Summary

This particular Mercedes was delivered originallly as an open Tourer, and later fitted with an open drive Town Car. Built on the Model 28/60 chassis which is very rare and desirable model type. The Town Car coachwork is factory original and restored.

Details

This motorcar was first delivered as a four seat racing style open Torpedo Tourer to the Mayor of Olm, Germany, who employed a Mercedes factory racing driver as his chauffeur. In 1917, as documented in the original factory Build Sheets, the car was sent back to the factory and re-bodied as you see it today as a formal open-front Town Car. By 1920, the newly reconfigured car had found its way to California, where it traded hands several times between San Francisco and Los Angeles. It was not until 1997 that the original coachwork, the Tourer body, was rediscovered with the help of the factory and duplicated by Crailville of London. Around 2000, restorations began on both bodies, the new Torpedo Tourer and the Town Car body, and a duplicate chassis was built. This second chassis is constructed out of polished wood, and features wooden radiators and wheels. This is a display chassis, built solely to showcase the Tourer body. Mark Goyette has worked on the restoration of this twin-bodied car for the last eleven years.