One to Buy: 1984 Mercedes-Benz C126 500 SEC Styling Garage 500 SGS Gullwing
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After the best part of 15 years during which bespoke coachbuilding had all but died out, a new era for highly individual customisation began during the late 1970s. The period that followed saw an explosion of European and US companies emerge that would transform standard machinery into elaborately engineered specials that often retailed at multiples of the original car’s list price.
The undoubted hotbed for the super tuner industry was Germany where the likes of AMG, Koenig, B+B, DP, Kremer, Gemballa and Lorinser were all based.
Another legendary outfit to emerge from this region was Styling Garage of Hamburg who specialised in high end conversions of the Mercedes-Benz W126 S-class saloon and its sister C126 SEC Coupe.
Alongside its extravagant 1000 SEL, Styling Garage was best known for Gullwing conversions of the SEC, a rarely seen example of which will be going under the hammer at RM Sotheby’s Munich auction on November 23rd.
One of a reputed 57 examples built (most of which were exported to the Middle East), chassis ‘25775’ was completed in May 1984 and dispatched to a Californian customer via Selections Import.
Configured in white with grey upholstery, in addition to its Gullwing conversion the car was optioned with custom bumpers and skirts, all-white body trim, BBS alloy wheels, tuned suspension, a Styling Garage-branded AMG steering wheel, white-faced gauges and a wooden gear lever carved into the shape of a falcon’s head.
Having returned to Germany in 2010, this fabulous example of eighties excess has today covered a little over 62,000 miles and is offered in very good condition throughout.
