The spectacular Mercedes-Benz 540K represented the zenith of pre-war accomplishments by the Stuttgart-based firm in the pre-war era. It is considered by many to be both a technical marvel and a styling masterpiece. An evolution of the brilliantly engineered 500K, whose independently suspended chassis it shared, the 540K was powered by a 5.4-liter, supercharged, straight-eight engine. The 540K was one of the first models developed under Mercedes-Benz’s new chief engineer, ex-racing driver Max Sailer, successor to Hans Nibel, who had…
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