Joshua Vides' Painted Mercedes SL500 Heads to Auction on Bring a Trailer

A 1997 Mercedes-Benz SL500 transformed by artist Joshua Vides with hand-painted black-and-white linework is now listed on Bring a Trailer with no reserve, closing August 29, 2026. The car was one of three vehicles Vides customized for his 2025 Los Angeles exhibition 'Check Engine Light', alongside a Honda Civic and a Porsche 964. Vides, born in 1989, selected cars based on his childhood memories of 1990s car culture; he recalled the SL500 as a 'drug dealer car' with monoblock wheels. The Mercedes, originally finished in Brilliant Silver Metallic, was wrapped in white vinyl before Vides painted thick brushstrokes tracing the grille, bumpers, and reflections, making the car appear like an oversized sketch. The underlying vehicle has 226,000 miles, a 5.0-liter V8, black leather interior, and retains its SL1 Sport Package with 18-inch AMG-style wheels. After the exhibition, portions covering windows and lights were removed to make the car road-usable, but much of the painted wrap remains, including coverage on the front valance, third brake light, and fog lights. Vides describes his technique as 'Reality to Idea', reducing surfaces to white fields with loose black marks, aiming to take objects back to their original sketch. The auction listing includes images via Bring a Trailer.