful, and beautifully clothed by the special coachworks at Sindelfingen, these elite motor cars stood shoulder to shoulder with the best “blown” performance models being built by Bugatti or Bentley.

In 1934, the 500K succeeded the 380 as the company’s featured supercharged model, with a newly enlarged five-liter engine, and the K standing for Kompressor. The 500K was notable for being the first of the breed to feature the characteristic metal exhaust hoses snaking out from one side of the engine compartment, a particularly iconic design cue.

The 500K was offered in no less than eight different coachwork styles, the majority of which were cabriolets. The Normal Roadster featured many of the design elements of the more widely known Special Roadster, with a flat one-piece windscreen and a more traditional beltline lending the coachwork a strong resemblance to the legendary SSK. Just 29 combined examples of the 500K Normal Roadster and Special Roadster were built on the 500K chassis in total, and today only five examples of the Normal Roadster are believed to still exist. Such rarity is no small part of what makes the car’s current availability such a unique opportunity.

According to the Mercedes-Benz production tables printed in Jan Melin’s seminal volume Mercedes-Benz: The Supercharged 8-Cylinder Cars of the 1930s, this car is one of 190 500K chassis built during 1935, and one of 354 total examples built. Per correspondence on file with Mercedes-Benz Classic, chassis number 123692 was allocated with Kommission number 205281 and eventually dispatched in November 1935 to Colombo, Ceylon, the large island off the coast of then-British India (soon to be known as Sri Lanka).

It is reasonable to speculate if the car was being delivered to a principal of the Beaumont Tea Company in Ceylon, given that Michael Frostick’s The Mighty Mercedes notes the first owner as being a Mr. Beaumont, of London. Mercedes-Benz historian Ronald Johnson indicates the car was imported back to the UK by its original owner in the mid-1950s, and was registered with tags reading “NTR 164.”

In 1956, the Mercedes-Benz was sold to Helen “Lee” Kennard, a British socialite, marque enthusiast, and general bon vivant. As she later relayed in her 1987 autobiography, Of Cars & Ships & Poetry & Cats & Other Things, Ms. Kennard used the 500K as a daily driver for 20 years in London, while occasionally presenting the car at club meetings and concours d’elegance, including events at Silverstone, Bath, and Woburn Abbey (where 123692 won its class). During this ownership the Roadster also enjoyed a brief bit of celebrity, being driven by guest star Ian Ogilvy in an episode of the popular British television show The Avengers in 1968. Ms. Kennard is also seen sitting at the steering wheel in a photo that was later reprinted in the second volume of Melin’s Supercharged Mercedes-Benz books.

In June 1977, the Mercedes-Benz was offered at auction at the Beaulieu National Motor Museum, and it was then exported to the US. Later acquired by Frank Cherry, the 500K was refinished in scarlet paint and presented at the 1987 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it became the first recipient of the inaugural Mercedes-Benz Trophy. At some later point the Roadster was sold into a significant private collection, and following this owner’s passing in 2020, the car was acquired in August 2023 by the current caretaker.

Over the past three years chassis number 123692 has been treated to a high level of refinishing and correction as needed by Nostalgia Motors of Boonton, New Jersey. The car has received a complete cosmetic refresh including a refinish in the current red paint, a new tan leather interior with complementary carpets, a new steering wheel, and an extensive restoration of the dashboard (including reconditioning of instruments, attention to the wiring, new mother-of-pearl inlays, and proper knobs). The elegant color combination was completed with a new convertible soft-top, re-plated brightwork as needed, and new blackwall tires. Mechanically the car benefits from work to the supercharger and manifold, rebuilt carburetors, a newly re-cored radiator, rebuilt brakes and wheel cylinders, attention to the gearbox, and a new electric fuel pump. In total this exacting work cost in excess of $475,000, as demonstrated by invoices on file.

This rejuvenation paved the way for several high-level showings during the past few years, with appearances at the 2025 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the 2025 Concours at Wynn Las Vegas, and the 2026 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance (where the car won the Supercharged Mercedes Pre-War Specialty Award).

It is worth noting that this rare, supercharged Mercedes-Benz evidences a high level of authenticity, with numerical stampings desirably confirming the presence of the matching-numbers engine, and original body-stamped floorboards. One of but a handful remaining in existence, and displaying a breathtaking level of restoration, this exquisite 500K is poised for display at marque gatherings and exclusive concours d’elegance or driving enjoyment on vintage tours.

In any event, this iconic product of the Star and the Laurel would beautifully complement even the most distinguished collection.