[-GS-]

This is not a 1927 Mercedes 680 K supercharged. In fact I can't find any "680K" model.

This is a 1927 MB Type 680 Model S 26/120/180


This is a 1928 630 K Murphy Town Car


The car in question doesn't seem to resemble these two cars. It may not be 100% original or can be some other model/year. I don't think its all original but then its just my opinion, I may be wrong.

Someone has already mentioned in post 15, page 1 of this thread that its not a 680K but a 1928 Mercedes Benz type K supercharged. I am not convinced with this either.

I request all you guys to please help me identify this model/year. I may be wrong in my observation and this may really be some 1927 680K model that Mercedes produced in limited numbers for which I can't find any information.

Thanks

[iraghava]

Gaurav - This has been debated for quite a while now & seems that nobody has a clear answer to this. We simply don't know whether the car is genuine or not. Net searches turn up a blank with the closest being these:

Mercedes Benz 680 S 26/120/180 hp Saoutchik Torpedo - Ultimatecarpage.com - Images, Specifications and Information

Mercedes Benz 680 S - Ultimatecarpage.com - Images, Specifications and Information

However, the person who owns this car has always maintained that this is indeed a 680k. Read this article brought out after the last Auto Expo:

Vintage cars rev up auto fair

Maybe someone who's a Merc forum member can post these pictures there & ask for a clarification?

P.S. From the astronomical prices being asked for by the current owner & the final price offered by a big-time collector of Delhi, I'm assuming this is a genuine piece unless we have evidence to the contrary.

[-GS-]

Ishan I know this has been debated for quite a while now but still I would like to find out exactly what model this is. When I try searching for 680K on the net, the only relevant search result I get is this Team BHP link. There is no mention of 680 K anywhere else not even on the Mercedes Benz museum website.

The 680 S was 2 door. Even when you compare the overall length with the 680 S model, this one appears to be shorter. If the Maharaja bought this vehicle for racing then it should have been a 2 door and not 4. This looks more like a supercharged tourer. Now when you compare it with the Town Car (pic posted by me), you will again find many differences. Again I may be wrong here.

Wonder why there is no information on this particular model (680K) on the internet when you can find info on almost all one off machines. Mercedes Benz still produced 6 of these, atleast this is what the owner claims.

@ mods - can I post a link to this thread on MBClub Forums or the pictures posted here?

[Gordon]

It could also be possible that this was a one-off made for the Maharajah. It could be a genuine 680K but custom-built with 4-doors for the King. However this may not be a 680K, but a 680S Roadster.

Check this link :

Mercedes-Benz 680 S Saoutchik Torpedo Roadster - Supercars.net

[speedy]

Originally Posted by Gordon

It could also be possible that this was a one-off made for the Maharajah. It could be a genuine 680K but custom-built with 4-doors for the King. However this may not be a 680K, but a 680S Roadster.

Check this link :

Mercedes-Benz 680 S Saoutchik Torpedo Roadster - Supercars.net

, maybe the maharaja had bought the 680k and likes certain cosmetical parts of the 680s and had it cutom built for himself. the two door body was replaced by the open tourer body(four door) and other elements were also changed. it was common practice by the maharaja's to have the car tailored to their specification and needs. my caddy is an example of this. it was an original 51 with a lot of cosmetical changes made with the 52 caddy. so it came to be a golden anniversary edition.

[-GS-]

Gordon, it may be possible that it is a one-off made only for the Maharaja. In that case don't you think that the present owner would emphasize more on it as it would add more exclusivity to the already exclusive car, as he had mentioned himself that only 6 were built by Mercedes Benz.

In the link you provided it is clearly mentioned that the 680 S has the body work by Jaques Saoutchik which makes it rare and adds more value to it. Similarly, if the body work of this Mercedes was done by someone else, it would have been called a Mercedes-Benz 680 S ______ . Further it is mentioned in the link that the Saoutchik design took advantage of the Type 680's low slung chassis. The car looks low in the picture as well. When you see the pictures in the link that Ishan has provided as well as the one that I have posted of the 680 S, even they are low whereas this 680 K is quite high.

I am not able to find a single piece of evidence that there was ever a 680K built.

[-GS-]

Originally Posted by speedy

, maybe the maharaja had bought the 680k and likes certain cosmetical parts of the 680s and had it cutom built for himself. the two door body was replaced by the open tourer body(four door) and other elements were also changed. it was common practice by the maharaja's to have the car tailored to their specification and needs. my caddy is an example of this. it was an original 51 with a lot of cosmetical changes made with the 52 caddy. so it came to be a golden anniversary edition.

