The infamous classic car changes hands yet again…
An unnamed Russian billionaire reportedly has sold Adolf Hitler’s limousine to Clive Palmer, an Australian mining magnate and Senate candidate who routinely courts controversy. The bulletproof 1939 Mercedes-Benz 770 Grosser Offener Tourenwagen limousine infamously used by the Fuhrer has changed hands many times over the past several decades. It’s believed Palmer plans to display the Mercedes-Benz and other recently acquired classic cars in a new museum located in Queensland.
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With an 8.0-liter inline-eight engine, the 1939 Mercedes-Benz 770 Grosser Offener Tourenwagen cranks out about 238-horsepower. That might not sound like much these days, but back then it was considered a powerful car, fit enough to transport the ruthless dictator of the Third Reich. It reportedly can hit a top speed of about 118 mph. The driver manages a 5-speed manual transmission, something you wouldn’t find in modern limousines.
More importantly, Hitler had the Mercedes-Benz outfitted with bulletproof armoring since he didn’t want to end up like Franz Ferdinand. All that armoring no doubt made the car slower, however considering the well-documented paranoia of the Fuhrer, he likely didn’t care.
Back in 1940, the same limousine was used to drive Benito Mussolini, the infamous Italian fascist dictator, around Berlin while he made an official visit. In the latter part of the 1940, Hitler himself rode in the passenger seat during a parade to celebrate the fall of France.
The 1939 Mercedes-Benz 770 Grosser Offener Tourenwagen was famously used in celebrations after the Third Reich invaded Yugoslavia and Greece.
After Adolf Hitler took his life like a coward in his bunker rather than face the full consequences of his actions, the 1939 Mercedes-Benz 770 Grosser Offener Tourenwagen was reportedly sold to a tobacco farmer in the United States, Tom Austin. It then changed hands at least four times, with the most recent sale taking place in 2017.
Opinions about anyone owning such an infamous classic car are varied. Some believe it should be preserved for its beauty or historical significance. Others strongly believe it should have been destroyed and forgotten long ago as an object of evil.
Source: Drive
