There are many boutique car companies out there that specialize in restoring and modifying old cars, and the restomod projects they craft are every bit as spectacular as those coming from established (and high-end) names like Singer Vehicle Design, Eagle, Emory Motorsports, Icon 4×4, Mechatronik, or Alfaholics.
If you want to breathe new life into your classic car, you’ve got lots of small workshops that can make your vision come true. Owners of old Mercedes-Benz cars are spoiled for choice in that respect, including in the United States, where many companies will happily take their money.
One of them is Retro Designs, a lesser known firm based out of Harrisburg, North Carolina, whose philosophy is to bring iconic automobiles back to life with modern engineering and subtle styling upgrades. They mostly work on classic Corvettes, but they also do American trucks and European icons.
A Classic Coupe with a Pumping AMG V8 Heart
In celebration of their 15th anniversary, they have just released a fully reimagined 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE Coupe from the W111 generation (the direct ancestor to the S-Class) that they claim is “the world’s fastest 280 SE ever built.” That’s a big statement, and it is backed by the engine Retro Designs has transplanted into the elegant coupe.
That is the hand-built, naturally aspirated AMG 5.4-liter M113 V8 engine, sourced from a 2006 Mercedes C55 AMG. Originally fitted to production models built from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s, including the C55 AMG, CLK55 AMG, SLK55 AMG and early ML55 AMG, the V8 is said to put out four times more horsepower than the stock 2.8-liter inline six-cylinder motor originally fitted to the 280 SE.
That means the M113 V8 has been significantly upgraded, too, since in stock form it was good for up to 362 hp. Four times more horsepower than the 280 SE’s stock 160 hp would indicate an output of around 640 hp, which you wouldn’t expect from this iconic coupe that looks pretty much stock. No performance specs were released, but it’s not hard to imagine it's much faster than Mercedes-Benz originally intended.
The engine is hooked to a Mercedes-Benz 5G-Tronic (722.6) 5-speed automatic transmission, which was also used in various AMG models of the early 2000s. Retro Designs chose it because it fit perfectly to the chassis and did not require changes to the central tunnel. Speaking of the chassis, it’s a bespoke one and it features a fully reworked suspension and a Brembo braking system to ensure adequate stopping power.
Subtle Tweaks to a Timeless Design
In the looks department, the only changes Retro Designs made to the timeless coupe include removing the sunroof, painting the body Porsche Irish Green, and fitting custom billet wheels inspired by the original steel wheels and hubcaps. Mind you, the custom Evod Industries billet wheels alone, which feature floating hubcaps with stationary logos in motion, cost $20,000.
The same philosophy of retaining the original look was applied to the interior, although the modern upgrades are more obvious. They include accent lighting, Dakota Digital gauges, modern stereo system, and an upgraded Vintage Air HVAC system integrated to work with the original dash and firewall.
“The classic 280 SE gave us the perfect platform to push the limits of what a vintage Mercedes custom build can be,” said Daniel Valjevac, Retro Designs general manager. “Our team preserved its ageless presence while completely reengineering the car underneath to create what we believe is the fastest 280 SE ever built,” he added.
Retro Designs says this build is one of the most expensive vehicles it has ever restored: it's currently up for sale for $500,000. The restoration took thousands of hours and involved a team of expert technicians and specialists that refined every exterior, interior and mechanical detail with obsessive care—and that's obvious by the way it looks. We'll leave it up to you to decide if it's worth half a million dollars, though.
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