The open Mercedes-Benz 770K Grosser Offener Tourenwagen called ‘Super Mercedes’ or ‘Grosser’ was allegedly built to Adolf Hitler and was used during Nazi parades between 1939 and 1941.
In 2004, the car was sold for a staggering 15 million euros — approximately $18 million. In January 2018, it didn’t reach the minimum price at auction asked by the anonymous seller and could therefore still be for sale.
Adolf Hitler and his propaganda booster
The ‘Super Mercedes’ was a propaganda booster and got it’s debut in October 1939 during a Berlin parade to the Old Reich Chancellery. The following year, the car was used in Munich during a state visit by the Italien dictator Benito Mussolini, and again at Hitler’s victory parade after the successful invasion of France.
By the end of the war in 1945, it was seized by the Americans and used by the U.S. Army Military Police stationed in Le Havre, northern France. Since then, it has changed hands several times.
In 1946, it was bought by Tom Austin, a rich tobacco planter from Greeneville, Tennessee. After many years, and apparently little understanding of its provenance, the car was eventually restored in 1976. Shortly after, Ralph Engelstad, the owner of the Imperial Palace Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas became the next owner. At the time, it had an odometer reading of just 33,309 kilometers (20,697 miles). Today, auctioneers claim that only approximately 50 kilometers have been added over the last 40 years.
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After the death of Engelstad, the car was sold in 2004 as part of a car collection of extremely rare Mercedes-Benz automobiles. The current owner is anonymous, but media suggests it was last purchased by a Russian billionaire in 2009.
The car includes features like built in armor plates and bulletproof windows – and it was allegedly driven by Hitler’s personal driver, SS official Erich Kempka.
The Mercedes-Benz 770K Grosser Offener Tourenwagen is equipped with a 7.7 liter eight-cylinder engine producing 230 horsepower. According to the auction site Worldwide auctioneers, this car is one of only five Offener Torenwagen, that still exist today.
