380

This prewar Mercedes-Benz nameplate was introduced in 1933 as a luxury grand touring model from the W 22 series and was shown at the Berlin IAMA that year. It marked an important technical step for the brand, bringing Mercedes-Benz’s trapezoidal-link front axle and independent front suspension into series production on a passenger car. The model was offered in a range of elegant closed and open body styles, reflecting its position near the top of the company’s lineup rather than as a mass-market car. Enthusiasts often associate it with the supercharged variants commonly called "K" cars, although that shorthand was not an official Mercedes-Benz model designation. The model’s market role was short-lived: by 1934 Mercedes-Benz had moved on to the more powerful 500 K, and the 380 was discontinued after a single continuous production run. Despite its brief life, it is remembered as a transitional and influential prewar Mercedes that helped set the tone for the company’s later grand touring and luxury performance cars.