This find by JC is impressive. Tuner cars like this Koenig Mercedes were such a big thing in the eighties, but they all seem to have long vanished, for rather obvious reasons. These were not the kind of cars Grandpa Bob stashed away in his garage after he stopped driving.
Living a stone’s throw away from Beverly Hills at the time (my morning commute included Rodeo Drive), tuned Mercedes of all kinds were rampant, as if some sort of virus was loose, attacking them and leaving them disfigured. Grotesque protuberances sprouted over their bodies. White Mercedes were by far the most vulnerable; I was quite concerned mine would be attacked. But it survived unscathed, except for a set of BBS wheels.
Curiously, the virus was mostly cosmetic, at least in the US. In Europe, the variant there commonly attacked the engines too, resulting in manic performance but all-too commonly resulting in premature death. Perhaps that’s why this one has survived. Or perhaps because this one really was bought by Grandpa Robert—who just happens to live in tony Carmel, CA—back when he was going through a bit of a midlife crisis.
Ah yes, the ravages of Miami Vice Disease. Gawd, the things we thought were attractive at the time.
You mean I should stop rocking my “Flock Of Seagulls” hairdo now?
Premature finaculation. A ’57 Chrysler pulls out early and leaves a ’61 Rambler American.
The side treatment would have worked better on the genuinely finny ’60s Mercedes.
Its funny because there is a guy locally who is selling his 85 500SEC in white just like this. Beautiful car and would absolutely love to buy it, but already have a full garage lol.
Somebody has plucked himself out of his midlife crisis here.
That’s a flawless work of restoration.
Could be worse. At least it doesn’t have white wheels.
Where are the two pedestrians from Beverly Hills Cop wearing the leather jumpsuits with zippers all over them? I suppose it was all of a time and place…I’m not saying it is or ever was a great look but now I suppose I can respect this car for being what looks to be an immaculate survivor of the era. It certainly beats the average 90s Integra sporting an ill-fitting body kit that’s cracked, partially dragging on the ground, and rarely actually painted.
Not loving it.
Funny thing is I like modified cars but I never cared for any of these tooner editions, but especially when applied to luxury makes. I saw a brand new Mercedes AMG SUV with a matte puke green paint job with a blue stripe and a wing on the back about a month ago, and despite having seen every tasteless and gauche car mod imaginable, that might have been the worst, yet vastly the most expensive. Money and success doesn’t seem to be synonymous with taste.
Needs more cowbell.
Never been a fan of these type of body kits or indeed the base cars they often found themselves adorning, but i have a curious sense of nostalgia for them, quite probably as they showed up in so many custom car and hot rod mags and the like i read when i was a boy, and the kind of centerfold posters often contained within (the mags themselves decidedly second hand by the time i got my paws on them).
That one does look kind of at home outside that cafe though
Not my taste then, and not my taste now, An amazing find, nonetheless.
The last time I saw one, it was in a German documentary, about the German (actually born in Poland) Porn Goddess, Teresa Orlowski, who drove it to her production offices.
She pulled in to the Car Park in her Gloss Black Koenig.
And when she left, she took her Porsche 964 Turbo Convertible Flatnose (Think that has seen a Tuner also).
Nothing naughty shown in the doc, just talking heads, with the occasional US Male, talking about how well they were treated & paid.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_Orlowski
I remember these cars, pretty good in stock configuration .
there are still some left here, mostly they were bought up and run into the ground by drug dealers .
-Nate
I think that it needs a Continental kit, a vinyl roof and a surfer gas pedal. Some people just have no taste.
Who snapped this pic? Crockett and Tubbs on a stakeout? That Koenig AMG Mercedes looks like a drug villain, meeting with one of his cocaine suppliers, on an episode of Miami Vice.
There are 2022 equivalents but these days they come from Japan, just google “Liberty Walk” or “RWB/Rauh-Welt Begriff”… And are somewhat more harmonious than the 80s horrors.