[Prabal]

Originally Posted by wasif

Any idea why it has two markings for the fourth gear. I didnt even know the 540K had a five speed gearbox, its amazing.

Maybe, the driver and passenger could select their individual fourth gears, like dual-zone airconditioning! Or maybe, if one could slot it into both the fours, it would work as a 4by4!! Or maybe, a Nazi ploy, ordered by Field Marshall Hermann Wilhelm Göring to confuse the allies in case they laid their hands on his favourite Mittelblau 540k! Or maybe finally, that knob is just a whacko job!

By the way, I thought MB 540Ks only featured ivory steering wheels!

[harit]

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

Sir, here's the pic of the inside of this car.

The mystery was about the car being RHD and coming from the states. That was unusual.

Cheers harit

[wasif]

Originally Posted by Prabal

Maybe, the driver and passenger could select their individual fourth gears, like dual-zone airconditioning! Or maybe, if one could slot it into both the fours, it would work as a 4by4!! Or maybe, a Nazi ploy, ordered by Field Marshall Hermann Wilhelm Göring to confuse the allies in case they laid their hands on his favourite Mittelblau 540k! Or maybe finally, that knob is just a whacko job!

By the way, I thought MB 540Ks only featured ivory steering wheels!

Here is a picture of the car. Its a one off 540K Special Roadster made specially to the order of Alfred Krupp. It was one of the only 540K's with a five speed gearbox amongst other interesting features.

[Prabal]

Originally Posted by wasif

Here is a picture of the car. Its a one off 540K Special Roadster made specially to the order of Alfred Krupp. It was one of the only 540K's with a five speed gearbox amongst other interesting features.

Weren't all 540ks pretty much bespoke, with the coachwork done by a co called Sandenflangen or Sandenflingzen or something like that? Is this one a green or blue? And yes, I notice the steering wheel isn't ivory but ebony - Stevie Wonder take a bow!! But I'm sure the 5-speed gearbox isn't a one-off, I'm certain it was offered as an option to everybody. Maybe towards the later years of production?

And talking of Alfred Krupp, wasn't he an arms dealer/ manufacturer and a Nazi sympathiser - if I remember my world war tales and memoirs of the Third Reich? Ironical innit, that even today, these guys seem to have some of the best collections of exotic cars, even in our land!

Oh, another theory for that additional fourth gear - as another marvel of German engineering this was a special-purpose fourth planetary gear provided for the transmission to slip straight down into, from fifth, when the synchro cogs started playing up!!!


Edit:

OT maybe, but it just struck me that could Alfred Krupp possibly have been one of the forefathers of the ThyssenKrupp Group that exists today? They are in India also, as many would know, had their factories in the PMC (Poona, Pimpri-Chinchwad) belt. They make elevators also now, but the Krupp group did have some armaments background too back in history, if I recollect right.

[wasif]

The Krupp family was / is one of the prominent business houses of Germany. Krupp steel and their amunition works were the backbones of Nazi Germany.

Later merged with the Thyssen group in 99 to form KruppThyssen a very diversified multinational group today

The 540K was supplied with standard coatchwork and there were options for bespoke coatchwork as well. I think the majority were standard factory coachworks made by Sindelfingen like the Cabriolet A, Spezial Roadster etc. In the 500K & 540K production only 70 chassis were supplied to outside coachbuilders for bespoke bodies !

This particular car was ordered new by Alfred Krupp but is owned by someone else today !

[Prabal]

Originally Posted by wasif

This particular car was ordered new by Alfred Krupp but is owned by someone else today !

Thanks for all the gen there, Wasif. Regarding my previous statement, "Ironical innit, that even today, these guys seem to have some of the best collections of exotic cars, even in our land!" what i meant to hint at was that there are a few arms dealers among those who have exotic collections on date, in India and around the world - coz they have all the dosh, kind of an open secret actually despite the guise!!

[wasif]

LOL...true ...dealing in arms and ammo is a business that is quiet lucrative as is dealing in exotic beverages so the owners do tend to have the best of things around including cars !

[allana13]

I wish i was in that trade.... so that i would be positing this picture saying its my car rather than some one elses.......

[mbz180]

Originally Posted by harit

This is a Gullwing to be distressed. Actually the body is being crushed.

Crosthwaite and Gardiner of UK who officially recreated those Auto Union racers also built a Mercedes Benz racer and Mercedes is very upset about that. It seems that German courts gae Mercedes some copyright protection on the Gullwing design.

Cheers harit

These days Mercedes gets upset about everything including parts produced by other non-MB vendors.

Recently, Niemoller's in Germany, who are amongst the biggest MB parts retailers for classic Mercs and also have a great online shop, got a court order from the EU (initiated by MB) to stop selling parts manufactured by MB parts suppliers, whoever they may be and a violation would result in heavy penalties despite the fact that they are not restricted to supply parts to DBAG only, which is sad.

After this, Niemoller was instructed to quickly sell off their existing stock as a result of which many parts are no longer available from them. They have now sent a mail to their customers stating the same and also that they are in the process of setting up their own unit, tools, molds etc. to cater to buyers of classic MB parts but the rider is that the parts will now be even more expensive

Some one up there in DBAG really needs to take a look at what they're doing to the thousands of owners of their cars.

[car love]

Originally Posted by Milestone

Spotted this MB some time back in Bangalore, not sure about the model.

I used to wonder where this car went? I used to see it regularly in Ulsoor/Central Bangalore areas couple of years ago. It was used as a regular car with family outings etc not one of those classics stored in plastic. Its a 220 for sure. It was really huge. Not a 190 Ponton. Thanks for the Info and the pictures. I now know who it belongs to...He has other great cars as well. A trip through the by lanes and bungalows/farms of Whitefield throws up many pleasant surprises. There are so many classics there.....

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by Milestone

Spotted this MB some time back in Bangalore, not sure about the model.

I mistook this car for this

Well the below car too is of the same color and belongs to my friend. A clean example, and he has another white one too

[the mole]

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

I mistook this car for this

Well the below car too is of the same color and belongs to my friend. A clean example, and he has another white one too

Wow a Bombay car! Thanks for sharing the pics. The white car must have been restored by now right?

[car love]

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

I mistook this car for this

Well the below car too is of the same color and belongs to my friend. A clean example, and he has another white one too

Why does he need two, cant he give me one?
I definitely didn't know there were so many Pontons here in our city. By your estimate how many do you think are there in Bangalore?

[the mole]

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

I mistook this car for this

Well the below car too is of the same color and belongs to my friend. A clean example, and he has another white one too

By the way PK i just noticed that the hubcaps on the white ponton are incorrect for the year, they are very very rare, but they are for a pre 57 car like my ponton. The white car should have hubcaps just like the maroon 190.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by the mole

The white car should have hubcaps just like the maroon 190.

And the maroon car should have hubcaps like the white car right? They just need to switch.

Also noticed the maroon car has VW design lights - were they ever shared?