Founded by Frederic Duchatelet, the Liege (Belgium) based company "Carat by Duchatelet" specialized in classy modifications of Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce motorcars. The Duchatelet interiors are among the finest (if not the very best) available in the 1980s and exterior modifications were usually more subtile than the ones from other companies of that time. In contrary to many other tuners and coachbuilders (Styling-Garage being the most notoriously known for it) Carat by Duchatelet modified Mercedes-Benzes were actually allowed to keep their "star". Duchatelet had a good relationship with Mercedes-Benz and they approved all of Duchatelet's conversions, including the stretch-limousines.

The workshop of Carat by Duchatelet filled with more than one Mercedes-Benz 500SEL and a Rolls-Royce Silver Spur in 1983.

The same workshop, a few years later. An 560SEC, 560SEL stretch, a Mercedes 600, a Rolls-Royce, a 560SEC convertible and even a Carat Albatross (a Sbarro BiTurbo Gullwing which was further assembled and finished at Carat by Duchatelet including a full Carat designed interior) are in various stages of completion.

Text: copyright Bram Corts

e-mail:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.