Celebration Up Entrance, Enterprise Out Again: Higuchi-san’s W126 500 TE

Given how huge the tuning scene is in 2025, it’s laborious to think about a time when ordering aftermarket elements on 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 elective extras – assume BMW’s M Efficiency, Mercedes-Benz’s AMG Line, or Toyota’s GR collection. In actual fact, at this time you possibly can order an unpainted carbon fibre bonnet on your 2.5-tonne Vary Rover Sport immediately from Land Rover as an possibility for those who’re so inclined. Whether or not that’s a good suggestion, nevertheless, is totally up for debate.

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Rewind a number of years, and such behaviour from an OEM can be thought-about 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 wished 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 lots. Relying on how deep your pockets had been, your choices concerned having a bash at house or asking the native storage to assist. However for these whose pockets had been lined with critical money – or higher but, oil wealth – there was one other possibility.

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How irritating life should’ve been when not even Rolls-Royce or Bentley might provide a {custom} stage of luxurious on 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 offer 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 together 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 step by step fizzled out over time, particularly in the course of the two World Wars when many coachbuilders, like Alvis, switched to plane manufacturing amongst different issues. Mass manufacturing turned the norm in the course of the Second Industrial Revolution and, as such, low-volume coachbuilding didn’t really 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 had been all heavy hitters throughout this period, turning into well-known for taking requests that had been something however peculiar. This resulted in a number of the most outlandish and wacky vehicles of the time – a lot of which rivalled these within the Sultan of Brunei’s legendary assortment.

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And it wasn’t nearly styling. In-car leisure was a significant focus, with firms like Trasco becoming CRT screens and multi-deck audio methods 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 attainable. It’d sound vulgar, however when your clientele contains royal households, oil barons, and arms sellers, it begins to make sense.

In recent times, this era has come to be generally known 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 assorted particular version autos.

Why 1000 SEL? One of the vital well-liked 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.

Based on Bram’s analysis, within the ’80s, a Center Jap buyer reportedly ordered a closely modified 500 SEL from SGS Styling in Germany. When the automotive was delivered, the shopper informed SGS boss Chris Hahn that his automotive was “twice nearly as good as a daily 500 SEL,” and that he’d wish to have a badge on the again to symbolize that. What’s twice a 500 SEL? A 1000 SEL in fact.

Although it was by no means an official mannequin designation, the 1000 SEL badge quickly turned a logo of maximum modifications and opulence, particularly within the Center East, in the course of the top of the oil increase. It was a kind 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 accomplished between 1975 and 1995, and the extortionate value related to every automotive. Particularly now contemplating these specific vehicles and types are coming again into trend as soon as once more.

However what makes these vehicles really 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, attempting 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 isn’t any simple process. Even interval elements from manufacturers like Carat by Duchatelet now value hundreds – assuming you possibly can even discover somebody keen to promote them.

That is the place Speedhunters common Higuchi-san enters the image. He’s an avid traditional 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 challenge, nevertheless, is the fruits of many years 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’ll be able to thank the 1000 SEL period for that, particularly, 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 similar to Higuchi-san’s creation.

There’s no eBay search or AliExpress hyperlink to order W126 property conversions, however happily for Higuchi-san, he didn’t have to begin from scratch. Not that it made the extent of labor required any much less.

“This specific automotive was owned by a well-known Japanese comic in 1990,” Higuchi-san explains. “He cherished American vehicles and thought of a Caprice wagon and likewise 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 wished one thing bespoke.”

Styling Storage Japan, the now defunct coachbuilder behind the unique challenge, was recognized for constructing some wild {custom} creations, together with limousines and even a Z32 wagon.

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Their work was extremely regarded, and when Higuchi-san noticed this specific W126 change into obtainable in 2020, he jumped on the likelihood to personal it.

Nevertheless, 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 obtainable, the one answer 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 be taught {that a} W126 chassis is almost 100mm wider than a W124. Each panel needed to be minimize, prolonged, reshaped, and welded again into place – a whole bunch of hours of labour. You’ll be able to see why it helped to have oil wealth again within the day to fund such a behavior.

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What actually makes this type of conversion so tough is getting the entire swage traces and trim from the W124 panels lined up with the W126. Smoothing the whole lot out would have been faster, however Higuchi-san was decided to maintain the automotive trying as near OEM as attainable 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 all the shell Palladium Silver to provide it a contemporary look whereas staying true to the unique color.”

Seeing as all of the chrome trim and plastics across the home windows had been custom-made by Styling Storage Japan (not a single piece from the W124 lined up towards 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 considering it was simply a widened S124 due to that angular boot and smaller hind lights. Nevertheless, Higuchi-san wished to retain the complete performance of the trunk, which meant constructing a completely new {custom} flooring panel and restoring the entire plastic trims used inside. Up entrance, very similar to Zender’s ’80s idea, a full SEC conversion was undertaken utilizing all manufacturing facility 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 observe the same fashion when it comes to 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 reality: Higuchi-san makes his wheels in 17-inch dimension, 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 had been first supplied as a tuning improve for the W124 within the ‘90s. Apart from massively enhancing the inventory brake system, they supply a refined 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 precise containers, and earlier than you realize it, you’re doom-scrolling via eBay getting 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 might be promoted and phased out with dizzying pace, it’s at all times refreshing to see what Higuchi-san has up his sleeve.

“All in all, the challenge 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 imagine it was not a manufacturing facility conversion.”

There are only a few vehicles on the market which don’t look higher in wagon kind, and I don’t ever bear in mind driving a automotive and complaining that it had an excessive amount of area. 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 area 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 the whole lot higher.

Mark Riccioni
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Twitter: markriccioni
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