Is the real Caracciola Mercedes 500k coupe still around?

[LDO]

You know, the coupe that Jo-Han issued in the 1960s. I tried Googling, but I keep getting other 500Ks or race cars that Carraciola drove.

[CAL]

You know, the coupe that Jo-Han issued in the 1960s. I tried Googling, but I keep getting other 500Ks or race cars that Carraciola drove.

Here is a 500K http://www.kidston.com/kidston-Motor-Cars/...00K-Cabriolet-A

[Modelmartin]

That's not it. That's a Cabriolet A. The Jo-Han is a Spezial Coupe. I will go through my refernce and post some pics tomorrow.

[Modelmartin]

Well, I looked through all my stuff and I had everything but the 500K special coupe in my files!! However here is a good article on the 500k special roadster that Jo-han also produced. This particular car is in the Mercedes Benz Museum near Stuttgart. One tip on the Jo-han kits - cut down the rear springs to lower the ride height. It sits up much too high to look right. Otherwise it is an amazing quality kit. Try to get an older release with the "Gold Cup" on the box-art. The molds were in much better shape then.

If you want better scans just PM me with your e-mail and I will send them your way. I have a lot of other reference for 500 and 540K Including the Italieri/Testors Cabriolet B and the Heller 540K Special roadster. If I do find anything on the 500K coupe I will post it here.

[CAL]

That's not it. That's a Cabriolet A. The Jo-Han is a Spezial Coupe. I will go through my refernce and post some pics tomorrow.

I don't think so.

The "coupe" was a Special Limousine.

The car pictured above is a cab, maybe a roadster, the Johan car was a special True Roadster, close, but slightly different most visually significant the bonnet and the bumpers.

Edited September 13, 2009 by CAL

[Modelmartin]

I don't think so.

The "coupe" was a Special Limousine.

The car pictured above is a cab, maybe a roadster, the Johan car was a special True Roadster, close, but slightly different most visually significant the bonnet and the bumpers.

HUH! The car in the article I posted IS a 500K Special Roadster. The webpage you gave the link for says right on it that it is a 500K Cabriolet A. Those are Mercedes built coachwork and designations. Jo-han did 2 versions of the 500K. One was a Special Roadster (exactly like the one in the article) and the other was a Special Coupe. Again those are both Mercedes coachwork and designations. The well known Monogram kit is a later model Cabriolet A. The Testors/Italieri kit is a Cabriolet B. The Heller is a later model Special Roadster. There were quite a number of non-Mercedes coachbuilt cars made too. There were even a couple of 4 door 540K built in England - one by Freestone and Webb. For the Germans, limousine is just their word for the English word sedan or enclosed car. It is used on everything from Beetles to 4-door sedans and coupes. By the way Mercedes used the Cabriolet designation all the way to letter F on the 770K "Grosser" Limousines. Some of those were 7 passenger convertible sedans. They are quite spectacular....and really, really heavy.

What also leads to much confusion is the many kinds of hood sides that were used on the 500 and 540K cars. Some were simple louvered ones, some were elaborate with grilles on them. Fenders were quite variable too. The depth of skirting, moldings around edges, and huge variations in running boards. Even though Mercedes built many of these cars, they were still a custom order type deal and people ordered all kinds of changes on them from the factory. Interiors, bumpers, spare tires and covers, etc. etc.

It took me a little bit to get a handle on all of these designations and make a little sense of all the variations.

[CAL]

HUH! The car in the article I posted IS a 500K Special Roadster. The webpage you gave the link for says right on it that it is a 500K Cabriolet A. Those are Mercedes built coachwork and designations. Jo-han did 2 versions of the 500K. One was a Special Roadster (exactly like the one in the article) and the other was a Special Coupe. Again those are both Mercedes coachwork and designations. The well known Monogram kit is a later model Cabriolet A. The Testors/Italieri kit is a Cabriolet B. The Heller is a later model Special Roadster. There were quite a number of non-Mercedes coachbuilt cars made too. There were even a couple of 4 door 540K built in England - one by Freestone and Webb. For the Germans, limousine is just their word for the English word sedan or enclosed car. It is used on everything from Beetles to 4-door sedans and coupes. By the way Mercedes used the Cabriolet designation all the way to letter F on the 770K "Grosser" Limousines. Some of those were 7 passenger convertible sedans. They are quite spectacular....and really, really heavy.

What also leads to much confusion is the many kinds of hood sides that were used on the 500 and 540K cars. Some were simple louvered ones, some were elaborate with grilles on them. Fenders were quite variable too. The depth of skirting, moldings around edges, and huge variations in running boards. Even though Mercedes built many of these cars, they were still a custom order type deal and people ordered all kinds of changes on them from the factory. Interiors, bumpers, spare tires and covers, etc. etc.

