Amelia Island Concours Best of Show

March 12, 2019 by Daniel Vaughan

I have seen this Mercedes-Benz 540K Autobahn Kurier on at least two occasions, and both times have been memorable. The first time I saw it was in 2006 at the Pebble Beach Concours where it was making its restoration debut. The second time was in 2017 at the St. Johns Concours when Arturo and Deborah Keller where celebrated as the Collectors of the Year. My first glimpse of the car at the Amelia Island Concours was before dawn, in the dark, as it stood in line waiting to get onto the show field. The first part that I saw was its curvaceous back and teardrop style fenders. It instantly reminded me of the Touring bodied Alfa Romeo 8C models that had won at the Pebble Beach concours in 2008 and 2018. The three-pointed star on the rear wheel cover indicated that this was a Mercedes-Benz. It is a 540K Autobahn Kurier and an excellent example of the use of aerodynamics. The name 'Autobahn-Kurier' means 'Streamline Limousine'. These body styles were produced in limited numbers with less than ten examples (perhaps around 2 or 3) being constructed. It was a body style offered by the Sindelfingen factory and was first seen on the 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500K chassis.

The legacy of this car has some interesting stories - it was once believed that this was a gift from Hitler to an eye surgeon. The myth goes, the surgeon had saved the eyesight of one of Hitler's commanders. What really happened was this car was ordered by a Spanish eye specialist named Ignacio Barraquer after having seen an identical version of the car on display at the 1938 Paris Motor Show. This car is the last of the six Autobahn Kuriers produced. It was driven to Gibraltar from Germany where it was delivered to the new owner on November 1st of 1938. After Barraquer's death, the car remained in the family until 2004.

'The 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Autobahn-Kurier and 1957 Ferrari 335 S both truly embody the sophistication of our awards,' said Bill Warner, Chairman and Founder of the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. 'I was thrilled to watch the judges honor such esteemed automobiles and continue to recognize the best and most extraordinary vehicles in existence, right here in Northeast Florida.'