We’ve just acquired a W126 S-Class. And no, we’re not restoring it. We’re raiding it.
Our latest build is a W114/115 restomod that takes Mercedes-Benz’s legendary early-70s “Stroke Eight” and gives it a mechanical makeover worthy of the badge. And Phase One just landed at our Johannesburg workshop in the shape of a big, dignified Mercedes-Benz W126 S-Class
The Donor
The W126 ran from 1979 to 1991 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest cars ever built. Engineering overbuilt to the point of almost philosophical commitment. Ours is past its cosmetic prime, but under that tired skin lies exactly what we need.
The W126 wasn’t chosen by accident. Mercedes built that car with an almost obsessive attention to drivetrain and safety engineering, which makes it a goldmine of components that are robust, well-documented, and with the right fabrication, transferable. What’s coming out of this car will be the mechanical backbone of the W114/115 build.
The Canvas
Built between 1968 and 1976, the W114/115 is one of the most elegant executive saloons Mercedes ever produced. Understated, angular, perfectly proportioned. It deserves a powertrain that matches its character: refined, capable, and built to last.
The W114/115 is a car that stops people in the street. Not because it shouts, but because it’s simply, quietly right. Our job is to make it drive the way it looks. That means modern reliability, modern power, and none of the compromises you normally have to make when you take a 50-year-old car on a long weekend run.
This is going to be a proper build. Documented, detailed, and done properly. We’ll be sharing the process from our Joburg workshop, the fabrication challenges, the solutions, the moments of doubt, and the moments that make it all worth it. Stay close.
The donor is on the floor. The work begins.
