120 bhp, 3,823 cc supercharged inline eight-cylinder engine with single carburettor, three-speed manual transmission with overdrive, independent suspension with coil spring, front dual wishbones, and rear swing axles, and front and rear hydraulic brakes.

Wheelbase: 3,200 mm A predecessor to the mighty 500 K and 540 K models, the Mercedes-Benz 380 K was designed to be a luxurious long-distance touring car, as it was well equipped to eat up hundreds of kilometres at a time on Germany’s then new and expanded road network.

As a completely new design that introduced a number of technical innovations, this was an automobile that offered everything a driver could have wanted from an automobile: a comfortable ride, ample power, sporty handling, and ravishing good looks.

The mechanical design is elegant and similar to the later 500 K and 540 K models, as all three share the same type of box-section chassis frame, suspension, and similar wire wheels.

The easiest way to distinguish a 380 from...