1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Streamliner at Amelia Island Concours [40 Photos]



 

The 540K Streamliner is always a delight to see and photograph.  A few things to note: the machine is HUGE! It is truly enormous by all dimensions, including its width.  A massive scale for a road car.

The next is that this machine was as otherworldly and advanced in 1938 as it seems today.  Nothing approaching such a streamlined design was ever applied to a closed, luxury grand tourer of a car.  This machine excelled at a core MB trait: extreme high speed and extreme luxury.  Their hotrod limos and perhaps the S-Class Coupe still embody most of the 540K spirit today.

They recent MB range has certainly benefitted from its new Sindelfingen wind tunnel.  Named after who else but the creators of this 540K.

 

1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Streamliner