Mercedes-Benz – 680 S (1928)

In 1926, Mercedes-Benz presented the W 06 Series with the Types S, SS and SSK as an exception- ally powerful model. The car initially known as the Type S was derived from the Type K and was given the designation 680 S owing to its displacement. The car provided fast, comfortable touring and also served as the basis for numerous successes in motor sport, both at hillclimb trials and on the new race tracks. A powerful inline six-cylinder engine with a displacement of 6.8 litres and twin ignition was installed as the engine, with the overhead camshaft being driven by a vertical shaft. A roots-type supercharger leverages the maximum power from 120 to 180 hp in a short burst, and drivers in a hurry can accelerate a 680 S to more than 170 km / h. The car shows the signature of Ferdinand Porsche, who worked as chief engineer at Mercedes-Benz during the period in question. Mercedes-Benz was one of the few manufacturers with its own coachworks already in the 1920s, located in Sindelfingen. This example was clothed in a four-seater body, which was given the internal designation of “Sport 4”. Rudolf Caracciola was driving a motor car like this when he won the opening race at the Nürburgring in 1927. The example presented in the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is one of 146 automobiles with the designation 680 S to be built and the sports car was delivered to its first owner through the dealership in New York. At the beginning of the 1980s, this automobilecame across the water to Great Britain but subsequently found its way back to Germany. The present owner acquired the tourer in 2022. The 680 S is technically perfect and is presented in a highly original condition.