Hitler in one of his cars
NJ man unwittingly buys Hitler's car
Real estate developer was shocked to learn that his vintage Mercedes-Benz belonged to Nazi leader
A New Jersey real estate developer never expected that a simple car purchase would put him in a vehicle that was once used to transport an infamous dictator.
So imagine Fred Daibes' shock upon learning that a vintage Mercedes-Benz that was bought for him by a car repair shop owner once belonged to none other than Adolf Hitler.
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"He was surprised," Zenop Tuncer, owner of Euro Tech Motors, told CBS News. "We were all surprised!"
According to the report, Daibes asked Tuncer to find him a Mercedes-Benz 540K. But Tuncer could only procure a 1942 Mercedes 320 Cabriolet D convertible, which Daibes agreed to buy.
Tuncer noted that the car looked like a military one; he even found patches covering what was once a place for a flag post and a siren. "It's definitely for a general," he told CBS.
Moreover, the car's serial number featured a small eagle on to of a swastika, indicating it had been made for the Nazis.
When he contacted Mercedes-Benz in search for replacement parts, he was shocked to be told that the car belonged to the Nazi leader.
According to CBS, Mercedes-Benz custom made eight such vehicles for the Nazis.
'Car has a story'
The original owner did not know the car's history, and said that his grandfather brought the vehicle to the United States from Germany after the war.
Daibes said he paid $175,000 for the car a year ago, and has recently turned down an offer of $1.5 million.
"It's Hitler's car, he's a devil, but you know, he's still part of history," Daibes was quoted as saying. "From a financial point of view the car is worth more money than when I paid for it so that's the only way I look at it."
Tuncer seconded the sentiment.
"I would not touch the car," Tuncer stated. "I would keep it the original way. It has a story on it."
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