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Chassis:
Ordered by wealthy British industrialist Major John Coats, this SSK was shipped as a rolling chassis to the Carlton Carriage Co. in 1929. Here it was fitted with a very attractive two-seater body before Major Coats took delivery early in January of 1930. He retained the car for roughly 30 months before selling it. After changing hands several times throughout the 1930s, it was eventually acquired by George Milligen in 1941 for a hefty £400. With the purchase of the Carlton bodied SSK Milligen fulfilled the childhood dream of owning one of the legendary 'White Elephants.'
Milligen cherished his Mercedes-Benz SSK and held onto it for over six decades before offering at auction in the fall of 2004. The car had survived in remarkably original condition; the only major part to be replaced during its 75 year history was the sump. Needless to say there was a lot of interest for the car during the Bonhams Goodwood Revival auction and it eventually sold for a record breaking GBP4,181,500. That represented quite a hike over the original purchase price back in 1941.
Beautifully preserved, the rare SSK is today owned by the Louwman Collection and on display in their museum in The Hague. Even managed the missing sump has been tracked down and reunited with the engine. In 2009, it was shown during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it won third in the highly competitive Mercedes-Benz class. It has also been used in events like the Mille Miglia.
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710 SSK Carlton Roadster
