Mercedes-Benz SSK Ex Carlos Zatuszek - 1929 This car (chassis #36246 engine #72308) was built in 1928. His first owner was Julio Berndt the brother-in-law and team-mate of the talented Argentinian driver Carlos Zatuszek. As already said the car was delivered as a "Rennwagen" (racing car) without wings and lamps. The first important event in which #36246 was entered with the pair Zatuszek/Berndt was the1929 500-Miles of Argentina Race where they came home second. The same year Carlos Zatuszek won the Cordoba Grand Prix, a victory he repeated in 1930 after two second placings at the Grand Prix des Nations and at the Buenos-Aires GP and a "first" at the "Frühlings Preis". In 1931 the SSK and its driver won the Argentinian GP, (many period pictures of Zatuszek and his car are available showing the terrible racing conditions of the time). In the Thirties, Argentina was a rich country and Buenos Aires a very cosmopolitan city. The European racing cars were much looked for by the local racing drivers who were seen as true heroes. Carlos Zatuszek was the top Argentinian racing driver. Born in Poland, he had emigrated to Argentina in 1925 with a friend named John (Juan) Maczack. Maczack was a very skilful mechanic and Zatuszek a fast and enduring driver. Both men dominated the racing scene in Argentina for 10 years until Zatuszek crashed fatally in 1937. Zatuszek had bought #36246 with Julio Berndt who was courageaous enough to be his co-driver in many events. Berndt was a rich building contractor specialised in steel structures and he shared with Zatuszek the starting money and the prizes they won with the SSK (he was also known for the quantity of beer he used to drink at every pit stop!). #36246 was built as a long-distance racing car and fitted with the biggest fuel tank ever seen on an SSK chassis. Carlos Zatuszek sold his SSK in 1935. The car was then driven by three other racing drivers: Alfredo Olivari, who raced it from 1936 to 1942, S. Sigrand from 1942 to 1947, then Luis Brosutti from 1947 to 1958. In 1967, the SSK left South America for North America being bought by Edgar Allan Jurist, owner of the well-known "Vintage Car Store", and his friends George Waterman and Bayard Ewing. The car was then restored before being photographied by Don Vorderman. The photos were published in the magazine Automobile Quarterly Vol.7 n°1 in 1968 which wrote: "This is the latest genuine SSK to come to light, and is the only remaining example known to have been delivered as a racing car, the word "Rennen" appearing boldly on the original factory invoice." The author added with a sense of humour: "This is most definitely not for sale..."But some years later, in 1979, Jurist sold the beautiful SSK to the famous car collector H. Hiashi who sold it again in 1986 to an enthusiast in Milwaukee, Brian Brunthorst. The same year Lee Gohlike wrote in his book on Mercedes published by Motorbooks International: "The ex-Zatuszek SSK, the property of Brian Brunthorst, and the ex-Count Trossi which belongs to the Tom Perkins Collection in California are the only two genuine SSK racing chassis still in existence". Brunthorst sold his Mercedes in 1988 to J. Gottinger who kept it for 11 years before selling it to Rolf Meyer. The car had been totally restored between 1993 and 1996 by the Reifen-Wagner Company which had already restored several cars for the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart. The restoration had been made without cost limit and in view of racing the car. This is a very important car, as beautiful as it was when new, reminiscent of an era when drivers showed outstanding courage and stamina. This is the gem of the Rolf Meyer Collection. See continuation