A Turkish man on the Black Sea coast, Şaban Oskay, brought his passion for classic cars into his office by transforming a scrapped 1967 Mercedes into a work desk.
Oskay, who has been working as an automobile modification expert for 25 years at an industrial zone in the Gölbucağı neighborhood, travels from city to city to purchase classic cars that have been abandoned by their owners and left to decay.
Bringing 60-70-year-old classic cars left abandoned in garages to the auto industrial site by tow truck, Oskay restores their bodywork, paint, upholstery, electrical and mechanical parts in line with their original condition before selling them. He also reflected this passion in his workplace by turning the front section of a scrapped 1967 Mercedes into a work desk.
Treating the desk he dearly loves with the same care as his own car – wiping, polishing and even shining it meticulously every day – Oskay offers visitors a nostalgic journey into the past while creating a colorful atmosphere in his workshop.
Oskay said he has been interested in cars since a young age and that this curiosity led him into automobile modification.
After opening his workshop straight after military service, he said he found the opportunity to bring scrapped classic vehicles back to life. “I always had a passion for cars as a child, and over the years, it turned into a passion for classic cars. I don’t want these vehicles to rot away and disappear,” he said.
Explaining his work requires him to travel from city to city, Oskay said: “One day, while I was in Kastamonu, I saw this vehicle among thorns and located its owner. Of course, the car was in very bad condition and completely rotten. I brought it here by tow truck, cut it up, and turned it into a desk. Customers like it, it brightens up our shop, and most importantly, we show respect for the past and history.”
Stating that he does not want antique vehicles to disappear, Oskay said that whenever possible, he restores the classic cars he finds with his colleagues at the workshop, returning their bodywork, paint, upholstery, electrical, and mechanical components to their original condition within two to three months.
“Everything on the Mercedes I use as a work desk is original; I didn’t add any aftermarket parts. I even had the missing pieces brought from abroad. I wish it hadn’t decayed so much and could have been a drivable car. This is practically a historical artifact for us. I would have been happier if it were still on the road,” he said.
Oskay added that those who see the desk are often surprised and want to learn its story, which helps him connect with customers, adding that local officials also occasionally visit his workshop.
