Let’s say it’s the 1980s, and you’ve made a whole heap of cash through some totally legitimate, not-at-all underhand methods. There are a whole heap of cars you could buy to flaunt this wealth – Ferrari Testarossa, Lamborghini Countach, Porsche 930 Turbo, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1… All of these, however, quite frankly pale in comparison to this, a 1984 Mercedes 500 SEC that’s been overhauled by famed German tuner Styling Garage.
Based in Hamburg, Styling Garage was the place to go for people who wanted Mercs in the ’80s that looked like, well… this.
Mercedes 500 SEC Gullwing by Styling Garage
It’s thought to be one of 57 500 SECs converted to a similar spec by Styling Garage founder Chris Hahn, taking a fairly obvious inspiration from another great Mercedes of years gone by. That would be the conversion of the boring old regular doors to gullwing items, allowing you to make the grandest entrance possible as you pull up outside a Miami Beach nightclub in your aviators and tight leather jacket, all while some intense synth music plays in the background and dry ice appears out of nowhere.
This conversion also involved significant strengthening of the chassis to stop it from becoming a big floppy mess. It’s not the only change this car’s undergone, though. There’s also a decently chunky bodykit, some deliciously period-correct split-rim BBS wheels, and best of all, a wooden gear selector that’s been carved into the shape of a falcon’s head. Yes.
Mercedes 500 SEC Gullwing by Styling Garage, interior
As far as we can tell, there’s been no change to the mechanical makeup of the standard C126 500SEC, which means a lovely, silken 5.0-litre V8 sending a fairly relaxed 228bhp through a four-speed automatic. That made for some leisurely performance figures of 62mph in 8.0 seconds and a 130mph top end, before the presumably quite heavy strengthening.
Having been converted in Germany in the ’80s, this particular car lived most of its life in the US before heading back to its homeland in 2010. Since then, it’s been looked after by a respected classic Merc specialist. Work includes nearly £5000 on refreshing the door hydraulics to stop your dramatic exit being foiled by an errant gullwing smacking you on the skull and knocking you unconscious.
Mercedes 500 SEC Gullwing by Styling Garage
With just over 62,000 miles on the clock, it’s now heading for auction at RM Sotheby’s’ sale in Munich on 23 November. It’s estimated at a not-unsubstantial £290,000 to £330,000, but it’s okay – you’ve got all that money you made through, erm, finance…
