Mercedes-Benz Sport Roadster · S / SS / SSK / SSKL

W06

Kompressor legends — S, SS, SSK and the featherweight SSKL.

Production
1926–1934
Built
337
Body
Roadster
Chassis
W06
Mercedes-Benz Sport Roadster (W06)

Long bonnet, exposed exhaust, and a Roots blower screaming under the hood — the S, SS, SSK and SSKL Kompressor sports cars are the image of 1920s Mercedes-Benz at its most fearless, born in the Ferdinand Porsche era and built to dominate road racing.

The line progressed from the S through the SS to the shortened SSK (Kurz) and the featherweight SSKL (leicht), each iteration extracting more performance from supercharged six-cylinder engines and lighter, more focused chassis. Rudolf Caracciola's association with these cars cemented their legend, and the rarest variants — roughly 36 SSK and about 12 SSKL — remain among the most sought-after pre-war Mercedes-Benz machines.

Across eight years of production from 1926 to 1934, only 337 Kompressor sports cars were built. Their rarity, racing pedigree and Porsche-era engineering make the W06 family the bridge between Mercedes-Benz's competition heritage and the Silver Arrow Grand Prix program that followed.

W06 interior
Cabin details of the W06, as preserved in period photography.

Every model.

4 distinct series across 1926–1934 — each identified by its chassis and engine numbers from period factory data.

ModellModelljahreBaumusterMotorGetriebeGesamt
S Cabriolet1926–19300606174
SS Cabriolet1928–19340606115
SSK Roadster1928–1932060636
SSKL Roadster1929–19320606 RS12

* Die veröffentlichte Produktionszahl umfasst alle Serien dieses Modells; die Quelle schlüsselt sie nicht weiter auf.

W06 side profile
Studio profile of the W06 — the proportions that defined this chassis.
W06 rear three-quarter view
Rear three-quarter view of the W06.

Engines.

The M06 as fitted to the W06.

M06

Inline-6
  • 06 RS7.1 L · 7,065 cc

    305 PS

    224 kW · 300 hp bei 3,400 U/min

    688 N·m

    507 lb·ft bei 2,000 U/min