Summary

32019 remains largely original, but has been repainted and re-trimmed as the original materials deteriorated. The car shows a great patina and is a very correct and original car.

Details

After the union of Daimler and Benz in 1926 the first models produced were the Model 630 K. The 630 Model K (K for 'Kurtz' meaning short) as the cars were known, are officially designated 24/100/140. The 24 referred to the taxable horsepower (function of engine displacement) and the 100 was the actual horsepower. The third number, 140, was the horsepower with supercharger engaged. Factory records show the this car was delivered to British Mercedes-Benz, Ltd., London on April 13, 1927. The first owner is unknown, but car was dispatched to the well-known Brighton firm, Thomas Harrington Ltd., where it received the sporting drophead coupe coachwork that remains on the chassis today. From the English registration plate, we know the car spent many years in the UK. Sometime in the late 1970s the car was purchased and traveled to a collector in Thailand. In 1987 or so, a prominent Thai family with government connections heard the car had been seized by customs officials many years earlier and was in storage. They used their influence and were able to purchase 32019 for their collection where it sat for nearly 20 years. The car was then sold and imported to the US and was immediately delivered to the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Irvine, CA for a full service, safety check and road test. 32019 remains largely original, but has been repainted and re-trimmed as the original materials deteriorated. The car shows a great patina and is a very correct and original car.