My trip to Ultrace this year was one of pure wonder. Never before had I seen so many high-quality builds gathered in one place. Each car left me more amazed than the last, with so much beauty that it was sometimes hard to know where to look. Yet, one car stood out above the rest: this 1969 Mercedes-Benz W108 by Martin Szombierski. The inspiration behind this build was immediately clear to me.

It harkens back to the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG race car, which gained fame in 1971 when it finished second overall at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. That race car earned the nickname “Rote Sau” (Red Pig) due to its massive size and red paint.

In Martin’s modern interpretation, the red is nowhere to be seen, but the headlights and other details are direct nods to the 1971 beast. Like the wheel arches which have been widened by 200mm, perfectly accommodating the custom-made 19-inch Mercedes-Benz Designo wheels.

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