Museo Stradale

Dominic's Auto Museum
One man's passionate quest to survey finest motorcars in the world

Photographed: Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, 2009. Owner: Ken & Patty McBride

Special: A Mercedes-Benz with sporting intentions, red leather cockpit, and a supercharged straight-8 cylinder motor can only be a toy of the wealthy. In this case, our original owner was one Prinz Max zu Schaumburg-Lippe, a descendant of Catherine the Great, Tsar (or Tsarina as in this case) of Russia during the eighteenth century. Prinz Max fancied himself a racing driver, and enjoyed some success in the nascent days of European competition. Notably, in 1938 Prinz Max placed well in the Mille Miglia and the 24 hour race at Spa-Francorchamps behind the wheel of a BMW 328 NSKK Roadster, and a year later won the under 2-litre class at Le Mans with the 328 Touring Coupe. While it is true that racing favored the well-heeled, the Prinz certainly showed clout in tackling and conquering some of the era's top races.

But for personal transport, it seems the best was in order—and the best in Germany for the sporting gentleman meant Mercedes-Benz. Provided with the correct caché, (inherent to offspring of Russian Tsars), Mercedes-Benz could create the ultimate blend of luxury and performance—exactly what our Prinz was aiming for. This 380-K was commissioned for both racing and touring, evidenced by the dual windscreen treatment. Fitted to the body is a standard rectangular windscreen that can be flipped down, allowing a pair of racing screens to stand out atop the curvaceous, sporting cockpit bulkhead. Doors are cut down as was common for sports cars of the day, while running gear is deleted between the front and rear skirts. There are no bumper guards on the front or rear, although the space between the dumb irons is nicely finished with smooth sheet metal providing a beautiful perch for some extra candlepower to sit, right in front of that imposing mesh grille.

The whole combination of racing and touring is similar to that seen on our Talbot-Lago T-150 C as commissioned by Duke Phillipe de Massa. Unlike the Duke, however, Prinz Max took this car to a class victory in a 2000 kilometer race in Germany prior to World War II. The balance in mentioning such a feat is, of course, that the German juggernaut was spooling up fast through the classic era, and it is hard to gauge the competitive nature of such an event, (much like arguing that the 1940 Mille Miglia wasn't really the Mille Miglia). Nevertheless, when encountering a special sports car of reputable vintage, it's worth noting that both the car and its owner bared some teeth and did the business back in the day.

Name & Numbers: The 380 designation refers to Mercedes-Benz' ever increasing motor capacity, in this case an approximate 3.8 litres. This figure stems directly from a line of six and eight cylinder, mid to high-end sporting cars that began in 1931 with the 170. A considerable distance above the 170, the 380 was the first commerically available Benz to take direction from the race-bred SSK, being fitted with a supercharger as noted by the 'K' marker, which stands for Kompressor.

Design Notes: The 380's wheelbase is well suited to more conventional use, offering the best visible proportions when either a two-door four-place cabriolet or four-door sport sedan configuration is employed. For a two-place roadster, Erdmann & Rossi put the wheelbase length to good use, building in an oversized petrol tank—useful for racing—while also positioning the cockpit well aft of the motor, thereby elongating the bonnet. An integrated double continental kit is common among Erdmann & Rossi sporting designs, while inside the arrangement is more or less standard for the 380, with the exception of the rolling double-barrel cowl. Of note are the true glove boxes set on the periphery, while the gauge cluster is centered for attendance by both driver and co-driver. No top is attached, although a set of davits lining the doors and the rear deck is ready to accept perfuntory weather protection.

Whereas the 170 offered an advanced independent rear suspension, with twin coil springs and wishbones that acted as redundant wheel locators, the 380 changed the front to a Cadillac inspired independent setup, this a coil and wishbone unit that addressed damping, locating, and springing with individual components. A particularly nice feature of this roadster, the undercarriage, drums, and motor block are coated in striking vermillion paint, visible in the front under the shortened wings. All Mercedes from the 170 through the 380 drove through a 4-speed synchromesh box, excepting first gear, while a 5-speed was optional. The motor was good for 90 brake horsepower naturally aspirated, or better than 140 with the supercharger engaged under full throttle.

Context: The 380 would be replaced after only one year, and largely overshadowed thereafter by the 500 and 540 luxury craft that appeared mostly in cabriolet form. However, the lesser 380 is better proportioned, with tidier lines and sweeter overall proportions. The 540-K in particular can seem cumbersome and lumbering—a play at ostentatious style, rather than good design. But the 380, and to some extent the 6-cylinder 290, remain among the most appealing classic era Mercedes-Benz touring automobiles; certainly, they are among the rarest.

Sources:

"Great Marques Mercedes-Benz" by Roger Bell, Octopus Books Limited, London, 1980, pages 43, 48

Ultimatecarpage.com: The premier resource on the internet includes this piece on the 380-K Cabriolet.

SeriousWheels.com: Article glossing the 380-K, 500-K, and 540-K

 

Back to Index