A 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Particular Roadster is headed to an RM Sotheby’s public sale subsequent month in Phoenix, Arizona. It’s being supplied up from a set generally known as the Open-Touring Assortment, and is scheduled to go underneath the hammer on Jan. 25.

The 1938 540K, which bears chassis quantity 408338, was initially offered with a Cabriolet B, which meant it shared many options, together with a chassis, drivetrain, lights, wire wheels, and instrumentation, with the extra fascinating Particular Roadster vehicles which totaled round 60 items solely.

This impressed one proprietor to vary the physique to the Particular Roadster after the unique Cabriolet B physique got here right into a state of disrepair.

The brand new physique was constructed by metalworker and coachbuilder Cass Nawrocki of Moose Lake, Minnesota, and took round two years to finish. Nawrocki had already rebodied an authentic 540K Particular Roadster throughout a earlier restoration job, and had the patterns and jigs to create one other physique, in addition to a set of rusted authentic fenders, doorways, and varied different physique panels to make use of as a reference.

1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Particular Roadster bearing chassis no. 408338 – Picture credit score: RM Sotheby’s

With the physique full, it was as much as Portland, Oregon-based Mercedes restorer Jim Friswold to rebuild the automobile. In response to the itemizing, no costly was spared for the rebuild which took a further three years to finish.

There have been a complete of 9 physique types initially supplied by Mercedes for the 540K. Manufacturing of the 540K along with the associated 500K was dealt with at Mercedes’ Untertürkheim plant close to Stuttgart,Germany, between 1934 and 1939. A complete of 760 chassis had been constructed, with 406 of those being the 540K powered by the supercharged 5.4-liter inline-8. The engine delivers an estimated 180 hp and is mated to a 4-speed handbook transmission.

The estimate for this 1938 instance is between $1.75 million and $2.25 million. A completely authentic 1937 540K Particular Roadster went underneath the hammer at a Mecum public sale in August, however didn’t promote regardless of reaching a high bid of $2.6 million.