This Turbojet-Powered Mercedes-Benz Limo Dragster Is a Rad Fever Dream
Skip the prom. Hit the drag strip.
There's something extra rad about a retro tuner Mercedes, from understated Lorinsers to the wild side-strakes of a Koenig-Special. That big, blocky body always looks best with a lot more power, and this neon-hued, turbojet-powered Mercedes-Benz stretch limousine currently for sale on Bring a Trailer takes that to its inevitable end.
This is a tube-chassis dragster with the body of a stretched W126 S-Class on top and a 1953 Westinghouse J34 turbojet engine with a diesel-fueled afterburner sticking out the back. The engine tucks under an aluminum rear spoiler—albeit just barely. According to the listing, the engine came off of a Douglas A-4 Skyhawk fighter jet and was installed in the dragster sometime in the 1990s.
There's a fire suppression system, two parachutes, and four-wheel disc brakes, plus it comes with an air-conditioned 44-foot triple-axle trailer complete with a Honda generator, overhead lighting, and built-in storage. It's even got an escape hatch through the roof. This thing means business.
Underneath, it looks a bit more like a regular dragster, with a roll cage, bucket seat and five-point harnesses there to protect the driver. There's a quick-release steering wheel, and a spartan dashboard with only the relevant gauges for exhaust gas temperature, oil pressure and engine RPM. There is no transmission or differential so taking this limo to prom might be tough, unfortunately.
It's no 1000 SEL in there, but what can we say? This dragster has one purpose: goin' fast. There's no chance of a cathode-ray-tube TV coming loose mid-launch in this one, either.
Shiny polished multi-piece wheels really set off the rad-era vibes, which are straight out of the 1990s thanks to the car's lightning-strike-themed bright magenta, orange, yellow and white airbrushed paint job. Intake ducts through both sides feed the big jet engine out back and look period-correct to boot.
This isn't a BaT garage princess, as the seller claims they've done a lot of work since they bought the car in 2004 to get it ready to send, including new suspension rod ends, wheel bearings, afterburner solenoids, brake pads, brake master cylinders, stainless steel brake lines, exhaust gas temperature probes and the wiring harness to those probes. They also cleaned the motor igniters, fuel rail, and fuel nozzles, and they also rebuilt the starter. There are scratches and paint chips from use, so the owner is including additional dragster-style bodywork, but honestly, the signs of use are part of the charm.
Honestly, this would be my pick to win Radwood over some overpriced, never-used auction darling. Look at it. I can all but hear the "Duck Tales" theme through the computer screen, as I'm pretty sure this is what Scrooge McDuck would've wanted to take to prom back in the day had it been an option. This limo is a long tube of concentrated '90s nostalgia, and impossible not to love accordingly.
This one is already up to $3,000 with seven days to go, and shipping it anywhere outside of Hawaii may be an extra challenge, but all we have to say is: Do it. Check out the full listing with more pics here.
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