To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Paris event, 4 - 5 February 2025.

• A rare example of the supercharged eight-cylinder Mercedes-Benz with custom coachwork
• Handsome one-off design by the noted Austrian coachbuilder, Ferdinand Keibl of Vienna
• Built for Austrian arms manufacturer Fritz Mandl
• Accompanied by a copy of its factory-issued Kommisions-Buch
• Attractively presented restoration in very appropriate colours

One of the grand eight-cylinder supercharged Mercedes-Benz, 500 K chassis number 113697 was, per its Kommisions-Buch (factory build sheet), dispatched to the Austrian coachbuilder Ferdinand Keibl of Vienna on 15 April 1935. According to noted Mercedes-Benz historian Jan Melin’s book, Mercedes-Benz 8 1930s Supercharged Cars in the Nordic Countries, Keibl’s client was Fritz Mandl, a noted Austrian manufacturer and dealer, once married to the film star Hedy Lamarr, who was faithful to his country’s craftsmen. The Keibl company was not a supplier to the imperial court and was therefore able to supply its customers freely. The clientele included marques including Austro-Daimler, Gräf & Stift, Lancia, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Rolls-Royce, and Steyr. Keibl was regarded as one of the best car manufacturers in Austria.

Due to ongoing tensions in Europe, which had escalated around World War II, Mandl later fled to South America. His 500 K was apparently left behind, and in the 1960s was discovered in the Soviet Union by enthusiast Alf Johansson and brought by him to Sweden. It was later sold to Birger Nilsen of Norway, then passed in 1971 to Orvar Larsen and in 1978 to Hans Erik Engelstad. Finally, in 1988, Melin notes that the car was acquired by a Swedish-Norwegian consortium, which undertook its restoration. At some point the car had been retrofitted with the present engine, originally a standard 500 unit.

Finished in rich and sobre black with a red leather interior, accented by magnificent woodwork, this special 500 K is still in very nice overall condition, with much restoration work by a noted German restoration shop and a later Mercedes-Benz power steering system fitted to make it easier to drive on modern roads. It would be wonderful for the enthusiast who wishes to experience one of these amazing cars at speed, on any number of tours and rallies worldwide. Furthermore, it is a genuinely unique specimen of custom coachwork on the 500 K, by a firm noted for its excellent workmanship and attention to detail.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/pa25/.