A STORY AROUND EVERY TURN

1929 Mercedes-Benz S Barker Tourer shown by Bruce R. McCaw

This car was delivered to Mercedes-Benz of London as a Model S before being uprated to full SS specifications, with a 7-liter supercharged engine, and fitted with lightweight tourer coachwork by Barker of London. It was then delivered to a Captain Miller on behalf of Earl Howe, the British racing driver and cofounder of the British Racing Drivers’ Club. Howe was a regular Le Mans entrant between 1929 and 1935, and he won the 24-hour race in 1931, driving an Alfa Romeo 8C 2300. He was well known for having one of Europe’s finest collections of racing cars, and this SS perfectly suited his sporting lifestyle.

This car still retains its original Marchal lighting equipment and chrome-plated wheels, and these are complemented by low-cut doors and unusual torpedo-style running boards containing tools and other ancillary equipment.