Given how huge the tuning scene is in 2025, it’s onerous to think about a time when ordering aftermarket elements in your automotive wasn’t so simple as clicking a button.
This shift isn’t restricted to the aftermarket world. Almost each main auto producer now affords a stage of customisation past simply non-compulsory extras – assume BMW’s M Efficiency, Mercedes-Benz’s AMG Line, or Toyota’s GR collection. The truth is, in the present day you may order an unpainted carbon fibre bonnet in your 2.5-tonne Vary Rover Sport immediately from Land Rover as an choice in the event you’re so inclined. Whether or not that’s a good suggestion, nonetheless, is completely up for debate.
Rewind a couple of years, and such behaviour from an OEM can be thought of lunacy. However with a lot demand on the market – and producers in a position to present elements with out voiding your guarantee – it was solely a matter of time earlier than they needed their slice of the tuning pie.
Now, let’s rewind even additional, to a time lengthy earlier than magazines like Max Energy and Tremendous Road introduced tuning tradition to the plenty. Relying on how deep your pockets have been, your choices concerned having a bash at house or asking the native storage to assist. However for these whose pockets have been lined with severe money – or higher but, oil wealth – there was one other choice.
How irritating life should’ve been when not even Rolls-Royce or Bentley might supply a {custom} stage of luxurious in your automotive. The answer? Dial-a-coachbuilder.
Coachbuilding has a wealthy historical past, with the primary examples courting again to the early 1900s. Alvis Vehicles, as an illustration, would supply a base chassis, which prospects might then have customised with a very bespoke physique and inside. Consider it as an early type of flaunting wealth along with your automotive, a one-of-one particular version with a price ticket to match. However when everybody’s driving a one-of-one, the novelty wears off rapidly.
The demand for such coachbuilt vehicles steadily fizzled out over time, particularly through the two World Wars when many coachbuilders, like Alvis, switched to plane manufacturing amongst different issues. Mass manufacturing turned the norm through the Second Industrial Revolution and, as such, low-volume coachbuilding didn’t actually make a comeback till the Nineteen Seventies and ’80s with a brand new wave of extravagant builds that catered to the ultra-wealthy.
Manufacturers like ABC Unique, SGS Styling, Carat by Duchatelet, and Trasco have been all heavy hitters throughout this period, turning into well-known for taking requests that have been something however strange. This resulted in a few of the most outlandish and wacky vehicles of the time – lots of which rivalled these within the Sultan of Brunei’s legendary assortment.
And it wasn’t nearly styling. In-car leisure was a serious focus, with firms like Trasco becoming CRT screens and multi-deck audio techniques into their bespoke builds. The thought was easy: Add extra bling – extra crystal, extra leather-based, extra opulence – than anybody else to make your construct probably the most radical and costly potential. It’d sound vulgar, however when your clientele consists of royal households, oil barons, and arms sellers, it begins to make sense.
In recent times, this era has come to be referred to as the ‘1000 SEL’ period, a time period popularised by Bram Corts’ good web site, 1000sel.com, which meticulously covers the historical past of these key manufacturers and coachbuilders together with the varied particular version autos.
Why 1000 SEL? One of the vital widespread premium vehicles of the time was the Mercedes-Benz W126 S-Class. Recognized for its unparalleled engineering and luxurious, the top-spec 500 SEL (and later 560 SEL) boasted a 5.0-litre V8 engine and an prolonged wheelbase.
In accordance with Bram’s analysis, within the ’80s, a Center Japanese buyer reportedly ordered a closely modified 500 SEL from SGS Styling in Germany. When the automotive was delivered, the shopper advised SGS boss Chris Hahn that his automotive was “twice nearly as good as an everyday 500 SEL,” and that he’d prefer to have a badge on the again to symbolize that. What’s twice a 500 SEL? A 1000 SEL after all.
Although it was by no means an official mannequin designation, the 1000 SEL badge quickly turned a logo of utmost modifications and opulence, particularly within the Center East, through the peak of the oil growth. It was a form of pre-social media flex – a manner for rich automotive homeowners to compete in creating probably the most radical, and costly, variants of luxurious and sports activities vehicles.
The 1000 SEL period is way extra advanced than this very fast synopsis and I urge you to delve deep into Bram’s web site – it’s so fascinating to see what was being carried out between 1975 and 1995, and the extortionate price related to every automotive. Particularly now contemplating these explicit vehicles and types are coming again into vogue as soon as once more.
However what makes these vehicles actually fascinating is the wealth and secrecy surrounding their patrons. Was it owned by a authorities official? How did a businessman discover over US$250,000 to spec a 1000 SEL in 1985? With such restricted historical past on the market, making an attempt to unravel a automotive’s previous solely provides an additional layer of intrigue.
One factor’s for sure, discovering any of those vehicles in good situation is not any straightforward job. Even interval elements from manufacturers like Carat by Duchatelet now price 1000’s – assuming you may even discover somebody keen to promote them.
That is the place Speedhunters common Higuchi-san enters the image. He’s an avid basic Benz fanatic, whose automotive historical past features a 2JZ-powered 450 SLC, a number of Tommykaira W124s, and even a {custom} S124 property transformed with 500 E elements. His newest undertaking, nonetheless, is the fruits of a long time of ardour approached with a contemporary Japanese twist.
