If you’ve been following our summer events coverage, you’ve seen our stories from Ultrace Club 2024Since Vladimir, Alen and I were all on the ground in Wrocław, Poland for this year’s show, we thought we would do something we’ve never done before and select one car for a special Speedhunters’ Choice price.
After some planning with the Ultrace crew and a last minute exercise to find a custom trophy, we made our selection in Martin SzombierskiThe 1969 Mercedes-Benz W108.
Today I’m here to show you why. Because there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye with Martin’s Mercedes build.
Mercedes-Benz fans may have already noticed a resemblance to the 1971 300 SEL 6.8 AMG racing car, better known as Wheel Or – or Red Pig in English.
Called the Red Pig As an insult, not a compliment, the original AMG-honed 300 SEL took a shocking class win at the 1971 Spa 24 Hours endurance race, finishing second overall. Its reputation has remained legendary ever since, so much so that Mercedes-Benz built a replica in the mid-2000s after the original was sold to an aerospace company, converted into a six-door rolling test vehicle, and sunk into obscurity.
The Wheel Or holds a special place in my heart, as it is a testament to how big cars are disrupting the status quo. When I saw Martin’s W108 parked near the Ultrace stage, I immediately fell off my chair.
The same can be said for Alen and Vladimir, who were both impressed with one of the most remarkable OEM+ builds we’ve ever seen.
The bodywork alone is phenomenal, with the wide arches adding 200mm to the width of the car. The paintwork is also stunning; glassy with real depth. It’s an OEM+ touch, Mercedes-Benz ‘China Blue’, a colour you’re more likely to see on an S63 or G-Class these days.
Under the arches sit custom three-piece BBS-made Mercedes-Benz Designo wheels, another OEM+ touch. Originally two-piece 17-inch wheels, these have now been upgraded to 19-inch and wrapped in Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 tires.
What struck me most about the exterior, however, was the brightwork. Every bit of chrome is either brand new from Mercedes or re-plated to a perfect mirror finish – which made some of the photos an absolute nightmare, I might add.
Still, the exterior is still a subdued affair, with the chrome side moldings removed and smoothed out. The bumpers have also been removed, just like the original Wheel Of.
Unlike the race car, the rear bumper mounting points are completely smoothed out. Furthermore, instead of a pair of Marchal lights, Martin has opted for Hella driving lights at the front of the car.
The W108’s interior follows a similar approach to the changes, combining the original design and layout with a minimalist, modern treatment.
There are plenty of black leather and suede pieces throughout the car, but there is no walnut wood trim as you would expect in a car of this vintage.
“I bought the W108 because my father and I really like the Mercedes models, especially this model,” says Martin. “And it was the first ‘real’ AMG that was created.”
Clearly aware of the significance of the Red Pig In AMG’s history, Martin wanted to convert his W108 into his own version of a massive cruise missile.
The low-back bucket seats look right at home in an F-body Porsche 911, as does the Momo Prototipo steering wheel. Either end of the dashboard is flanked by the air vents of a facelift W2123 E-Class coupe.
Peer through the steering wheel and you’ll see smoked glass above the instrument panel, which lights up to reveal modern gauges and a digital display…
…while the reinforced transmission tunnel is another clue that something is amiss with Martin’s W108, despite the oh-so-retro gear lever.
The secret of this car is so well integrated that even with the doors open you wouldn’t be able to see what it is. Open the hood, however, and it becomes clear. Martin’s Mercedes can Look like a 1969 SE, but underneath it’s a 2003 W211 E500.
Behind the massive grille sits a 5.0-liter M113 V8 engine, sending 306 hp (and 460 Nm of torque) to the rear wheels; around 200 hp more than a typical W108 that rolled off the production line in 1969.
All the OEM ride comfort is retained with functional ABS and power steering that modernize the driving experience. There is even a functional OBD-II diagnostic system.
A look at the suspension turrets and ride height reveals that Martin’s car is on air suspension. This aspect of the build is another reason why we chose this Mercedes for the price.
“The car was built entirely by me and my father in our garage, so it is our own handiwork. From the sheet metal to the custom interior elements, custom air suspension, body swap and more,” Martin shares pride.
That’s right, even the air ride is custom made by Martin and his father. The setup consists of D2 shock absorbers with a custom airbag setup and a manual 3-switch controller setup that is connected to pressure gauges mounted on the transmission tunnel.
The system may be old-fashioned, but it is still impressive.
“We built the Mercedes because we love working on cars – especially old ones – and we wanted to do something special,” explains Martin. “What I like about it is that I did all the work with my dad. When we started four years ago, we didn’t know if it would work. But we made what you see here, with the Red Pig as inspiration.”
Vlad, Alen and I drove lap after lap in the Tarczyński Arena Wrocław in search of cars for the Speedhunters award. The funniest part? Alen and I drove a few laps together at the end of the first day, and Martin’s car was the very first one we chose to take a closer look at. All it took was the build story to confirm our gut feeling.
Special thanks to Mica Dori, Barry Sweeney, Coen de Korte, Till Dönnebrink and Patrik and Wiktor from PG Performance for their help in creating the Speedhunters Choice trophy.