The lost Mercedes-Benz streamliners: future recreation projects?

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The recent article about Auto Union’s Schnellsportwagen here on PreWarCar.com generated some interesting comments. Not everyone likes the brand-new Silver Arrow road car that never was. Still, we have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of the lost prototypes, could-have-been cars or vanished racers yet, and the Mercedes-Benz 500K Spezial Stromliniënwagen Deutschland-fahrt could well be the next in line for a new build.

The car owes its Deutschland-fahrt moniker to the race of the same name in which it was entered. It was a long-distance rally organised for the first time in 1933, but it became perhaps better-known as the 2000 Km Durch Deutschland, which was also printed on the rally plaques for 1934. The road race was organised mainly as an endurance trial to demonstrate and promote the quality products of Germany’s motor manufacturers. In 1934, organisation had fallen into the hands of Adolf Hühnlein and his N.S.S.K. (National Socialist Motor Corps), and this is said to have motivated the industry even more to show its best sides. No fewer than 650 cars were seen at the starting line in Baden-Baden, while Leipzig saw another 1,088 motorbikes start for the 2,000 k.m. road race.

Mercedes-Benz entered six supercharged 500K works cars, with the one seen here probably being the most unusual of these. It was a one-off with a special streamlined coupé body, designed by a young Rudolf Uhlenhaut, and oddly named "Sport Roadster." The sloping fastback roof with spare wheel hidden behind a cover is perhaps its most striking feature, but the lack of rear wings as we knew them at the time is certainly remarkable as well. It is unknown what happened to the car after the race. Chances of its survival seem low, but, like it or not, remanufacturing it would certainly be a possibility.

Also, we found that at least one more Mercedes-Benz 500K was entered (privately) in that same 1934 race, by the Indonesian Tan Tjoan Keng, whom longstanding readers might remember from this 2011 article. He is believed to have owned more than one, but it was possibly his own extraordinary Spezial Stromliniënwagen variant, a car at least as extravagant as this works coupé. Keng used his light-coloured 500K streamliner extensively to tour the world before the Second World War (picture four). Traces of the vehicle from after the war are scarce and shrouded in mystery. It was last seen in 1951 being offered for sale by Tan’s local garage in Oegstgeest, the Netherlands, which is believed to have serviced the big coupé from day one. So far, it appears it to be a dead end. Could that car survive? Or is this the next in line for a replica?

Words: Jeroen Booij

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