Tag Archives: collector cars

Rare Rides: The 2000 Mercedes-Benz CL 500, a Finale Called Final Edition

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Large, luxurious, and very serious, the first generation CL was also an SEC and S during its life. While Mercedes-Benz played the Nineties naming games with its lineup, the W140 soldiered on in two-door format as a last-of for a top-tier Mercedes coupe.

The W140 500 SEC and 600 SEC were introduced in 1992 globally as successor to the C126 (that’s coupe) variant of the legendary W126 S-Class. We’ve covered C126 previously in both standard and cocaine-inspired AMG variants, but never a W126. Look for it in a future Rare Rides Icons.

Both versions of the W140 were penned by Bruno Sacco late in 1987, during the middle of his career at Mercedes. Sacco was lead designer at Benz between 1975 and 1999. With the W140, he brilliantly continued the pillarless hardtop styling of the C126. Two models of SEC were initially available: The 500 used a 5.0-liter V8 that produced 320 horsepower, while the top-drawer 600 SEC had a V12. The most expensive car Mercedes produced at the time, it used a 6.0-liter engine that produced 394 horsepower and rocketed the coupe to 60 in 6.1 seconds. The 600 SEC was incredibly exclusive, and fittingly asked $132,000 in 1992. Adjusted for inflation that figure comes to an eye-watering $262,000. V12 models were identifiable almost solely via their V12 badges on the C-pillar and the 600 on the back.

The range expanded into other models over the years, as a less expensive 4.2-liter V8 was an option in some markets. On the other end of the spectrum, AMG models used larger and more powerful V12 engines of 6.0, 6.9, and even 7.3 liters. That largest engine allowed the CL 73 AMG a top speed of 199 miles per hour and was the engine Pagani chose to power the Zonda of the 2000s. Standard Mercedes-issued coupes were all limited by German tradition to 155 mph. A considerable number of horses were required to motivate the CL, since in any trim it weighed at least 4,500 pounds, and weighed about 4,900 pounds with a 12-cylinder lump upfront. All cars used a four- or five-speed automatic dependent on model year.

In 1994 the SEC moniker that Mercedes used for decades was replaced by an S, as the S 500 Coupe and S 600 Coupe more closely identified with their sedan sibling. It was a temporary measure though, as for the model year 1997 in Europe and 1998 in North America the S was swapped for CL, and the CL-Class was born. Models were then CL 500, CL 600, and so on. The car underneath changed little over the years, as Mercedes used their best build quality, materials, and technology in their halo coupe.

The W140 coupe was offered through 1999 in Europe and 2000 in North America, at which point it was replaced by the W215 CL-Class. The second CL was based upon the new W220 S-Class sedan. The W215 was noteworthy, as it was Bruno Sacco’s final design for Mercedes. Both the W215 and its 2007 successor (C216) were more modern, full of even more technology, much more complicated, and as a consequence has aged more poorly over the years. Both second and third-gen CLs can be found commonly on high-quality internet content like “You Can Get All This $200,000 Mercedes Coupe For $15,000 You Guys Like and Subscribe,” but the W140 SEC and CL have escaped such an undignified fate. Their quality, non-bling appearance, and limited production (26,022 total) have kept them under the radar.

Shortly before the end of its production, Mercedes offered a final run trim on the W140 CL which they creatively called Final Edition. Said special edition seems to be an “all options as standard” version of the CL 500, and in this instance pairs a nice navy metallic paint to a black interior, with sporty AMG-adjacent monoblock wheels. A testament to its build quality, today’s CL has traveled over 164,000 miles and looks brand new. Located in Spain, the future classic asks $15,235.

[Images: Mercedes-Benz]

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Rare Rides: The 1959 Goggomobil Dart, Tiny Roadster Sans Doors

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<img data-attachment-id=”1755302″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors/goggomobil-dart-2/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Goggomobil-Dart-2.png” data-orig-size=”1920,1080″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”Goggomobil Dart 2″ data-image-description=”

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-3.png” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors.png” class=”aligncenter wp-image-1755302 size-large” src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors.png” alt width=”610″ height=”343″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors.png 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-2.png 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-3.png 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-4.png 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-5.png 120w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-6.png 800w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>Today’s Rare Ride is an obscure variant of an already obscure microcar. The Dart you see here was an Australian-designed and built version of the Glas Goggomobil.

We’ve featured Glas cars in two installments of Rare Rides twice previously. The first example was a luxurious 2600 V8 coupe, followed up late last year by the much more mainstream 1304 shooting brake.

The car underneath this roadster body is perhaps the most well-known Glas, the Goggomobil. A very small city car, the Goggomobil was the first car produced by Glas and went on sale in 1955. Available in several body styles, the Goggomobil lacked an exciting roadster variant. The Glas is worth a Rare Ride of its own, so we won’t delve too far into it today.

