A 1939 Mercedes-Benz 770K Grosser Open Tourer once owned by Adolf Hitler will be auctioned by Worldwide Auctioneers in Scottsdale on January 17.
The auction house says that the Mercedes was originally commissioned by Hitler chauffeur and SS officer Erich Kempka and used during multiple Nazi parades between 1939 and 1941. It was also used for visiting dignitaries.
In order to protect the Führer, the car was equipped with armor plating along its sides and through the bottom. Additionally, a bullet-resistant windshield has been fitted and there’s even a retractable armor plate behind the seats. Power is provided by a supercharged 7.7-liter inline-eight engine delivering 230 hp and mated to a five-speed manual transmission.
As World War II reached its conclusion, Allied Forces captured the Mercedes-Benz 770K Grosser and it has been kept in excellent condition ever since.
Worldwide Auctioneers intends on using 10 per cent of the sale price on education services related to the Holocaust to ensure no similar atrocities ever happen again.