1935 Mercedes 500k

Description for Mercedes-Benz 500-Series 1935

Mercedes-Benz 500k Replica.
What it is not:It is not a Marlene, a Thorobred Roadster, or a Heritage Roadster. These are some of the 500 and 540K replicas on the market today. It is not a kit car. It is a one-off replica based on and using parts from the Classic Factory 500K replica that was built in the mid-1980's. Unlike the other 500K and 540K replicas, the Classic Factory car is much truer to the original Mercedes design, and is in all respects far superior to any other replica available today. This is a very sturdy car. Body parts are bolted on, the same as they were on the original Mercedes. Some present-day replicar manufacturers choose to form the entire rear half of their cars and other large panels from one piece. This not only looks cheap, but it allows them to use thinner materials, which makes the car less stable. This type of construction, although more economical, can cause doors to rattle, windows to not fit properly, convertible top leaks, etc. If you've ever seen or driven one of these cheap imitations, you'll understand what I mean. This type of construction may be fine for toys, but not for real cars. On this car, body parts are made from hand-laid fiberglass, 1/4" thick or more, depending upon expected stresses. (The floor and firewall are much heavier) The only exception to this is the two-piece fully hinged hood, which is made from aircraft aluminum. The finish is excellent with none of the orange-peel or texture often seen on fiberglass products of lesser quality. As with the original Mercedes 500K, many of the trim pieces are made of cast brass and triple plated (Copper/nickel/chrome).
Origin of this Car:The Classic Factory, located in Pomona, CA was founded by Mr. H. T. Price. He saw an original Mercedes 500K at the Pebble Beach show, and used that original car as a model from which he designed and built his replica. During the 1980's the Classic Factory sold about 60 turnkey 500Kreplicas for $58,000 each. (That equals $208,918 in 2022) Be assured that this is a quality car, not to be compared with kit cars or cheap replicas. Production of this fine car ceased after Mr. Price passed away in the late 1980's. The rights and tooling for the 500K were sold to Heritage Motorcars (Miami, FL) who redesigned the car in order to reduce cost (with predictable results!). Parts for the original H.T. Price car are still available from the Classic Factory.As an improvement over the already superb Classic Factory car, this one has many original Mercedes parts. Most of the interior is Mercedes, including the seats, steering column and wheel, carpeting, dashboard knobs and switches, clock, rear-view mirror, and door panel parts. The wiring harness is also Mercedes, as are the grille screen and emblem, along with other trim parts.
Specifications:The car sits on a mid-70's full-sized Ford chassis, which closely matches the original Mercedes 500Kwheelbase. Although the Classic Factory car used Ford mechanicals, this one has GM power - - a 325 horsepower 350CID V-8 with aluminum heads, oversize valves, performance camshaft, etc. The automatic transmission is a 3-speed GM Turbo Hydramatic with some performance modifications, including a 1900 RPM stall speed torque converter. Both the engine and the transmission were built by Summit Racing, a well-known manufacturer of performance automotive parts. There are no "junk yard parts on this car. Stainless steel fasteners were used almost exclusively in the construction of the car. In those cases where stainless was not available, brass or other non-rusting material was used and the exhaust system is also stainless. In short, the built-in longevity of the car matches its timeless styling. Other modern amenities and creature comforts are included such as power steering and brakes, air conditioning (charged with environmentally friendly R134), and a high-quality Blaupunkt AM/FM/CD stereo with front and rear speakers. For security reasons, and to maintain original pearance, the radio and the antenna are not visible from the outside of the car. The dashboard, center console, and window sills are burl walnut, the leather is Connolly, (as used in Rolls-Royce). All woodwork is finished in a modern polyester material which contains a UV filter to resist sun fading. The instrument inset in the dashboard of an original 500K Special Roadster is inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and in this particular car, a simulated mother-of-pearl was used (the same material used in the manufacturing of fine guitars). To most observers, it cannot be distinguished from the "real thing". All mechanical parts of the car are modern, including the brakes (disc front, drum rear) and can be replaced when necessary with a visit to your local NAPA or similar auto parts store. Paintwork is Glasurit base coat-clear coat -- the same system as used on present-day Mercedes cars. The same red as used on the Dodge Stealth and Mitsubishi 3000.
About the builder:Rich Splaine was a Mercedes collector/restorer since 1959, a member of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America since 1965, and a charter member of the International 190SL Group.In 1980 he founded and for 15 years operated Precious Metal Automotive Investment Co. (Grand Rapids, MI), a shop devoted exclusively to the restoration of fine vintage Mercedes cars. He sold the company to one of my employees in 1995, at which time Precious Metal had restored approximately 100 old Mercedes - - mostly 190SL, 230/250/280SL, 300SL, etc. He then devoted a large part of his retirement time to restoring and maintaining his personal collection of Mercedes cars.In 1986 he attended the Pebble Beach show where he saw and fell in love with an original 500K. He had seen advertisements for the Classic Factory replica, and the following year he visited their facility in Pomona, California. Unfortunately, he didn't have a spare $58,000 at the time, so he wasn't able to act upon his very strong impulse to buy one. In 1991 he had the opportunity to finally realize his dream and so, using Classic Factory chassis and body parts he began construction. Also that year he visited the Daimler-Benz Museum in Stuttgart and took many photographs of their original 500K Special Roadster, after which this car is modeled. No expense was spared in the construction of this car.
Now in 2022:The only major thing to be done is the convertible top. My father never added an air conditioning belt so it has never been tested since Rich installed the air in the car. The emergency brake was never hooked up. The car was brand-new, only having been driven about 15 miles to verify functionality when my father purchased it from Rich in 2003. The car now has 60 miles and has been in an air conditioned garage. My father did not want to drive it because he felt that it could not be replaced if someone were to crash into him. Since he did not drive it, he was never concerned with having the top made for the car. This is one of the best 500k replicas that I have ever seen. Carl Patterson Realtor Rock Hill, SC