[1][2] The SSK was the last car designed for Mercedes-Benz by Ferdinand Porsche before he left to found his own company.

[6] Fitted with a supercharged single overhead camshaft 7-litre straight-6 engine[6][7] producing 200–300 metric horsepower (150–220 kW) and over 500 lb⋅ft (680 N⋅m) of torque (depending on the state of tune),[7] the SSK had a top speed of up to 120 mph (193 km/h), making it the fastest car of its day.

[11] Only 33 SSKs were built during its production span,[12] of which about half were sold as Rennwagen (racing cars).

Only four or five entirely original models remain, and their scarcity and rich heritage make them among the most sought after cars in the world; a 1929 model was auctioned at Bonhams in Chichester in September 2004 for £4.17 million (US$7.4 million), making it the second most expensive automobile ever sold at that time.

[13][14] Another SSK, a streamlined "Count Trossi"–bodied version (see photo) owned and restored by fashion designer Ralph Lauren,[15] has won best of show at both the 1993 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and the 2007 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este.