In 2024, Arcade Cars wowed the Pebble Beach crowds with their beautifully restored vintage Mercedes-Benz Puch 230 GE. For the 2025 Monterey Car Week, Arcade returns to the Pebble Beach Concours Village with a one-off reimaging of the classic Mercedes military vehicle. Finished in a stunning Pacific blue over a handcrafted Star Embossed Palomino Leather interior, this fully-restored 4x4 was optimized for the new owner’s active lifestyle, featuring a front recovery winch, gun racks, side steps, a brush guard and off-road rally lights. The vehicle will be on display throughout Car Week in the Arcade Cars exhibition space, before being presented to the new owner on Concours Sunday.
Arcade co-founder Rishav Kanoria has high expectations for this year’s event. “After we debuted at Pebble Beach last year, we were overwhelmed by the response and interest in what our team is creating at Arcade. The look of the legacy G-Wagen resonates with so many people. We’ve been able to preserve that iconic presence and legendary reliability while adding the luxury touches and amenities modern drivers want. We’re also able to personalize each vehicle to the owner’s unique interests and style, as represented perfectly with this year’s show vehicle.”
The Mercedes-Benz Puch 230 GE is one of the first models created by Mercedes-Benz of its storied G-Class line and never officially imported into the US. The line of cars originated as a request from the Shah of Iran to build a capable off-roader for the harsh terrain of his country. Mercedes-Benz contracted Austrian manufacturer Puch to build the cars, and eventually bought the technology for its innovative 4WD platform for future generations of the G-Class. Puch was bought by Magna Steyr and is still the manufacturer for all G-Class vehicles in their Graz, Austria facility. While numerous European militaries used the 230 GE, Arcade sources their vehicles from Swiss military surplus, which they find have been the best maintained over time.
To create an Arcade 230 GE or 240 GD, there is an extensive six-phase process. Once sourced, Arcade completely transforms the spartan, purpose-built military transport into something luxurious and desirable with modern technology, while still retaining the ruggedness, durability and versatility of the original mil-spec vehicle:
1–Sourcing and evaluation, 2–Sand or ice blasting, 3–Welding and metal work, 4–Paint, 5–Engine restoration and tuning, 6–Interior recreation and modifications
Arcade’s vehicles have gained the attention of individuals who seek a classic 4x4 that retains the vintage look and experience while delivering reliability, capability and modern appointments.
About Arcade Cars
Arcade Cars, founded in 2023 by Rishav Kanoria and Felix Timmer, is headquartered in London, UK. Vehicle sourcing and operations are located in Austria and Germany. Arcade engineers have lengthy expertise working with Mercedes-Benz vehicles, and their workshops are fully integrated with product design and custom manufacturing for interior parts and accessories. To ensure ultimate reliability and performance, Arcade works with a specialist team of ex-AMG race engineers on rebuilding and upgrading the engines. They obtain TUV certification and road registration in Germany to ensure Arcade cars meet stringent high safety and quality standards. https://arcadecars.com