The origins of this 2000 Mercedes-Benz E320 Wagon – pickup truck – are somewhat murky but its regalness is not. What a thing.
Hubbard Auto Center in Arizona, which has the car now and plans to sell it at a Barrett-Jackson auction in January, has shared that the vehicle “was ordered new by an Atlanta-area Mercedes-Benz dealer.” That dealer apparently had the car “converted” in Germany before it was shipped over.
The fact that a Benz store had it made specifically makes me think this thing was created with a specific purpose in mind, though it looks a little too elegant to be relegated for parts running. A few commenters in various threads where this is posted have mentioned that it could be used for funeral processions, which seems like the most practical application to me.
I guess it could also be useful for an Evil Pope parade car, if such a thing existed, or for fancy tailgating at polo matches. At any rate, here are some more details that Hubbard listed on its Facebook page:
“The E320 wagon chassis was stretched by 29 inches, the rear window and tailgate were repositioned to just aft of the rear doors, and the rear bodywork was cut down and extended to form the pickup bed. The cargo box is lined with diamond plate and is bordered by brushed stainless-steel rails.”
“The bed rails are equipped with LED lighting, and the bed is lined with spray-in bedliner apart from the diamond-plate bed floor. The rear window is hinged and can be opened. The 29-inch extended wheelbase is fitted with a rear cargo area featuring forward portions of the standard E-class wagon bodywork, and roof rails were retained.”
“The conversion included individual rear buckets separated by a Benz-made center console with a cooling compartment, which is not working. The seats are equipped with a pre-programmed loading function, allowing them to fold flat for luggage loading. It rides on 18-inch AMG Monoblock wheels wrapped in Michelin tires.”
I like it. I dare say, I might even like it more than a six-wheeled G-Wagen pickup.
I can’t imagine wanting to own this extra-long E-Class but I respect it and I hope somebody comes up with a great excuse to use it.
Hat tip to Tedrick in the OppositeTalk Facebook group!
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