The ultimate classic Merc wagon
If you happened to be at RM Sotherby’s Techno-Classica Essen auction a couple of weeks back, you would have seen, perhaps, the perfect MercedesBenz W123-era station wagon built come across the auction block. And here at The Good Oil, we love a fast classic wagon.
This gorgeous 1979 MercedesBenz 500 TE AMG hails from an era before AMG was MercedesBenz’s in-house tuning works. Back in the 1970s, AMG was a skunkworks operation down the road, freely fitting sporty Benzs — and the occasional practical family wagon — with outrageous horsepower. The tuner was so successful at its maverick Frankencar operations that Daimler decided to buy it and bring it in the family.
Discovered recently in California, this TE wagon is one such example from a time when AMG was still a free-agent.
It’s powered by a 5-litre V8 and features all-manner of AMGapplied plumbing, such as a secondary oil cooler, tubular headers and downpipes. It also features cast aluminium rear suspension and Recaro seats.
RM Sotherby’s estimate on what this black beauty would go for fell in the €60,000-€70,000 ($101,000-$118,000) range at the Essen auction. The winning bid? A cool €143,750, which is bordering on a quarter-of-a-million Kiwi dollars.
That’s one heck of an expensive way to move that antique sideboard. But at least you would look great — and sound amazing — doing so.