1927 Mercedes Benz "630K Drophead Coupe Sport Touring"
A Little History
The Mercedes K models elevated the industry to an entirely new level of performance, as they were guaranteed by the manufacturer to obtain 90mph, making them the fastest production cars ever created. This was also one of the first auto racing models in history ever made available for commercial purchase.
In 1927, Mercedes-Benz achieved an exceptional string of victories in the over 100 races it entered that year. This was, in large part, attributed to Mercedes-Benz’s new, shorter chasis variant called the 630K – K standing for “Kurtz,” the German word for short.
The Model K chasis was primarily the product of Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, and the 630K on display was the only Model K ever to be fitted from new with the now iconic English, lightweight, drophead coupe “Sport Touring” body.
Factory records show the this car was delivered to British Mercedes-Benz, Ltd., London on April 13, 1927. The first owner is unknown, but we do know that the car was dispatched to the well-known Brighton firm, Thomas Harrington Ltd., where it received the sporting drophead coupe coachwork that remains on the chassis today. After surviving the war years, the car was exchanged between several prominent U.K. families over the next few decades. In the 1970s, it was purchased and shipped to Thailand, where it was seized by customs officials and placed into storage. In the late 1980s, a prominent Thai family connected to the government used their influence to purchase the car for their private collection, where it stayed for the next two decades until it was sold and imported to the United States. From there, it was purchased by the primary benefactor of this museum.
