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Written by Joe Holding
Be honest, if your grandmother was asked to describe her perfect car, it would sound something like this: classic design from the good old days", a drop-top roof for the summer and floral paintwork to rival the efforts of Vincent van Gogh.Well, it just so happens that such a car already exists. The vehicle pictured above is a Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet A from 1952, restored and reimagined by artist Hiro Yamagata, who has worked his magic on dozens of these models since the early 1990s.Part of body of work known as the Earthly Paradise series, this particular car is called "Rose Garden", and was originally bought by the late Vincent Vinnie the Car Guy" Mandzak, who had worked as a salesman for Mercedes and as a specialist for RM Sotheby"s prior to his death last year.Fitted with a 2.2-litre, six-cylinder engine, "Rose Garden" produces 80bhp, has a four-speed manual transmission and according to the odometer has done just over 40,000 miles since new.Bar the paint which is unique on all Yamagata"s models every detail on the car has been accurately restored, including the bodywork, the upholstery and the interior woodwork. Even the radio is the same."Some people say the scenes I paint are dreamy or psychedelic," Yamagata once said of his work. "I say, if you look closely at plants and animals on land and in the ocean the natural world is overflowing with psychedelic colours and creatures. I"m just painting from nature."We"re not sure how much it"ll cost as "Rose Garden" is going under the hammer without a reserve price at RM Sotheby"s Monterey auction next month, although in 2014 another Yamagata 220 A Cab went for $187,000. That"s about 140,000 at today"s rates.It"s got to be worth a punt, right? Click through to see just how happy you"ll be making your gran with a winning bidImages: RM Sotheby"s
Date written: 19 Jul 2016
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 4329
Be honest, if your grandmother was asked to describe her perfect car, it would sound something like this: classic design from the good old days", a drop-top roof for the summer and floral paintwork to rival the efforts of Vincent van Gogh.Well, it just so happens that such a car already exists. The vehicle pictured above is a Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet A from 1952, restored and reimagined by artist Hiro Yamagata, who has worked his magic on dozens of these models since the early 1990s.Part of body of work known as the Earthly Paradise series, this particular car is called "Rose Garden", and was originally bought by the late Vincent Vinnie the Car Guy" Mandzak, who had worked as a salesman for Mercedes and as a specialist for RM Sotheby"s prior to his death last year.Fitted with a 2.2-litre, six-cylinder engine, "Rose Garden" produces 80bhp, has a four-speed manual transmission and according to the odometer has done just over 40,000 miles since new.Bar the paint which is unique on all Yamagata"s models every detail on the car has been accurately restored, including the bodywork, the upholstery and the interior woodwork. Even the radio is the same."Some people say the scenes I paint are dreamy or psychedelic," Yamagata once said of his work. "I say, if you look closely at plants and animals on land and in the ocean the natural world is overflowing with psychedelic colours and creatures. I"m just painting from nature."We"re not sure how much it"ll cost as "Rose Garden" is going under the hammer without a reserve price at RM Sotheby"s Monterey auction next month, although in 2014 another Yamagata 220 A Cab went for $187,000. That"s about 140,000 at today"s rates.It"s got to be worth a punt, right? Click through to see just how happy you"ll be making your gran with a winning bidImages: RM Sotheby"s
Date written: 19 Jul 2016
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 4329