Mercedes by no means made a wagon variant of the W126, however Higuchi-san’s 500 TE is way from the primary conversion. You may thank the 1000 SEL period for that, specifically, Zender who was an early pioneer of the ‘TE’ W126. Zender famously constructed a number of examples, together with one with an SEC entrance finish, very like Higuchi-san’s creation.
There’s no eBay search or AliExpress hyperlink to order W126 property conversions, however luckily for Higuchi-san, he didn’t have to start out from scratch. Not that it made the extent of labor required any much less.
“This explicit automotive was owned by a well-known Japanese comic in 1990,” Higuchi-san explains. “He liked American vehicles and regarded a Caprice wagon and in addition the S124 property earlier than deciding to make the S-Class wagon. In his eyes, a wagon that anybody might purchase can be boring, so he needed one thing bespoke.”
Styling Storage Japan, the now defunct coachbuilder behind the unique undertaking, was recognized for constructing some wild {custom} creations, together with limousines and even a Z32 wagon.
Their work was extremely regarded, and when Higuchi-san noticed this explicit W126 develop into out there in 2020, he jumped on the likelihood to personal it.
Nonetheless, the wagon had seen higher days. Deserted for years, the paint was cracked, the body was rusted, and the bodywork was broken. Worst of all, the {custom} inside was utterly pulled aside. With no substitute elements out there, the one resolution was to painstakingly recreate and restore. Two phrases that haemorrhage money and time like no others.
Situation apart, the five hundred TE had all of the elements required to revive it to its former glory. The majority of the {custom} exterior trim was all intact; it was just a bit tired-looking. When Styling Storage Japan constructed the wagon, they used the rear finish of an S124. That makes it sound comparatively easy till you study {that a} W126 chassis is sort of 100mm wider than a W124. Each panel needed to be minimize, prolonged, reshaped, and welded again into place – tons of of hours of labour. You may see why it helped to have oil wealth again within the day to fund such a behavior.
What actually makes this sort of conversion so tough is getting all the swage traces and trim from the W124 panels lined up with the W126. Smoothing every part out would have been faster, however Higuchi-san was decided to maintain the automotive trying as near OEM as potential earlier than including his private touches.
“When it was owned by the comic, the unique Anthracite Gray was repainted to Mercedes Blue Black Metallic, earlier than then additional being modified to a lighter blue,” added Higuchi-san. “As a result of the paint was so broken, we stripped all of it off and resprayed the complete shell Palladium Silver to present it a contemporary look whereas staying true to the unique color.”
Seeing as all of the chrome trim and plastics across the home windows have been custom-made by Styling Storage Japan (not a single piece from the W124 lined up in opposition to the unique saloon gadgets), Higuchi-san had no alternative however to powder coat the worn-out mouldings and polish the remaining trim.
From the rear, you’d be forgiven for pondering it was simply a widened S124 because of that angular boot and smaller back lights. Nonetheless, Higuchi-san needed to retain the total performance of the trunk, which meant constructing a wholly new {custom} flooring panel and restoring all the plastic trims used inside. Up entrance, very like Zender’s ’80s idea, a full SEC conversion was undertaken utilizing all manufacturing unit elements. Though much less advanced compared to the boot fabrication, to do it correctly nonetheless requires each entrance wings, the bumper, headlights, grille, bonnet and slam panel.
Higuchi-san’s builds all comply with an identical model by way of the aftermarket elements he matches, the tell-tale signal being his personal HWA Asteroid wheels. Measuring in at 17×8.5-inch ET18 and 17×9.5-inch ET17, the Asteroids are nearly an identical to the unique Penta/AMG design bar one key truth: Higuchi-san makes his wheels in 17-inch measurement, whereas the unique designs solely ever existed in as much as 16-inch.
Behind these wheels, you’ll discover 6-piston ‘Brabus by Alcon’ brakes, which have been first provided as a tuning improve for the W124 within the ‘90s. Apart from massively enhancing the inventory brake system, they supply a delicate nod to the 1000 SEL period with out overshadowing the remainder of the automotive. The stance is enhanced by Dkubus coilovers, and real AMG W126 elements are scattered all through, together with the exhaust, steering wheel, and gauges.
All of it gels collectively brilliantly. Higuchi-san has an annoying behavior of constructing vehicles which appear to tick all the correct packing containers, and earlier than you recognize it, you’re doom-scrolling by way of eBay making ready to embark by yourself Benz construct. However that’s a testomony to his deep information and keenness for each his vehicles and the period they symbolize. In a world of rapidly assembled builds which are promoted and phased out with dizzying velocity, it’s at all times refreshing to see what Higuchi-san has up his sleeve.
“All in all, the undertaking took three years to revive and full,” he provides. “There’s nonetheless some extra work to do, however such an fascinating and distinctive automotive deserves to be restored correctly. I don’t construct my vehicles for promotion or to promote, they’re to drive and revel in. I really like the look of the property, and many individuals can’t consider it was not a manufacturing unit conversion.”
There are only a few vehicles on the market which don’t look higher in wagon kind, and I don’t ever keep in mind driving a automotive and complaining that it had an excessive amount of house. It’s why I’ll at all times be an enormous advocate for any property automotive; you get all the advantages of a very good saloon with sufficient house within the again to bundle the entire household in. And Higuchi-san’s W126 500 TE is all of the proof you’ll ever want that wagons make every part higher.
Mark Riccioni
Instagram: mark_scenemedia
Twitter: markriccioni
mark@speedhunters.com
