--- title: "1937 Mercedes 540K Special Roadster Wins Best of Show at 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance" description: "The 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Best of Show winner is a Mercedes-Benz Special Roadster with a great story." date: "2023-08-20" modified: "2023-08-20" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/1937-mercedes-540k-special-roadster-wins-best-of-show-at-2023-pebble-beach-concours-delegance" categories: - "Mercedes-Benz News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Mercedes-Benz" --- # 1937 Mercedes 540K Special Roadster Wins Best of Show at 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance ![]() This year's [Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance]() had a few interesting contenders for Best of Show, the most prestigious car award in the United States. Typically, it's a [pre-war Duesenberg]() or Talbot that takes home the trophy but there were some post-war cars that were thought to be in the mix this year, including a Porsche 901 prototype owned by [Alois Ruf]() himself. However, the winner was indeed a pre-war car—a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster. The '37 Mercedes 540K marks the 50th car, of the 72 Pebble Beach Best of Show winners, to be from the 1930s. Like most Pebble Beach Concours winners, the '37 Mercedes has a fascinating story. It was originally owned by King Shah of Afghanistan in the 1930s. To keep it safe during WWII, King Shah had it stashed in the Afghanistan embassy in Paris, where it stayed until 1948. King Shah then gave it to his son-in-law, who drove it around London for a few years, before selling it. The 540K then exchanged hands a few times before it eventually ended up with its current owner, Jim Patterson from Louisville, Kentucky. https://www.youtube.com/live/o2i2SUq79Bo?feature=share&t=9182 Only 26 Mercedes 540K Special Roadsters were made and each packed a 5.4-liter supercharged inline-8 with 180 horsepower. It had a pretty sophisticated suspension for its day, too, with independent double wishbone front suspension and coil springs, along with rear swing-axle suspension with coil springs. When it was new, the Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster cost around $12,000, which is roughly $260,000 in today's money. This specific car—due to its incredible rarity, interesting story, and Pebble Beach Best of Show win—is invaluable. While it would have been fun to see a post-war car win for a change (and I was really hoping Ruf's Porsche 901 prototype took home the win), the Mercedes 540K Special Roadster is a machine that's as beautiful as it is impressive. So congratulations to Jim Patterson and his stunning pre-war Mercedes. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()