The story of the Dart began at Buckle Motors, a large Australian car dealership chain. Bill Buckle the senior established his dealership selling Triumph and Talbot cars in 1927. The business grew steadily, and Buckle’s son, Bill Buckle Jr., convinced the management of Buckle Motors to build its own sports car. The idea was inspired by a visit to the London Motor Show in 1953, where many a fiberglass sports car was on display. Management agreed, and Buckle’s first car was the Buckle 2.5 Litre, manufactured in New South Wales and based on a Ford Zephyr. We’re racking up the Rare Rides entries today.

After the 2.5 Litre, Mr. Buckle realized that import taxation could be avoided if a chassis was imported to Australia instead of a complete vehicle. With this in mind, he knew the car he wanted to use and went off to Bavaria to strike a deal with Glas. Glas agreed to send Goggomobil chassis across the sea to Australia, and the Dart was on its way.

<img data-attachment-id=”1755304″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors/goggomobil-dart/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-11.png” data-orig-size=”1249,658″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”Goggomobil Dart” data-image-description=”

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-8.png” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-1.png” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1755304″ src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-1.png” alt width=”610″ height=”321″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-1.png 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-7.png 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-8.png 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-9.png 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-10.png 120w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rare-rides-the-1959-goggomobil-dart-tiny-roadster-sans-doors-11.png 1249w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>Buckle himself designed the fiberglass roadster body, which consisted almost entirely of smooth edges and lacked doors. Of note: At least one (above) had doors added after the fact to improve usability. It seated only two people and had a very small canvas roof to keep out the rain. There was no trunk as the engine was in the rear, but there was storage in the nose, accessed from inside the passenger compartment.  The design entered production in 1959 and was again built in New South Wales.

A very lightweight vehicle, the Dart weighed just 761 pounds. It had an overall length of 120 inches, and a width of just 54 inches. Power was provided by one of three two-stroke two-cylinder engines, in 300-, 392-, or 400-cc displacements. Power ranged from 14 to 18 horses. All shifted their big power through a four-speed manual.

The Dart project was a mild success, and about 700 examples were made by the time the project completed. Though the Dart was the company’s most successful offering, Buckle would go on to build a Goggomobil-based van, and a take on the Mini called Mini Monaco. Today the business is called Bill Buckle Auto Group and sells Toyota, Subaru, and Volkswagen vehicles to the Australian populace.

Today’s Rare Ride is one of about 100 estimated to exist in present times. A lovely orange and grey example, it’s in excellent condition and located in Germany. Yours for $59,665.

[Images: Buckle Motors, YouTube]

Rare Rides: The 1991 Chevrolet Lumina Z34, a Practical High-performance Coupe

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In 1991, consumers could purchase one of several affordable midsize coupes of low-medium equipment, low-medium quality, and upper-middle levels of style.

Let’s talk Lumina Z34.

The Lumina was a new model in Chevrolet’s lineup, introduced in 1990 to replace the dated and extra boxy A-body Celebrity that was on sale since 1982. Lumina was larger in every dimension and more suited to its midsize car mission than its predecessor. Utilizing the newer W-body, Lumina was produced alongside the Buick Regal, Pontiac Grand Prix, and Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. All four cars went head-to-head with the sales monster that was the Ford Taurus.

But the Lumina was no single-car replacement at GM; there was a larger plan at work. Lumina also absorbed the market share of Chevy’s Monte Carlo, which saw its last model year in 1988. Monte’s sporty customers chose the two-door coupe, while Celebrity types opted for the four-door sedan. Monte Carlo was reintroduced for the ’95 model year, which coincided with Lumina’s second W-body generation. In that guise, Monte Carlo was not as much its own design, but more a new Lumina coupe. The Lumina name also extended to a minivan – the APV – which was the Cadillac of Minivans when it donned Oldsmobile Silhouette costumery. The APV was a replacement for the Celebrity wagon; GM saw the Nineties writing on the wall as wagon sales entered a nosedive.

First-gen Luminas were available with inline-four or V6 engines. A 2.2-liter I4 was available only in 1993, while the 2.5-liter Iron Duke from the Celebrity was available from 1990 to 1992. V6 power arrived via a 3.1 (’90-’94) or 3.4 (’91-’94). Transmissions were three- and four-speed GM automatics, or the rarely chosen five-speed manual from Getrag.

Newly available for 1991 was a high-performance Lumina variant, the Z34. The Z34 trim was offered only on the coupe, and was always fitted with an FE3 sports suspension package, and used the largest 3.4-liter engine shared with the Euro trim sedan. Standard was a dual exhaust and four-wheel ABS, as well as a five-speed manual. The automatic was optional on Z34 and usually selected. Even in automatic guise, the shifter was floor-mounted, in contrast to more common Lumina trims. Z34 sported 200 horsepower, which meant a 0 to 60 time of just 7.2 seconds with a manual transmission, and a top speed of 130 miles per hour.

Outside, the Z34 showed its sporting intent via different fascias front and rear, lower side skirts, louvers in various places, and a spoiler. Paint colors were limited: red, blue, white, black, silver, and gray. Inside, drivers grabbed a three-spoke sports wheel and sat on overstuffed bucket seats.

