For a car that was sold in exceedingly limited quantities and has some negative historical connotations around it, the Mercedes-Benz 500K sure gets copied a lot. Some of them are quite awful, too, with proportions that make next to no sense and underpinnings that are about as far away from a short-lived luxury car built for millionaires as you can be. The car shown here is perhaps one of the better clones made, as it hails from the Miami production facility of Heritage Motor Cars. Find it here on eBay with bids to $27,600 and a Buy-It-Now of $36,995.
Right there, that bid numbers tells you everything you need to know. Despite being a replica of a car most of us will never be able to afford, the Heritage-built models have a bit of a following. The 500K, all these years later, still speaks to enthusiasts across the board, and a well-built replica that was assembled by the likes of Heritage is a known quantity. From what I can gather, one of the more enduring qualities of this replica is the heft of the thing – it feels heavy, the doors slam with a confidence-inspiring thunk and the car itself is big, with its rear proportions downright huge. And those were all qualities of the original 500K.
Inside, you don’t feel like you’ve stepped into a replica kit car. The cabin is nicely styled, with full gauges and leather seating surfaces. The crank windows are a bit surprising, however, and one of the ways replica models always fall short of expectations (then again, I’m assuming the original 500K had crank windows, so perhaps this more accurate than I’m giving it credit for.) There are various other details that remind you these cars were pieced together with components from a variety of manufacturers, and if you look closely enough, you can see what bits came from a VW Beetle; you may also notice that the radiator ornament is inverted so as not to catch the ire of Mercedes-Benz’s copyright office.
Now, Heritage has long since closed its doors, so you’re not going to be able to order your own replica any time soon. These cars close north of $50,000 when new, and likely more if the owner wanted specific options included. While we have seen some of these with V6 power, this example thankfully has a 350 V8 under the hood which seems more appropriate as far as a replica of the mighty 500K is concerned. Mileage shown is just over 21,000 but the seller can’t confirm it as accurate; however, many of these were bought as display pieces and rarely driven, so it wouldn’t surprise me if it were accurate. Would you pay the Buy-It-Now for a knock-off 500K like this Heritage model?
I’d buy this thing right now. But I’m waiting for my leisure suits and wig to come back from the cleaners.
Does the cleaner have your beeper number?
A wig is inappropriarte, a comb-over is superior, add to that a bulk gold-filled chain, a shirt with no buttons. and a fake-fur hairy chest
Saw something similar to this in Florida in February.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1_q1N5SuMlY
I’d be concerned because it appears that the seller has a number of different eBay identities. Personal inspection mandatory.
There was one of these outside my garage in the hallway. Having been eyeballing it for a few years, and also seen many issues these have. This would work as a joke, but else – nope. No way.
Example of the issues: The car battery was welded under passenger wing inside a box section cage, you could not get it replaced without an angle grinder…
But, but, but you can never complain about a lost or stolen battery.
For all these “Car Guys” posting negative comments, this 500K tribute is the most accurate recreation of a multimillion dollar famous MB ….. you accept other replicas as Cobra or Auburn Speedster …etc… but you post negative comments on this one….. oh… hold on, it makes sense, you wouldn’t live miserable otherwise !
Jeesh! 37 grand could buy a variety of fine REAL collector-grade Mercedes-Benz! Check-out a nice, early 450 SL, here in Los Angeles, where almost EVERYONE had one! Rust-free, drop and hard-top, good driver-quality about $15,000! Maybe less, in this economy?
hideous!
I built one of these. Frame #6. This was by far the one of the best kits of this style made. I drove it to a small show in Palm Springs and while there went to the Excaliber dealer to look at their cars and the sales rep was impressed with the quality and he acknowledged that it presented better than what he was selling. All the brightwork is custom made stainless.
I ended up selling mine to a lady from Germany who said that a 500K was like a Corvette split window coupe to the Germans. Now she could drive one daily. I drove mine across the country and loved it.
By the way power windows were in every one I ever saw.
The ones with a v6 were factory built on a Dodge Dakota frame for Hertz rentals and should be avoided if you plan to drive them. They are a truck with a fiberglass body.
I understand people that disdain this style of replica but if you like the style you can’t do better.
Be sure you get all the custom bits if you are buying one that is not finished. When the company went out of business they owed their customers millions of dollars of custom parts that were never shipped. There are more frames and bodies out there than parts to finish them.
PS.
this is an exceptionally nice one. Since few of these were professionally assembled there are a lot of differences in build quality.
1st few commenters speak more of the excaliber I’d say. As such I’d also avoid this one. Just too many “mental linkages” even tho of superior build. A kit, a copy, of something not of my style any way. European ‘classics’ for me are the 507, 350SL some late ‘30s – mid ‘70s (different for usa, others).
I would prefer the Excalibur over this. Alice ( last name unknown) still holds the parts and repair dealership on Excalibur cars last I knew.
Incidentally, the German lady FLEW the car to Germany. I should have been asking more!! Sounds like she could have afforded an original. At that time they were only a million $ or two.
The windows could still be power there are window switches that look like crank handles.
My only criticism is the spare tire cover should be reduced in height. When these were still being made there was a fiberglass cover that complimented the style of the car. It used a compact spare.
I would prefer the Excalibur over this. Alice ( last name unknown) still holds the parts and repair dealership on Excalibur cars last I knew.