RE: Coachbuilt Beasts From The Decade Taste Forgot
Discussion
Back in the early 80's a quiet Jordanian kid joined my school and boarded in my house. He kept himself to himself but his family didn't seem to be struggling as he had a Rolex Oyster and a Mont Blanc fountain pen when he was 11. That summer for open day, his parents rocked up in a truly gruesome white stretched Merc S class with ALL the trimmings - wire wheels, boomerang arial, gold badges, the lot. It was beyond awful but my abiding memory was sitting in the back watching Wimbledon on the in car telly whilst sipping chilled coke from the fridge in the armrest. He left school shortly afterwards due to his father's "business concerns" but it was rumoured that his old man was neck deep in trouble with all sorts of bad people.
Thing is, even as an 11 year old, I remember the S Class as being vile, but if you swap the wire wheels, I'd have one now!
Thing is, even as an 11 year old, I remember the S Class as being vile, but if you swap the wire wheels, I'd have one now!
We drove a 500 SEL "Charat Du Catalet" 5000 miles to West Africa, complete with period bumpers & side skirts, which survived most of the way 
The interior was a hideous two tone from memory. It made a mega desert mobile. Nothing broke apart from the cruise randomly not working.
It was a import from some Arabic country & previously belonged to a Sheikh or somebody.
The interior was a hideous two tone from memory. It made a mega desert mobile. Nothing broke apart from the cruise randomly not working. It was a import from some Arabic country & previously belonged to a Sheikh or somebody.
urquattro said:
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/48ZrraVV.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/n4ykwZ82" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/n4ykwZ82.jpg)
This was a 1990 special order for an arab, nobody but me (yet) likes the tan interior and two tone finish - I put the Ronal 18"wheels on to finish off the pimp mobile look, what a car for the money and goes like stink, a gt bus!!
Just watch the wiring loom and the distributors.
pSyCoSiS said:
LOVE IT! The W140 S Class is one of my all-time favourite cars.
Nothing matches it for sheer presence and oppulence.
The M119? 5 litre V8 produces 325bhp in these early models, got a bit detuned later but its 2 ton of waft mobile, this one has two 4 cylinder distributors to make things simple !!Nothing matches it for sheer presence and oppulence.
XB70 said:
Well done - I love the colour actually (are you sure it was a special order?)and the Series 2 CL alloys look good.
Just watch the wiring loom and the distributors.
Agree re spec. order as it does have a colour code on the spec. sheet but havent traced another yet?? probably most gone in the bin now. Had to do the distributors, rotors and leads but wiring ok thank goodness (at moment)Just watch the wiring loom and the distributors.
The interior colour is one that I have not seen many of, the most recent being a 1996 S500 in black.
The exterior colour really suits the car - they also had Rosewood at the time which looks good.
I am wondering whether the colour may have been offered in a different market as an option and they buyer found out about it.
I recommend a gearbox and diff oil flush and replacement if not already done
The exterior colour really suits the car - they also had Rosewood at the time which looks good.
I am wondering whether the colour may have been offered in a different market as an option and they buyer found out about it.
I recommend a gearbox and diff oil flush and replacement if not already done
XB70 said:
The interior colour is one that I have not seen many of, the most recent being a 1996 S500 in black.
The exterior colour really suits the car - they also had Rosewood at the time which looks good.
I am wondering whether the colour may have been offered in a different market as an option and they buyer found out about it.
I recommend a gearbox and diff oil flush and replacement if not already done
The exterior colour really suits the car - they also had Rosewood at the time which looks good.
I am wondering whether the colour may have been offered in a different market as an option and they buyer found out about it.
I recommend a gearbox and diff oil flush and replacement if not already done
The interior is Java, a honey coloured tan, I had a fluids changed when bought the car, it had only done 74k miles in 15 years with full history. Lived in heated u/ground garage when not chauffeur driven to collect ar..bs from Heathrow to estate nr Ascot. Was rather fortunate but did check entire car and fully service everything straight away, wiring so far so good.!!
GALLARDOGUY said:
Yes yes yes!! Mine has long since disappeared
Last year advertised in PH was a custard yellow Strosek, Porsche 911 based I think, a flat front kit etc added - I was really tempted, loved the look but it was yellow body and yellow/black inside, so said no as it looked like a wasps den, different colours and probably would have gone for it.urquattro said:
The interior is Java, a honey coloured tan, I had a fluids changed when bought the car, it had only done 74k miles in 15 years with full history. Lived in heated u/ground garage when not chauffeur driven to collect ar..bs from Heathrow to estate nr Ascot. Was rather fortunate but did check entire car and fully service everything straight away, wiring so far so good.!!
There will be a few W140's up at RAF Museum Hendon next Sunday 27th from 9.30am if you can make it.
XB70 said:
Very nice. Was this the one advertised on carandclassic last year?
There will be a few W140's up at RAF Museum Hendon next Sunday 27th from 9.30am if you can make it.
Yes, I have two MB 500's the W126 and W140 - so decided one could go, luckily still got it - so it stays, the 500 sel needs a touch of bodywork/paint, not much and will emerge in April. However chalk and cheese as a driving experience but both so reliable and good quality. No need to sell either so both will stay with me. There will be a few W140's up at RAF Museum Hendon next Sunday 27th from 9.30am if you can make it.
TORQ said:
As a kid at the motor show in Earls Court in the 80s one of the highlights was always the coachbuilt cars. Does anyone else remember seeing a 6 wheel range rover built for an Arab client which had a rag top roof and rear seats which extended upwards on hydraulic rams? The bench would rise above roof level so that the owner could launch his birds of prey whilst hunting.
A fairly elaborate way to go hunting with a hawk, gotta love it.
Range Rover? You sure you're not thinking of this........A fairly elaborate way to go hunting with a hawk, gotta love it.
Sbarro Windhawk
then there's the Citroen Penthouse (what was the 80s thing of naming cars after bottom of the scale Jazzmags??? Fiesta, Mayfair, Park Lane, Penthouse. Surpeised we never had the Ford Razzle)
Also from that book, the ARTZ 308 Spider, the Mardikian Ferrari 400
The Aston Bulldog (Which was THE Top Trump card of the set at the time!)
All manner of Bertone and Pininfarina creations
The Laser Metro.....
and quite possibly THE most ugliest Merc ever made/converted The Caruna 280s
(strangely enough can't fiund any pics of it with the roof up. Probably because it's so hideous!)
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