The Lumina was immediately successful, and in 1990 racked up over 300,000 sales. Around 278,000 of those were sedans, and nearly 46,000 coupes. At the end of the Lumina’s first generation in 1994, over a million had been sold. The Lumina Z34 faded away after that year and was replaced by the aforementioned Monte Carlo Z34 in 1995.

Today’s Rare Ride is in spectacular condition and goes up for auction tomorrow. With a five-speed manual, it has just 17,000 miles and has been in the same collection for the past 28 years.

[Images: GM]

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Rare Rides: The Singular 1989 Mercury Sable Convertible

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<img data-attachment-id=”1734518″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible/117105860_2717858104982174_8488039729603534362_n/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-10.jpg” data-orig-size=”960,720″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”1989 Mercury Sable Convertible” data-image-description=”

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/754163072013786/

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-6.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible.jpg” class=”aligncenter wp-image-1734518 size-large” src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”458″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible.jpg 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-5.jpg 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-6.jpg 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-7.jpg 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-8.jpg 120w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-9.jpg 800w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-10.jpg 960w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>Today we head deep into the purest sort of Rare Ride: A vehicle which exists as a singularity, a one-off. It’s a two-door convertible version of the first-generation Mercury Sable.

The lightbar will guide our way.

<img data-attachment-id=”1734526″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible/117013927_2717858464982138_7753399091940307748_n/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-16.jpg” data-orig-size=”960,720″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”1989 Mercury Sable Convertible” data-image-description=”

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/754163072013786/

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-12.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-1.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1734526″ src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-1.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”458″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-1.jpg 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-11.jpg 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-12.jpg 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-13.jpg 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-14.jpg 120w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-15.jpg 800w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-16.jpg 960w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>Taurus and Sable were a big risk for Ford when it introduced its new midsize twins for the 1986 model year. The company went big on cohesive product development, aerodynamics, and a new, modern take on a family sedan and wagon. Six years in development paid off: The Taurus and Sable were an instant hit. They readily found favor with customers eager to leave their boxy rear-drive sedans behind.

<img data-attachment-id=”1734522″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible/117018365_2717858261648825_4065848823506835085_n/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-22.jpg” data-orig-size=”960,720″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”1989 Mercury Sable Convertible” data-image-description=”

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/754163072013786/

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-18.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-2.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1734522″ src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-2.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”458″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-2.jpg 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-17.jpg 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-18.jpg 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-19.jpg 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-20.jpg 120w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-21.jpg 800w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-22.jpg 960w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>The twins’ first generation ran from model years 1986 to 1991, and cars were available solely in sedan and wagon body styles. Sable remained in its original guise until 1989, when it was lightly refreshed via some new parking lamp lenses and different tail lamps. But over at Cars & Concepts, some designers had an idea for additional Sable development sans roof.

The project started with a standard Sable sedan that wore silver paint and a burgundy cloth interior and was powered by the reliable Vulcan 3.0-liter V6. Extensive surgery was required to turn the sedan into a convertible, and the first order of business was ditching the rear doors. Front doors were then made longer to aid rear-seat access, which meant the interior door panels were reworked entirely. A redesign of the rear suspension also occurred.  Somewhere in the process, the roof and windows went away too.

<img data-attachment-id=”1734524″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible/116900387_2717858314982153_7366365930932568073_n/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-26.jpg” data-orig-size=”598,800″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”1989 Mercury Sable Convertible” data-image-description=”

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/754163072013786/

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-24.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-3.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1734524″ src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-3.jpg” alt width=”456″ height=”610″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-3.jpg 456w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-23.jpg 56w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-24.jpg 262w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-25.jpg 90w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-26.jpg 598w” sizes=”(max-width: 456px) 100vw, 456px”>

Many engineering hours were spent to design a fully automatic hydraulic convertible roof. It folded behind the rear seats and was hidden by a solid tonneau cover. And speaking of the rear seats, tiny 3-inch televisions were added to entertain passengers who found Gameboy screens slightly too small.

<img data-attachment-id=”1734520″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible/116927955_2717858494982135_1603542097836061345_n/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-32.jpg” data-orig-size=”960,720″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”1989 Mercury Sable Convertible” data-image-description=”

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/754163072013786/

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-28.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-4.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1734520″ src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-4.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”458″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-4.jpg 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-27.jpg 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-28.jpg 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-29.jpg 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-30.jpg 120w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-31.jpg 800w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/rare-rides-the-singular-1989-mercury-sable-convertible-32.jpg 960w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>The convertible transformation was finished in time for the 1989 SAE Expo, at the very first edition of the NAIAS. There’s no evidence to suggest the project was anything other than Cars & Concepts showing off what they could do. The concept was put in a warehouse for many years until it was titled properly and sold via eBay in 2006. It’s currently for sale via a car dealer in Austin, who used the Sable as a display at his dealership.

The car has accumulated slightly less than 300 miles between 1995 and today, and its odometer presently reads 9,800. This very unique Sable is all yours for $18,900 or thereabouts.

[Images: seller]