Mercedes 680S - 26/120/280 S Type Torpedo Roadster Saoutchik 1928

The Mercedes 680S Torpedo Roadster with body by Saoutchik was seen during 2008 Retromobile for the Bonhams Auctions. It was sold for Euros 2,317,500. It appears in two tone colour at 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance presented by Paul Andrews from the USA and collected the coveted award. More recently, the same Mercedes 680 S Torpedo Roadster Saoutchik took part of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2013 at Cernobbio near Lake Como in Italy. It was awarded winner of the Class A for Kings of the Road.

Between 1926 and 1934, the Daimler Benz Company produced a series of impressive racing and sports cars under the successive designations K, S, SS, SSK and SSKL. We have described to history of these exclusive sports and racing cars under Car Reviews Mercedes Super Sport Kurtz-SSK-1928.

The Mercedes-Benz Classic Archives provide some more information on the winning car to offer. It was originally ordered by Mercedes-Benz Comp. Inc., New York, for a Mr. Charles Levine, New York. On 2 August 1928, the chassis was delivered to Saoutchik in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. The company manufactured and mounted the sports two-seater body and charged 72,327.25 French Francs (equalling 11,572.35 Reichsmark) to Daimler-Benz AG in December 1928. The exact date of delivery is not documented, but it is supposed to have happened in December 1928.

Current owners Judy and Paul Andrews of White Settlement, Texas, had the car extensively restored before presenting it to the panel of judges in Pebble Beach. Before that the vehicle had been kept in storage for around 30 years.

The Mercedes-Benz S Type – also known as the 680 S because of its 6.8-litre engine capacity – was launched in 1927 as an evolution of the Mercedes-Benz Model K super sports car. It established the legendary family of heavyweight supercharged cars that included the SS and SSK models from 1928. The cars dominated racing history over the years, but could also be bought as conventional road vehicles. All vehicles in this family had a six-cylinder in-line engine with a supercharger to increase output. Power was also boosted by the dual ignition. Each cylinder had two spark plugs, one fired by a battery ignition and the other by a high-voltage magneto ignition.

The 6.8-litre engine of the S Type, the model on which all the others were based, produced an output of 120 bhp (88 kW) without a supercharger and 180 bhp (132 kW) with the supercharger engaged. This made the S Type one of the fastest and most sought-after sports cars of its time. Its debut public appearance at the opening race at the Nürburgring in 1927 ended with a threefold victory for Mercedes-Benz. Rudolf Caracciola drove his S Type across the finishing line in first place.

Only 146 of these exclusive high-performance sports cars were ever made, the vast majority of them sold as open-top four-seaters with a Sindelfingen body. A select few, however, such as this year’s Best in Show winner at Pebble Beach, were delivered as a chassis to have their bodywork made by the most famous coachbuilders of the era. For many years now, the Mercedes-Benz S Type has been one of the most popular collector’s cars and also one of the most valuable.

wallpapers of the Mercedes 680S - 26/120/280 S Type Torpedo Roadster Saoutchik 1928 click on image to enlarge