Automobile Mercedes (-Benz) 500/540 K Cabriolet A 1935 in vendita

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To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' The Arizona Auction event, 28 - 29 January 2027.
$3,750,000 - $4,500,000 USD

Sold new as a 500 K Cabriolet A, one of just 33 examples produced
Factory-upgraded to 540 K specification prior to delivery to first owner, musician and composer Adolf Busch of Hamburg
Later owned by Millicent Rogers, an American socialite, jewelry designer and fashion icon
Acquired in 1960 by a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, Captain Dean V. Weihe, while stationed in France; imported by him to the United States and owned for nearly three decades
Restored in the early 2000s with cosmetics completed by Francois Cointreau and the engine rebuild and mechanicals completed by Reifen-Wagner
Part of the Groendyke Collection for 14 years, shown twice at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

A MAESTRO’S MERCEDES-BENZ

This Mercedes-Benz, chassis 105384, was originally completed as a 500 K, with its Cabriolet A coachwork from Sindelfingen finished in black with a black convertible top. It was sold new to conductor and composer Adolf Busch. Born in Siegen, Germany, Busch began his musical career as a violinist. He notably founded the Vienna Konzertverein Quartet, later forming the Busch Quartet following World War I.

Displeased with the changing political climate within Germany, in 1927 Busch emigrated to Basil, Switzerland, and later condemned German leadership altogether. In Switzerland he formed the Busch Chamber Players orchestra in Basil, and he later co-founded the Lucerne Festival, a classical music festival held in Switzerland. In 1939, at the outbreak of World War II, Mr. Busch emigrated from Basil to the United States, eventually settling in Vermont, where he helped establish a music community at Marlboro College and continued his creative career.

According to factory records the car was ordered on 4 April 1935 and delivered to Hamburg on 25 May; interestingly, this was after Busch had quite publicly left Germany for Switzerland. Prior to delivery, chassis 105384 was upgraded to the new 5.4-liter engine, then still in development. This new engine would serve as the powerplant for the 500 K’s successor, the 540 K, which debuted in October 1936, making this example one of the more potent 500 Ks on the road at the time. The car impressively retains the 540 K engine installed by the factory at this time. Its casting number corresponds to 8 April 1935, shortly following Busch’s order and weeks prior to his taking delivery.

Busch’s ownership is believed to have lasted about a year, as he would trade chassis 105384 in to the factory on another Mercedes-Benz he would order new. Chassis 105384 was next acquired by American socialite, jewelry designer, and fashion icon, Millicent Rogers. The granddaughter of Henry Huttleston Rogers, one of the co-founders of Standard Oil, her vast inherited wealth allowed her to live the life of a socialite from a very young age. In 1932 she moved to Europe, eventually settling in Austria. In 1936 she married her third husband in Vienna, Ronald Balcom, an American stockbroker. Under Rogers-Balcom ownership chassis 105384 was registered under export plate “5058” and had gained a Packard Twelve front bumper, a non-standard fog light, and an external horn. In photos taken during their ownership in Austria, the couple proudly is shown with their car. The non-standard front bumper and fog light are visible, as are dual rear-mounted spare wheels.

As power began to shift in Europe, Rogers chose to leave Austria in 1938, leaving behind her Mercedes-Benz. By 31 October 1938 chassis 105384 was in the care of a Dr. Gavin, then head of the Export Department at Daimler-Benz. The car was noted as having been “a present handed over” to an unknown recipient. A photo of the car exists from around this time, taken at the Daimler-Benz factory at Untertürkheim, now with unpainted hubcaps and the external horn removed.

A US AIRMAN’S FRENCH FARM FIND

In approximately 1960, chassis 105384 was acquired by US Air Force fighter pilot Captain Dean V. Weihe. Captain Weihe found the car on a French farm near Paris, where it is believed to have arrived prior to the end of World War II. At the time, it was said to have been there some 20 years earlier, around the time of Germany’s occupation of France. He later imported the car to the United States, as evidenced from a copy of his Armed Forces export form in 1961. Captain Weihe would go on to restore the car in red and black, enjoying it for over three decades.

In 1997, chassis 105384 was acquired by a Florda-based collector. Under their ownership the noted French restoration firm Francois Cointreau was commissioned to restore the Mercedes-Benz to the way it left factory in 1935, refinishing the car in all black. The 540 K engine rebuild, as well as the car’s mechanicals, were entrusted to the pre-war Mercedes-Benz experts at Reifen-Wagner, near Munich.

In the spring of 2006 chassis 105384 was acquired by noted collector John Groendyke. The Oklahoma-based Groendyke Collection is renowned for having housed some of the finest automobiles of the 1930s, including numerous Duesenbergs, V-16 Cadillacs, and other masterpieces of the coachbuilt era. Chassis 105384, with its exceptionally elegant lines, fit right in, bringing a nice touch of European flair to the stable. Just months after acquiring the car, Mr. Groendyke showed it at the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. In 2008 it was shown at the Rocky Mountain Concours at Broadmoor. Known for driving and enjoying his cars, Mr. Groendyke enjoyed 105384 on the 2009 Colorado Grand, where it is said to have performed flawlessly on the 1,000-mile rally.

The car was later shown at the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, where it won Best in Class Mercedes-Benz Supercharged. Later that year at it was shown at the Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s, where it won its class. Mr. Groendyke’s collection was always meticulously curated, and with its focus on usability, it never grew too large to enjoy every car. In March 2015, after nine years of ownership, Mr. Groendyke chose to sell chassis 105384, and it was acquired by Wolfgang Liebig, a Naples, Florida-based collector. It remained in Liebig’s collection until March 2021, when Mr. Groendyke reacquired his cherished Mercedes-Benz.

Following reacquisition, Richard Crump and Dustin Whitney sorted the car cosmetically and mechanically, bringing the pre-war Mercedes-Benz back to the high standards of Mr. Groendyke’s collection. This work included replating select chrome parts, sorting wear items including the installation of new Michelin tires from Longstone, the restoration of the gas tank, as well as a restoration of the radiator by the specialists at Blaak Radiateuren in the Netherlands.

Since the completion of this refurbishment, the Mercedes-Benz has been shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2024 and MODA Miami in 2025, achieving a third in class and a class win, respectively. As a centerpiece of The Groendyke Collection, it has since been joined in the stable by another Mercedes-Benz, a 300 SL Roadster.

A CABRIOLET A OF REMARKABLE PROVENANCE

With its perfect proportions and fine craftsmanship, the Mercedes-Benz Cabriolet A remains one of the most celebrated in-house coachwork designs in automotive history, and this example boasts a provenance as captivating as its elegant lines. Sold new as a Cabriolet A upgraded with a 540 K engine to noted composer Adolf Busch, later passing into the discerning stewardship of legendary fashion icon and socialite Millicent Rogers, before ultimately being rescued in the 1960s by a US airman with an eye for timeless design.

Chassis 105384 is now proudly offered from The Groendyke Collection. Years of fastidious care have kept its prior restoration in exquisite condition throughout, from the glasslike exterior to the nicely detailed engine bay, and the luxurious interior with mother of pearl dashboard and rich red leather.

If this car could talk, imagine the stories it could tell. Commuting to a performance with Adolf Busch humming the tune to a future composition, attending the opulent parties or fashion engagements Millicent Rogers was known to attend, and eventually escaping a war-torn Germany for France before being rescued two decades later by a US Airman stationed overseas, all prior to being maintained in premier collections, most recently that of John Groendyke.

Today, the evocative sound of its supercharged engine is a living echo of an unforgettable era, carrying forward the spirits of the fascinating owners who once held its wheel.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/az27/.