ABC Exclusive has built some quite exciting versions of the W126 Limousine. However, exterior-wise they are not as extreme as some of the ones made by SGS and the UK companies like Chameleon: no 600-style noses or any other type of serious plastic surgery to the exterior appart from some new bumpers and an occiasional spoiler on the boot. The only extreme on the outside was gold. The interiors however made up for a lot.

 

 

This ABC Exclusive 500SEL from approx. 1983 has all the obvious ABC-features on the exterior: gold grille, new bumpers and skirts, the flared wheel arches sprayed in the car's exterior-color. From the look of the exterior photo the dash and interior seemed stock-Mercedes, but that's not completely true as we can see on the picture below: gold-plated falcons-head shiftknob, Silberpfeil steering wheel, and the stereo built in the dash.

 

 


 

 

This ABC car has a little more to offer on the outside. Goldplated grille and doorhandle frames, bootlid spoiler, new bumpers and skirts and the famous (or infamous) Gotti wheels.

 

 

The front view shows a true ABC Exclusive feature: the eagle with spread wings as hood ornament. ABC Exclusive firm logo was an eagle. Also note the window washers are gold plated and the black interior has the non-standard big dash. The rear view shows the car badged as "ABC No.1" on the left and "Exclusive" on the right. ABC's way to say "1000SEL".

 

 


 

 

This ABC Exclusive 500SEL has appeard in many of the ABC brochures and therefore I can show you a lot of pictures. From the outside fairly simple, similar to the first car in the article with grey interior. Except this car has gold painted rims.

 

 

 

The really interesting stuff on this car is on the inside. A big dash with a full inbuilt multi-component Kenwood stereo, new wood trim and a Silberpfeil steering wheel with gold-plated horn buttons and an ABC-logo. The car has a blue falcon's head shift know made out of plastic if I'm correct. The "Exclusive" logo is used to close off the original space for the radio. Some expensive filler.

 

 

Recaro seats both in the front and rear. All seats are covered in white leather with the centers covered in a different type of blue cloth. There's a TV, VCR and a small fridge for the rear passengers.

 

 


 

 

Coincidence or not, this red car looks very similar in many ways to the above black car. To be honest I think the car might have been part of a multi-car order by some wealthy Arab. The exterior is exactly the same except for the candy apple red color. The interior has the same style with the white leather and the, in this case, red cloth.

 

 

 

The big difference is that this red car doesn't have the 4 Recaro seats, nor does it have a center console with TV and other luxuries. It does however have very nice burr-walnut picnic tables and the typical two-tone upholstery and the typical ABC Falcon's head shift knob, a 1000SEL.com favorite.

 

 


 

 

This a more "sober" version. Well.... The interior matches the exterior in a sort of salmon pink. The suspension seems to be lowered quite a bit with the Remotec wheels just about the touch the wheel arches. The interior is all leather with the G80 Clarion in the centre console. Note that the centre console has been finished in leather, not the usual wood. Looks neat!

 

 


 

 

A black ABC-Exclusive W126 with some nice features: all chrome parts were powdered in the color of the bodywork and Mangels rims in chrome/gold combination. Notice the small gold painted Arab text underneath the door handles, probably the owner's name. The interior is fairly stock with all white leather, the Silberpfeil steering wheel and again a white falcon for a shifter. Note the very cool miniature falcon's head key ring.

 

 


 

 

Not a very spectacular car, this ABC 500SEL. It has the full bodykit and the Mangels wheels with golden spokes but the color seems the Mercedes-factory type. Interestlngly it has a special exhaust system that protrudes through the rear bumper.

 

 


 

 

This picture shows that ABC also named some of their W126s "1000SEL". It just depended on the customers wishes. This interesting vehicle is painted in what appears to be a regular bright-red paintwork (no metallic) and a white-red interior. All the chrome seemed to have been painted in the bodywork color. Also interesting to see is the antennae fitted in the middle of the truck, probably for the TV. But here's something for you to digest: this car wasn't built by ABC-Exclusive, it was made by Uwe Gemballa: note the door panels which show the typical Gemballa pattern and the dash might also be a typical Gemballa item with the Clarion G80 pieces mounted next to eachother.

 

 

 

 



Text: copyright Bram Corts 2013

 

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