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The Curious Tale Of A $7.7 Million Worth Mercedes 500K From The WW-II Era
Back in the days, cars were made to look like art, and the older they got, the better they looked. One such car was the Mercedes 500K Special Roadster, that dates back to the World War II (WW-II) era.
Mercedes made only 29 of them and this particular 1935 model is being auctioned by Bonhams during the Chantilly sale in France on September 3. The car is estimated to fetch around USD 5.5 to 7.5 million. But what is more interesting is this particular car's history.
Towards the end of the second World War, Allied troops found this particular Mercedes 500K hidden in the estates of a German industrialist, Hans Prym, who was sent to jail in 1945.
The car then made its way to the United States of America, where it spent 66 years before Frans Van Hare, a Dutch car enthusiast spotted the beautiful Merc and bought it for USD 3.7 million back in 2011.
Later, Hare wanted to show off his prized car at an auto event that took place in Essen, Germany. At the event, the Mercedes Special Roadster was seized by authorities, after Prym's grandchildren claimed that the car was stolen from their grandfather and the family still had the ownership rights.
The German authorities impounded the car on behalf of the car's original owner, which lead to a legal battle between Prym's family members and Frans Van Hare. Eventually, Prym's family won the case in 2012 after the court ruled that the Allied Troops did not have the rights to take the car.
Now, the family has decided to sell the car and Bonhams will auction the Mercedes 500K Special Roadster during the Chantilly sale in France on September 3.
Mercedes 500K Special Roadster Image Gallery