Mercedes-Benz South African factory workers crafted a custom S-Class sedan for Nelson Mandela, a red Mercedes-Benz 500SE (W126 S-Class) now exhibited at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Built during their spare time in just four days, the workers utilized parts generously donated by the carmaker. This special gift was presented to Mandela upon his release in 1990 after 27 years in prison during South Africa’s apartheid era.
The Madiba Merc, as it came to be known, featured an engraving of the South African flag and a personalized license plate reading “999 NRM GP” in honor of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
The Nobel Prize winner and South Africa’s first democratically elected President expressed during the key handover ceremony in July 1990 that the car’s red color symbolized the bloodshed endured by South Africans in the struggle against apartheid.
The customized S-Class, retired in 1998, took its place at the Apartheid Museum, marking a poignant symbol of Mandela’s journey and the collective effort to dismantle the apartheid system.
The hand-built vehicle showcased the dedication of the workers at Mercedes’ East London plant, who completed the project ahead of Mandela’s release with donated parts from the car manufacturer.
The retirement of the red 500SE occurred in 1998 when a new S-Class was officially handed over to Mandela. The event coincided with the announcement of a billion-rand investment in the South African Mercedes-Benz plant by Prof Jurgen Shrempp, the then Daimler Chrysler AG chairman, during a ceremony honoring the national hero.