Limited serie of 30 pieces only

Mercedes-Benz 500K Cabriolet A — where elegance meets performance

Introduced in 1934, the Mercedes-Benz 500K represented the pinnacle of the Mercedes-Benz range at the time. It succeeded the 380 K and combined an exceptional level of luxury with performance that was still rare among the great touring automobiles of its era.

Its 5.0-litre straight-eight engine produced around 100 hp in normal operation, but as much as 160 hp when the mechanical supercharger was engaged. This enabled the 500K to reach almost 160 km/h, an impressive speed for a grand touring automobile weighing more than two tonnes. Its chassis was also equipped with four-wheel independent suspension and servo-assisted hydraulic brakes, particularly advanced solutions for the mid-1930s.

Mercedes-Benz offered several body styles on the 500K chassis. Among them, the Cabriolet A was perhaps one of the most elegant. Shorter and sportier than the versions designed to accommodate more passengers, it featured a particularly refined two-seater body designed under the direction of Hermann Ahrens at the Sindelfingen coachworks.

The long bonnet, low windscreen, generously shaped fenders and elegant rear section, equipped with twin spare wheels, gave the Cabriolet A its immediately recognisable silhouette. It was an automobile designed as much for the pleasure of driving as for the prestige of its owner.

The construction of these bodies remained largely handcrafted. Despite Mercedes-Benz already possessing considerable industrial capabilities, its most exclusive models received particular attention at Sindelfingen in the fitting, finishing and painting of their coachwork. Each automobile was expected to possess the presence and quality demanded by a particularly wealthy clientele.

Production of the 500K remained limited. According to available sources, approximately 340 examples were built between 1934 and 1936, of which only around thirty received the Sindelfingen Cabriolet A body. Very few have survived, making this version today one of the rarest and most sought-after members of the 500K family.

Chassis 130897 belongs to this particularly exclusive production. This 1936 automobile is represented by the Ilario models in its original two-tone livery, with the soft top either raised or lowered.

The Ilario 1:43 scale model

The models representing chassis 130897 faithfully reproduce this Mercedes-Benz 500K Cabriolet A as it is known today.

Particular attention has been paid to the proportions of the coachwork, its characteristic lines and the many details that distinguish the Sindelfingen Cabriolet A.

Through this interpretation, Ilario pays tribute to one of the finest expressions of automotive power, refinement and elegance of the 1930s.