1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL

Description

Need a parts chaser with a bit of German flavor? How about the most attention-grabbing hauler you've ever seen? However you slice it, this 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL pickup isn't your average Autobahn stormer. Custom built by the guys at German Motorcars in Florida, it's a beautifully rendered German version of a purely American invention.

Starting life as a prestigious 420SEL luxury sedan, this awesome truck/car now has an ultra-clean look that looks like it could have come from the factory in all of this glory. The silver and blue paint combination looks vaguely reminiscent of the factory's dealer service vehicles, and that might be purely intentional on the builder's part. Of course, it's like nothing the factory's ever built for public consumption, but that doesn't make it any less cool. The original S-Class sedan was sectioned behind the front seats and a custom bulkhead was built to separate the passenger compartment from the bed. Then the entire bed was hand-fabricated and the bodywork was extensively modified to keep its Mercedes-Benz identity but with an entirely different shape. The doors, quarter panels, and trunk lid were all sectioned and salvaged to retain the OEM look, but they're so seamlessly stitched together that you'll never spot the modifications. It's got a few signs of use here and there, but that's hardly a demerit for a car this useful. A few chrome pieces keep its upscale vibe, and with the big grille and three-pointed star emblems, nobody will ever mistake this for anything but a high-end luxury cruiser.

The interior keeps all its Mercedes-Benz bits as well, including the supportive blue leather bucket seats. In fact, the door panels, carpets, dashboard, and all the controls are completely stock and fully functional, making this one of the most luxurious pickup truck ever designed. A big steering wheel frames familiar Mercedes-Benz gauges, the Teutonic shifter still manages the transmission, and the stereo system was heavily upgraded to fill the modified passenger compartment with sound. Things like automatic climate control, power windows and locks, cruise control, and those cool pictograms for the power seats all remain in place, so from behind the wheel, you'll never even notice the modifications. Everything works, too, which is always a nice perk.

Although the badge on the tail says "KOMPRESSOR" (which is German for supercharger), this is a stock 4.2 liter OHC V8, the same one that has powered these cars for decades. Smooth, torquey, and capable of cruising for hours on end at triple-digit speeds, it's still an awesome choice for a truck, er, car like this. It was rebuilt when the truck conversion was done, which was about 35,000 miles ago, and given the durability of these machines, it should out last us all. Bright blue cam covers highlight the largely stock engine bay and you can see that there are quite a few new components throughout. The A/C has been converted to R134a refrigerant for ease of maintenance and many of the belts and hoses are new. The 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission changes gears without any drama and the fully independent suspension still feels supple and sophisticated. Four-wheel discs are standard equipment, too, and a recent exhaust system has just the right V8 rumble, but it's ever so hushed. Late-model AMG alloys complete the OEM look and carry a recent set of 235/45/17 Continental performance radials.

It's definitely unusual, but the build quality and the awesome look will make this Mercedes the star of any show it enters, and it's remarkably practical to boot! Call today!
VIN:WDB1260351A408542