The Devil's Mercedes ─ The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America

This is the story of one of the most remarkable automobiles ever built, the Grosser Mercedes 770K W150 Offener Tourenwagen, a 20-foot colossus. Its black leather interior concealed secret compartments, and it could survive a trip over a land mine. It featured a platform its occupant could stand on. That occupant was Adolph Hitler.

This is the story of how two of the Nazi’s 770K limousines found their way to the US after the war. From the moment they touched American soil, the cars were a sensation, drawing thousands of spectators, raising a fortune for good causes—and entangling all in a tale of mistaken identity. What nobody knew was that the car touted as Hitler’s had never belonged to him. And the Mercedes shrugged off as an ordinary staff car, left in a warehouse and sold off as government surplus, was in fact Hitler’s.

It would take 40 years, a cast of carnies and millionaires, the US Army, and the sleuthing efforts of a Canadian librarian to bring the truth to light. Here, Klara reveals the full story for the first time. Along the way, he probes the meaning of this pair of automobiles (both of which still exist) and their power to attract, excite, and disgust the public. Ultimately, The Devil’s Mercedes isn’t only the story of how two limousines became a part of postwar history, but what they taught the postwar world about itself.