Souvenir Book – HITLER’S Armored Car: The Official State Car of ‘Der Fuehrer – Official booklet following the presentation of Adolf Hitler’s car, the Mercedes-Benz Model 770, at an exhibition in New York in the late 1940s.
From the introductory remarks in the booklet: “This armored Mercedes-Benz automobile was once owned by the world’s worst criminal, Adolf Hitler. He never dreamed that within a few years it would be touring a free country as a symbol of his tyranny—tyranny the likes of which we hope the world will never see again.”
Booklet accompanying the display of the Mercedes-Benz Model 770 automobile, in which Adolf Hitler rode during his grand parades throughout Germany during his years in power. The car was built in Stuttgart, Germany, specifically for the Nazi dictator, Adolf Hitler. While it was being built, Hitler made numerous visits to the factory to inspect the quality of the workmanship. Extremely cautious about his personal safety, he oversaw the placement of the gun compartments, the thickness of the armor, and the thickness of the bulletproof glass. He personally tested the armor by firing at it with his own handgun. The car was specially constructed for official state events that required a model with an open top. With the top folded down, the Führer could stand in the car and receive the “heil” from the German crowd. In the booklet intended for visitors, it is described how “a great impression was made on the people of the occupied city when they saw Hitler standing in the front compartment. He usually sat next to the driver, and if you look at the front seat, on the right side (the driver sits on the left), you’ll see the seat folds back, allowing room to stand. If you look at the floorboard on that side, you’ll notice it is much higher than the rest of the floor. This elevated the ‘Führer, ’ giving him the appearance of being taller…”
The booklet presents the specifications of the vehicle, which is nearly 6 meters long, built on the chassis of the Model 770, of which only a few were ever produced throughout the history of the Mercedes-Benz factory. (The standard large vehicle chassis is Model 550.)
How was Hitler’s car transported to New York at the end of the war? At a time when Russia was threatening Finland, Hitler was also eager for the support of that small yet strong country, and so he traveled to Finland in honor of Field Marshal Mannerheim’s birthday. He sent this car to Finland and presented it to Mannerheim. When the Russian threat intensified, Mannerheim sent many of his belongings, including the car, to Sweden. After his death, the Swedish government seized his property in lieu of taxes. In 1948, an American import company was conducting trade with the Swedish government but discovered that Sweden lacked U.S. dollars. They proposed a deal and offered Hitler’s car, which they had acquired from Mannerheim’s estate. This deal, for an undisclosed sum, brought the car to America, where it was displayed at the Museum of Science and Industry at Rockefeller Center in New York. From New York, the car was presented at some of the largest fairs and received much praise from governors and mayors as one of the most fascinating exhibits. “Hundreds of thousands of people gathered around this car, observing. Visitors to this exhibition rolled up their sleeves and showed us tattooed arms bearing concentration camp numbers, saying that as forced laborers they had helped build this very machine, ” the booklet states.
Additionally, the booklet contains a chapter about Eva Braun and her relationship with Adolf Hitler, and a chapter dealing with the question of Hitler’s final days – whether he truly committed suicide as commonly believed, or whether he succeeded in disappearing. The doubt arose after the entry “presumed dead” was found on Hitler’s case file sheet in the Central Registry of War Criminals and Security Suspects in Paris.
29 pages. 28 cm. Very good condition.
