by In the USA, a rare 1928 Mercedes-Benz 630K La Baule Torpedo Transformable was sold at Bonhams auction. The convertible fetched $730,000. This is reported by Focus.
Only 12 Mercedes-Benz 630Ks with La Baule bodies were produced. Its design was developed by renowned stylist of Ukrainian descent Jacques Saoutchik.
Jacques or Yakov Saoutchik (real surname — Savchuk) emigrated to France with his parents at the end of the 19th century. In a suburb of Paris, he founded his own body workshop Saoutchik and created the design for exclusive Mercedes-Benz, Hispano Suiza, Delahaye, Cadillac, and other cars.
Yakov Saoutchik’s works are now highly valued by collectors. These cars are distinguished by avant-garde style, unconventional solutions, and bright body colors.
The Mercedes 630K La Baule is no exception in this regard. The car has two windshields, and the fabric roof is two-sectioned — it can be folded completely or only above the front seats. And in the interior trim, along with leather and wood, there is expensive fabric, like on tapestries.
The Mercedes convertible is equipped with a supercharged 6.3-liter six-cylinder engine designed by Ferdinand Porsche. It develops 140 hp and allows reaching 145 km/h.
The car was built on order from a client in the USA. Later, it ended up in a rental company that provided cars for filming in Hollywood, and in the 40s, the car was featured in films. The Mercedes 630K was displayed in several museums and underwent restoration.
Recall that recently a sports coupe Packard, created by another Ukrainian designer, Oleksiy Sakhno, who was a descendant of Nikolai Gogol and Hetman Polubotok, was also put up for auction.
