1983 Mercedes-Benz 280GE F-Rometsch

In the summer of 1961, the Karosserie Friedrich Rometsch (F-Rometsch) factory sat squarely on top of a piece of land that was about to be divided by the Berlin Wall.

When the wall went up, F-Rometsch lost half of its workers to the newly created German Democratic Republic (GDR) and became a West German manufacturer.

Keen that their luxury-starved East German cousins should know just what communism was denying them, the Western German government encouraged BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and other champions of free-market values to open up show-rooms right next to the wall.

In 1983, this vehicle was purchased directly from Mercedes Benz through a GDR company working covertly in West Berlin.

It was then sent to F-Rometsch to have the roof chopped and be fitted with hunting-specific equipment including rifle-holders, spot-lights and other features.

It was also debadged, losing all visual references to Mercedes-Benz and any associations with the perceived evils of Western capitalism.

Why?

Because it is believed the car is one of three cars (2 Mercedes and one Range Rover) that had been bought and prepared for the exclusive use of Erich Ernst Paul Honecker, who led the GDR from 1971 until shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall in November in 1989.

He loved hunting and would often take other Eastern-bloc leaders, such as Zhivkov, Brezhnev, Husák, Hoxha, Tito and Ceaușescu on hunting trips in the Schorfheide forest near Berlin.

Clearly, Honecker was an admirer of Mercedes-Benz quality and engineering integrity – he just didn’t want the people of East Germany to know about it.

The vendor bought the car in 2017. It has since been reacquainted with some of the Mercedes-Benz badging that was removed to conceal Honecker’s automotive deviation from GDR doctrine.

This car appears to us to be very original and authentic.

The custom bodywork is devoid of any dinks, dents or other aberrations that we can detect.

So, too are the various elements of the black fabric hood and its clear plastic window panels.

The wheels look to be in fine order, as are the lights, bumpers and various protective grilles.

The forest green paintwork, no doubt chosen for its suitability for hunting, appears uniformly good and has retained plenty of shine and lustre throughout.

The car has 28,138 kms on the odometer and the condition of the interior is excellent even for that low number, never mind the car’s age.

The black and grey/white check fabric upholstery is in very good condition, as far as we can tell, and the seven-seater layout – separate seats at the front, bench seating in the middle, room for two more in the back with the spare wheel – is showing no signs of wear or use beyond its kilometres or years.

The roof lining is excellent, as is the roof frame, although there is some surface rust in evidence on both the frame and the bodywork where the former has been rubbing against the latter.

Elsewhere, the spartan and functional interior has survived the passage of time without incurring any meaningful signs of wear or damage – these tough cars were built to last and endure.

The door cards are good, including those in the rear that are equipped with bespoke padded gun rests.

The black plastics on the dashboard and centre console have resisted the temptation to crack or fade, and the steering wheel, handbrake and gear selectors all look well-preserved.

As far as we’re aware, the instruments, switches and dials all do what they’re supposed to do, although we haven’t started or driven the car so we can vouch for their efficacy.

The engine bay looks clean, dry and everything appears to be in its right and proper place, as far as we can tell.

The undersides of the car seem to us to have a decent amount of structural integrity and we’ve seen nothing to make us tut or frown excessively.

We are told that, previously, it belonged to Erich Honecker.

It comes with a Spanish title document only (the other papers in the photo gallery are just photocopies), and is currently in a secure warehouse in the Netherlands.

By 1989, much of Honecker’s power and influence had been stripped away from him by the same Eastern-bloc leaders and party officials with whom he had previously enjoyed so many hunting trips.

But still he went hunting, usually from his ‘Wildfang’ lodge in the Schorfheide forest.

One afternoon in November 1989 he was out with his rifles and, by the end of the day, had shot six deer, his final shot echoing through the woods at around 4pm.

The next day the Berlin Wall came down.

Soon afterwards, the secret Schorfheide hunting grounds reserved for the GDR’s elite were disbanded and Honecker had no further need for his beloved hunting vehicles.

This vehicle has great value in two important but very distinct ways.

Firstly, it represents a unique piece of geo-political history.

Secondly, it is a low-kilometres 280GE F-Rometsch G-Wagen that has evidently been extremely well cared-for and curated.

Either way, it is utterly fabulous.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of €50,000 - €70,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Nieuw Vennep, Netherlands. To arrange an appointment to inspect this vehicle, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.