Rare 1928 Mercedes-Benz S-Type Heads to Bonhams Auction With $2.3 Million Estimate

A rare 1928 Mercedes-Benz S-Type, one of just 174 examples ever produced, is scheduled to be offered at auction on December 11 through Bonhams, carrying an estimated value of up to $2.3 million. The car represents one of the earliest and most important chapters in the Mercedes-Benz story, blending prewar racing technology with road-going luxury aimed at elite buyers of the era.

Introduced in 1927, the S-Type emerged at a time when Mercedes-Benz was establishing its identity following the formal adoption of the brand name. The model was conceived as a competition-focused machine that could be adapted for public roads, a concept that helped cement the company’s reputation in both motorsport and high-end automotive engineering. Central to that development was Ferdinand Porsche, then serving as Daimler’s chief engineer, who played a key role in shaping the car’s performance and mechanical layout.

The S-Type earned immediate credibility on the track, most notably at the Nürburgring in 1927, where one of the two entered examples claimed an overall victory. Known in the United Kingdom as the 36/220, the car was powered by a supercharged 6.8-liter six-cylinder engine producing as much as 180 horsepower, reflecting Daimler’s early leadership in supercharged production vehicles.

The specific example heading to auction, chassis number 35952, left the factory in 1928 as a 36/220 S-Type Four-Seater Sports Tourer. Its early ownership history is largely undocumented after its first owner, A.W. Dowding, until it was acquired in 1951 by actor Peter Ustinov. Beginning in the mid-1950s, the car was displayed at England’s Montagu Motor Museum and later transferred to the National Motor Museum, where it remained for decades.

During its time as a museum piece, the car underwent a restoration that replaced its earlier two-seat configuration with a four-seat body built by coachbuilder Rod Jolley. That work was carried out to prepare the vehicle for participation in historic rallies in the 1980s. Since then, it has seen little road use and now requires extensive mechanical and structural attention.

Its long absence from the market and its place in Mercedes-Benz history make this offering a notable moment for collectors when it appears at Bonhams’ Bond Street Sale in London.