Following last year’s successful start of the cooperation between MercedesAMG and the British skateboard and streetwear brand Palace, this creative cooperation is entering its second round. While last year’s presentation as part of the 24hour race at the Nürburgring focussed on the motorsport theme of the first joint Capsule Collection, the focus now moves from the racetrack to the street and the lifestyle in our major cities. This is also emphasized by the four Art Cars from the MercedesAMG product portfolio that accompany the sales launch of the collection. The one-off examples, each with an individual design, are inspired by the cosmopolitan flair of London, Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo, the locations of the four Palace flagship stores.
Exclusivity hand in hand with an unconventional outlook on life – this is what connects MercedesAMG and the skateboard and streetwear brand Palace, with an aesthetic appeal that is a new departure in the sports and fashion world. In addition, high-performance sports cars and street skateboarding have some basic characteristics in common: in both areas, it’s all about performance and speed; adrenaline and coolness form an unbeatable combination.
MercedesAMG and Palace Skateboards are now continuing the well-tried combination of stylish clothing and trendy accessories with spectacularly designed cars following the same theme. To mark the sales launch of the new collection, four standard MercedesAMG models have been transformed into unique Art Cars. When creating their designs, Lev Tanju, the founder of Palace Skateboards, and his design team were inspired by the atmosphere of the flagship store locations: the world metropolises of London, Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo. The Art Cars pick up motifs that can also be found in the 23piece collection.
The four MercedesAMG series models transformed into Art Cars to mark the new collection are a MercedesAMG A 45 S (pictured in this article), a MercedesAMG GT 63 4MATIC+, a MercedesAMG SL 63 4MATIC+, and a MercedesAMG G 63, all boasting an intricate seven-layer fade paint finish, i.e. with a color-changing effect. Other features common to all are the AMG emblems and Palace logos, which are distributed over the entire body. The interiors are also characterized by the cool aesthetic that distinguishes Palace clothing. Numerous details contribute to this: the exclusive special colors for the seat upholstery and the door center panels, individually designed floor mats, head restraints, and handrest with embossed logo, as well as LED door projectors that display the cooperation logo on the ground when the door is opened.
The one-off models were painted and customized at the AMG Performance Studio in Affalterbach, however, the SL 63 was built as a special body at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen, in this case, the various parts required for the special paint job to be executed at Affalterbach were taken out of the line and then reintroduced into the just-in-sequence production process.
The MercedesAMG A 45 S PALACE Edition/”Tiger London”: The bold, multicolour paintwork, the large head of a white tiger on the bonnet and the large AMG emblem on the sides of the car pay homage to the vibrant and diverse custom car scene in the UK in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s
The MercedesAMG SL 63 4MATIC+ PALACE Edition/”Sunset LA”: With paintwork that shimmers between bright yellow and deep red, the 2+2seater roadster represents the perpetual Californian summer.
The MercedesAMG GT 63 4MATIC+ PALACE Edition/”Neon Fade New York”: The color scheme, which transitions from black to neon yellow, represents the two sides of the megacity on the Hudson River. “The city that never sleeps” delivers a fascinating contrast between the rough pavements of some areas and the bright lights of directly neighboring districts.
The MercedesAMG G 63 PALACE Edition/”Space Horse Tokyo”: The horse galloping through space on the vehicle’s flank pays tribute to the fantasy culture so popular in Japan.
MercedesAMG and Palace have developed a joint campaign to present the Art Cars and the second joint Capsule Collection. With the playfulness and self-irony so typical of Palace, the slogan “Affalterbach to the world” elevates “little” Affalterbach to the rank of a world metropolis – on a par with London, Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo. The campaign will run from 21 March until 25 March 2022.
