Rare Import: 1963 Mercedes-Benz Binz Kombiwagen

It’s unusual enough to find an early 60’s Mercedes wagon in the states so to find this custom coach built wagon is extremely rare. Hess & Eisenhardt were perhaps the best know of the U.S coach builders and for the Germans it was Binz GmbH & Co who are still in business today. There is little know of the history of this wagon but based on receipts the seller determined that  it resided in British Columbia until the early 1980’s when it was moved to Sacramento, California. Needing a full restoration, the Mercedes has a $20,000 BIN on Ebay.

This wagon is based on the 190D and was a pretty unusual build in that it was intended for private use. Most of the conversions were for service vehicles or limousine conversions. One wonders if the original owner was in a profession where he needed the extra height that this wagon affords for transporting his goods; perhaps a salesman making a good impression!

The 4 cylinder OM621 diesel engine starts up and runs well with no apparent oils leaks and minimal smoke however the car isn’t currently driveable  as it needs the brake and clutch hydraulics serviced. The body appears pretty solid from the pictures but the seller does say there are two areas of rust in the rockers as well as small area of rust in the rear floorboard. There were no interior pictures posted but the seats are said to be in good condition with no tears but the seller does say that they appear to have been dyed at some point from red to brown. Door panels are described as good but have some areas of warping from moisture. Carpets that appear to be aftermarket have fading but are presentable. The dash has cracking from the California sun. 3 bins of extra parts are included which should be a good help in the restoration. A binder full of brochures and information along with the Mercedes build sheet is also included which is nice to have for such a rare and unusual car.