Mercedes to Display One-Off 1938 540 K Streamliner at Pebble Beach

At this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Mercedes-Benz will showcase a very special car, the only 540 K Streamliner ever built.

Dating from 1938, the vehicle will celebrate its international public premiere on the west coast of America, following extensive restoration and reconstruction.

Built for high-speed, long distance motoring, the 540 K Streamliner is powered by a 180PS (177hp) 5.4-liter inline 8-cylinder supercharged engine and has a lightweight aluminum body shell developed in the wind tunnel.

Mercedes-Benz Classic restored and rebuilt the vehicle to its original condition, “using only the technical skills, methods and materials of the period from which the vehicle originates,” according to the release. As a result, the car looks just like in 1938 when it was produced.

Based on a chassis from the standard 540 K production model, the Streamliner was faster thanks to its lightweight shell and slippery body. Although it was originally designed to participate in the long-distance Berlin – Rome race, planned for 1938, the 540 K Streamliner never had the chance to do it because the race was postponed and cancelled due to the start of the Second World War.

From mid-1938 onwards, the car was used by the German branch of tire manufacturer Dunlop for everyday testing of high-speed tyres for fast cars.

Besides the 540 K Streamliner, Mercedes-Benz will also display three Grand Prix cars from 1914, the same cars that celebrated a one-two-three finish at the French Grand Prix on July 4, 1914 near Lyon.

By Dan Mihalascu