The crazy custom cars of the 1980s

Based on the Mercedes-Benz 500 SEC (the Chameleon pre-dated the 560 SEC), this was the flagship product of a company that specialised in the vulgar. Everything was thrown at the range-topping Mercedes coupé; wide-arch bodykit, engine upgrades (including supercharging) and a retrimmed interior crammed with the latest tech including TV and video. Nice.

Straight off the set of Miami Vice but built in Britain, the 1000 SEL was built by Bristol-based Glenfrome and based on the W126 Mercedes S-Class. Stretched by 36 inches the interior kitsch level was turned up to 12 and so was the exterior’s, thanks to the gold-plated exterior trim.

If you’ve ever wondered what the result is of mating a 911 with a 928, then wonder no more. Swiss company Rinspeed grafted a 928’s front and rear lights into a Porsche 911 Turbo and this was the result – complete with all-white colour scheme inside and out.

Our final Range Rover is courtesy of SVC, which seemingly just lopped the roof off but kept some bracing in place so the Rangie didn’t feel like a jelly to drive. But looking at the shut lines on the bonnet’s nearside corner the build quality was a bit approximate to say the least...

Hooper Turbo R (1988)

Hooper opened its doors in 1805 and closed them in 1959. Along the way it worked mainly on special-bodied Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, but the name was revived in 1988 to offer two-door versions of the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit and Bentley Turbo R. Compared with many of the horrors around at the time, these cars were very restrained – but still hugely expensive.

Sounding like a gang of criminals rather than an uber-costly off-roader, the Wood & Pickett Cheltenham 6 was another six-wheel drive Range Rover. As this publicity shot shows, the target market for such cars was made very clear with that Arabic number plate.