In fact, this restomod is founded on the very rare 2002 R129 SL600 Silver Arrow, a special edition model of which only 100 were produced.

That’s because this car was the result of a design challenge set for Paul Bracq, the man behind the original Mercedes-Benz 600, as well as the famous W113 SL Pagoda.

He quickly drew up six concepts, and the favorite ended up being built by Karl Middelhauve and his team at Classic Car Restorations.

That’s because the (more) modern base car was narrower than the classic, so the hood had to be completely reengineered in order to open forward, just like on the Pagoda.

advertisement scroll to continue The team originally had grand aspirations to move the rear axle back, but opted instead to go a simpler route and shorten the bumpers.

Is this a master at work, or proof that a good name isn’t all that’s needed for a successful design?