High-dollar luxury models outnumber economy compacts these days, but that wasn’t always the case. Even during the conspicuous consumption era of the 1980s, Ferrari and Lamborghini offered one supercar each. Rolls-Royce and Bentley each sold one model, but they were essentially the same car under the badges. BMW and Audi weren’t even contenders in those circles at the time.
Before the arrival of Lexus, the absolute pinnacle of durable construction was Mercedes-Benz. One model stood out in the Mercedes brand: the 560SEC.
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Based on the top-of-the-line S-Class and powered by the biggest engine on offer, the 560SEC lost two doors and gained a sloping roofline. It was at once beautiful and businesslike, with all the opulence and sturdiness offered by the three-pointed star. For some, however, even such a flagship would not suffice.
That’s what led to the creation of the custom ultra-rare Mercedes 560SEC convertible recently for sale on eBay in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
Big Money, Big Style
In 1986, a brand-new Mercedes-Benz 560SEC started at $58,700, the equivalent of $163,500 today. But with that lofty price tag came space-age technologies like air suspension and a 5.5-liter engine making 238 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque.
While many new Benzes exceed the $163,000 mark in 2023, the automotive landscape of the ’80s was very different. Even high-end automakers did not typically have a performance division. Mercedes did not yet own AMG, nor did it have an arsenal of track-focused BMW rivals.
What got attention in the ‘80s, however, was convertibles. A number of companies specializing in converting fixed-head cars into droptops cropped up, including ASC, Straman, and Cars & Concepts. They even inked contracts with automakers to transform everything from Chevy Cavalier - opens in new window or tab. compacts to Mitsubishi 3000GT - opens in new window or tab. sports cars and sell them via the brands’ dealerships with warranties.
Let the Sunshine In
Mercedes did not offer a factory 560SEC convertible, but plenty exist. German tuner Koenig built them with wild Ferrari Testarossa-like body kits. Baseball Hall of Famer Darryl Strawberry owned an open-top 560SEC too, but it’s unclear who did the conversion. Many were custom jobs with unknown provenance.
The work isn’t as simple as cutting the steel roof off and adding a fabric top. On a coupe, the roof is structural, so a converted droptop will need lots of reinforcements to keep it from folding like a cardboard box. Add to that switches and wiring for power folding tops, associated motors, and seatbelt relocation from the pillars, and it can be quite a substantial undertaking.
Southern California’s Straman was one of the big ones. The company started out chopping the roofs off of Camaros but eventually expanded the business to Honda CRX hatchbacks - opens in new window or tab., Nissan 300ZXes - opens in new window or tab., and Ferraris. Straman did perform one-off customs for clients. The Mercedes-Benz 560SEC for sale is the only example documented to have been done by Straman that we can find.
A 1998 - opens in new window or tab.Los Angeles Times - opens in new window or tab. article - opens in new window or tab. estimates that a custom Straman job on a Ferrari or Mercedes could run $45,000 to $60,000 for a single car. That’s atop the cost of the donor car itself.
With that kind of expenditure, it’s surprising that the car wasn’t used for more than 33,664 miles. That’s nothing for a Mercedes of this era, which are among the best-built in the brand’s history. The listing says the original family who commissioned the build owned the car until 2018. It’s finished in Diamond Blue paint with palomino leather interior, a rare combo for an already rare Mercedes-Benz 560SEC.
With an asking price of $79,000, it presents a tremendous opportunity to own a one-of-a-kind vehicle - opens in new window or tab., considered the very best of the breed.
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