Agreed that the Maharaja bought a 680 K and made some cosmetic changes to it. The current owner says that there were only six built by Mercedes. I just want to know that if there ever was a 680 K built by Mercedes then someone must be having some info/evidence of it, where is it?
This is the only info that is available (taken from the link that Ishan provided):

The collection includes 1927 make Mercedes 680K Supercharged. The German car is reported to be the only one of the six that were made by the Mercedes Benz for racing. The vehicle was brought to India by an erstwhile Maharaja, who was an avid racing fan and used to participate in racing events at Silverstone.

Where this report came from? 680K was not a tailor made car just for the Maharaja that its not mentioned anywhere. Six of them were made by Mercedes Benz itself. Don't you think there must be a record for this particular model?

Speedy you have mentioned in your garage that your caddy is 52 now you are saying its 51. Anyway your caddy doesn't have 4 doors and neither has been shortened in length or raised in height so much that you can question its model/year. There are just some cosmetic changes that you can easily point out. In noway does it change the whole identity of your car.

[speedy]

Originally Posted by -GS-

Speedy you have mentioned in your garage that your caddy is 52 now you are saying its 51. Anyway your caddy doesn't have 4 doors and neither has been shortened in length or raised in height so much that you can question its model/year. There are just some cosmetic changes that you can easily point out. In noway does it change the whole identity of your car.

on paper even from the company it states 52 for the caddy. i agree there are minor cosmetic changes that cannot be very easily made out. i have papers of the company as well cause the maharaja wanted it that way. the identity does not change in any ways.
to clear the doubt the next time you are free i shall call the owner and we can inspect it more closely. i knew i should have looked for the plates and taken pictures of it. alot of issues would have been settled.

[-GS-]

Originally Posted by speedy

on paper even from the company it states 52 for the caddy. i agree there are minor cosmetic changes that cannot be very easily made out. i have papers of the company as well cause the maharaja wanted it that way. the identity does not change in any ways.
to clear the doubt the next time you are free i shall call the owner and we can inspect it more closely. i knew i should have looked for the plates and taken pictures of it. alot of issues would have been settled.

So you have the papers of the company that states its a 52 caddy but with some minor cosmetic parts of a 51 caddy. Even if you didn't have the papers, people would have been able to recognize it. But here we are just not able to recognize it because the model 680 K is no where to be found and it doesn't look like a 680 S.

Lets not discuss the Caddy here as it would make the reading confusing.

[speedy]

Originally Posted by -GS-

So you have the papers of the company that states its a 52 caddy but with some minor cosmetic parts of a 51 caddy. Even if you didn't have the papers, people would have been able to recognize it. But here we are just not able to recognize it because the model 680 K is no where to be found and it doesn't look like a 680 S.

Lets not discuss the Caddy here as it would make the reading confusing.

keep yourself free next weekend. will take you to the 680k to clear the confusion in your mind regarding the model. we can study the car itself.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by iraghava

I don't know why but considering how rare & special this car is, it still doesn't excite me at all. Somehow she seems dull & not so special. Maybe, it's because its a really old car or maybe it's because I can't get a grasp of it in pictures.

But all said & done I'm left unimpressed by it. Infact, in the current state it looks a little tacky to me.

I have to agree with you on this. Cant quite put my finger on it, may even be the unispiring coachwork or those hideous little details in the restoration. See Mallyas similar car, and you will immediately notice the difference.

[vintageman]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

I have to agree with you on this. Cant quite put my finger on it, may even be the unispiring coachwork or those hideous little details in the restoration. See Mallyas similar car, and you will immediately notice the difference.

Maybe the difference between this and Mallya's car lies in being a collector and in being a dealer.

And Sirs , Bhinga had a Raja not a Maharaja - the present Raja Saheb being a sitting MLA of the UP assembly ( or was till the last election , I did not follow the latest status ) , will approach and ask him the cars history next time I'm in Lucknow.

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

See Mallyas similar car, and you will immediately notice the difference.

Put up a picture please. I want to see.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Put up a picture please. I want to see.

Here it is in Poona in 2004. The car was originally in Poona for many years coincidentally, till Mallya bought it from the Poonawallas for a pittance.

[speedy]

karl is this a 540k open tourer? why did poonawalla sell it to mallya?