It took me a little bit to get a handle on all of these designations and make a little sense of all the variations.

Edited September 19, 2009 by CAL

[Art Anderson]

You know, the coupe that Jo-Han issued in the 1960s. I tried Googling, but I keep getting other 500Ks or race cars that Carraciola drove.

[poncar]

Hi there!

I got a tip about this on-going topic at this forum from a fellow member at the Swedish modelbuilders forum "Modelbygge iFokus".

Since My latest project actually was the Jo-Han kit of the 1934 Mercedes Benz 500K "Roadster Limousine" i thought I maybe could help you with a picture of what i guess probably is Rudolph Carracciolas MB 500, photographed in the 1980:s, probably in the US. I found the picture (attached) just by coincidence while looking in one of my almost forgotten books; "Classic Cars", by Richard Nichols, Bison Books UK 1984. The coachwork, the body-color, the white-wall tyres, and the overall general appearance of the car at the photo is similar to the on on the "box-art" of Jo-Han's kit. So far, the picture in "Classic Cars" is the only one looking like the box-art car that, in the text on the outside of the box, is said to have been specially ordered for Rudolph Carracciola, and later sold to a collector in California. The three other attached pic's shows my own, dark blue version of this extremely beautyful car.

Edited February 19, 2010 by poncar

[E St. Kruiser50]

You know, the coupe that Jo-Han issued in the 1960s. I tried Googling, but I keep getting other 500Ks or race cars that Carraciola drove.

Not sure, but this may be the car kit you're referring to. I'm sure this is the one Andy is talking about.

Very, very nice kits. Super detailed, with a ton of parts, and everything fits beautifully.

Got this one started with opening doors and so forth.

Also have a 500 K Special Roadster started that is a modified version of the 1934 Mercedes JoHan roadster.

Nice kit also.

These are available on eBay most of the time for what I think is a reasonable cost most of the time.

Here's a pic. As Andy stated, this is from the Gold Cup Series.

Edited February 20, 2010 by Treehugger Dave

[CAL]

Not sure, but this may be the car kit you're referring to. I'm sure this is the one Andy is talking about.

Very, very nice kits. Super detailed, with a ton of parts, and everything fits beautifully.

Got this one started with opening doors and so forth.

Also have a 500 K Special Roadster started that is a modified version of the 1934 Mercedes JoHan roadster.

Nice kit also.

These are available on eBay most of the time for what I think is a reasonable cost most of the time.

Here's a pic. As Andy stated, this is from the Gold Cup Series.

They even come with a little Gold Cup. Cute. I have a roadster Gold Cup and a bunch of Sterling coupes and roadsters. If you can get the Gold Cup kit they are cleaner, crisper.

Edited February 20, 2010 by CAL

[Modelmartin]

Oh, what the hey! Here is the Jo-Han I built a few years ago. What a great kit! I cut down the rear springs to get the ride height down a bit. I like painted wires. Injection molded wire wheels look better painted, in my opinion. The Jo-Han wires are better than almost anyone else's but I still like them better painted. I will be using them on my Heller Special roadster when I get that built.

[CAL]

Oh, what the hey! Here is the Jo-Han I built a few years ago. What a great kit! I cut down the rear springs to get the ride height down a bit. I like painted wires. Injection molded wire wheels look better painted, in my opinion. The Jo-Han wires are better than almost anyone else's but I still like them better painted. I will be using them on my Heller Special roadster when I get that built.

That turned out real nice. I like it. You did what I was thinking with the chrome trim around the fenders, even though it was just a body line.

[Modelmartin]

That turned out real nice. I like it. You did what I was thinking with the chrome trim around the fenders, even though it was just a body line.

Thanks. When I foiled the fender trim I was using the special roadster for influence. A car of that caliber should not be too stark looking.

[sjordan2]

Here is a larger version of the factory shot Art posted, so you can see a hair more detail. One thing you'll see a bit better is the wheel weight holders in the rims, which add a nice detail to models of these cars.

http://www.autowp.ru/pictures/mercedes-benz/500k/autowp.ru_mercedes-benz_500k_sports_sedan_2.jpg

Here's the other side:

http://www.autowp.ru/pictures/mercedes-benz/500k/autowp.ru_mercedes-benz_500k_sports_sedan_1.jpg

Here's a later 1939 540K coupe which, to my mind, is less graceful than the 500K version (PS: This is a great site for all kinds of car reference, though it's a bit short on interior and engine detail):

http://www.schlegelmilch.com/archive/index.php?PHPSESSID=fcde54ba4fcc1a909355e755810eb3af&page=search&offset=0&mainid=80161&select_auto_manufacturer=5&select_auto_model=327&st=0