This 1984 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC 5.4 AMG Widebody was reportedly modified in-period by then-independent tuner AMG and is one of the earliest C126 widebody cars ever built. The car was featured on the cover of the July 1984 AutoWeek magazine and an original copy will come with the car (also pictured in the gallery). The car spent time in Brazil before being imported to the United States. The seller acquired the car last year from the garage of the former owner who had owned the car since 2001 and reports the car has not driven since 2006 when her husband passed away. Finished in Classic White (737) over Grey (258) leather, the car features a Gen 1 AMG widebody kit and power comes from an AMG modified 5.4L M117 engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission with LSD (Limited-Slip Differential). Equipment includes fog lights, a sunroof, an Alpine head unit, power-adjustable heated Recaro front seats, and more. Additional AMG modifications include authentic Penta wheels, an AMG Sebring exhaust, AMG gauge cluster, steering wheel, floor mats, and Recaro seats. The seller reports a new fuel pump and filter have been installed and the cylinders have been fogged and rotated to ensure the engine turns. The odometer shows 116k kilometers (~72k miles) and this AMG widebody is now offered with 2 keys, the original spare wheel, and a clean Virginia title.
The body is finished in Classic White (737) with color-matched lower cladding, bumpers, and painted chrome as part of the AMG treatment. This pillarless coupe also features fog lights, headlight washers, and a sunroof with tilt function. The car features original Euro headlights and full Euro Gen 1 AMG widebody kit. The full widebody conversion consists of AMG lightweight fiberglass widebody front fenders, metal rear fenders, extended side skirts, lower cladding, both bumpers, and a spoiler. A metal era-correct AMG and 5.4 badge are affixed to the trunk lid. The car has remained parked in a garage since 2006 and shows major imperfections including cracks in the body work and paint. Highly detailed photos of the body are provided in the gallery to disclose all imperfections.
Original 16” AMG Penta wheels measuring 9” wide in the front and 10” wide in the rear are installed with older Yokahama tires. Standard equipment included four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes and rear self-leveling suspension. The car is equipped with AMG white springs and still features the original AMG Sebring exhaust.
The cabin features Grey (258) leather seating surfaces along with matching carpets, door panels, and AMG carpet floor mats pictured in the gallery. The floor mats show tags from Beverly Hills Motor Company and remain in good condition. Amenities include heated power-adjustable Recaro Classic front seats, automatic climate control, an Alpine head unit, and wood trim accenting the dashboard, center console, and doors. The wood veneer shows cracks, peeling, and fading. An AMG wood shift knob is installed along with a leather-wrapped AMG steering wheel. The seller notes the headliner is in need of replacement.
The leather-wrapped AMG steering wheel frames a 300-kph speedometer, a 7k-rpm tachometer with an inset analog clock, and a combination gauge for coolant temperature, fuel level, oil pressure, and fuel economy. The six-digit odometer shows just under 117k kilometers (~72k miles). The original AMG gauges feature white faces with black script and yellow dials.
The 5.4 M117 offering from AMG was the largest engine available at the time and predated the later 6.0 version beginning in 1986. The AMG 5.4 engines were offered in various stages of performance depending on your budget, with AMG sale documentation at the time stating 310 bhp, 0–60 in 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. This 500SEC AMG features a bored SOHC 5.4-liter MIl7 with AMG camshafts, dual air inlet and tuning putting it on the higher end of the performance 5.4 offerings. Additional photos provided show AMG engravings on the camshafts and an AMG sticker across the left cylinder head.
Walk around videos below show the exterior and interior of the car in detail.
What dreams are made of: The barn find AMG Widebody. This C126 AMG is believed to be 1 of only 25 examples builts with the 5.4L and is one of the earliest cars built. The datacard shows the original order location as Brazil and the first Carfax entry for the U.S. shows in Virginia in 2001. The seller acquired the car in 2022 from the former longterm owner who parked the car in 2006 after her late husband passed away. According to the prior owner, this is the same car featured on the cover of the July 1984 AutoWeek magazine and an original copy will come with the car (pictured in the gallery).
At the time the car was built, AMG was still an independent tuning company separate from Mercedes-Benz. This particular car was built during an era when “The only limitation on what could be done to your Mercedes-Benz was the size of your bank account”. Cosmetically, there were endless available modifications from interior bits to exterior body kits and wheels. Additionally, AMG offered a wealth of performance upgrades and at the top of the food chain in 1984 was the 5.4 M117. While many people have become aware of the provenance of the more common 6.0 versions, not many know that in 1984 and 1985 the premier offering from AMG was actually the 5.4. The 6.0 officially debuted in 1986 which makes any 5.4 car significantly more rare. According to sources who worked with AMG Germany and North America in the 80’s, an estimated 25 cars were built with the 5.4 engine and of those, nearly all of them were DOHC. While the DOHC did offer a few more horses, the trade off was reliability and longevity. From a standpoint of maintenance and reliability, the SOHC versions such as this were easily the winners. In fact, many of the DOHC cars were converted back throughout the 90’s and early 2000’s for this reason. In short, the SOHC 5.4 is the ideal AMG-worked engine of them all with an estimated 25 made in total and this one is the real deal. Whether you’re looking for a genuine piece of AMG history for your collection or want to restore the perfect barnfind AMG, this C126 5.4 AMG Widebody is sure to pay dividends for many years to come.
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50 Comments
Have you seen the patina cars there are many that are far from turnkeyCongrats to @Chester on winning this amazing and original Gen I WB. I have some parts that may be available to help this car get back to greatness. Jono @ Blueridge knows me.Assuming Patina or Curated are only interested in turnkey cars.Congratulations @chester!Congrats @Chester :):):)Congratulations!! Awesome project!!$110,000 bid placed by @Chester
$103,000 bid placed by @Roofsforcars
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$101,500 bid placed by @Mercedesml
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$100,000 bid placed by @Chester
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$82,500 bid placed by @Chester
Last 5 minutes!$82,000 bid placed by @Mergerdays
@BlueridgeMB thank you! Was a pleasure meeting you and admire your knowledge!1 hour left! Put your bids in for the chance of owning a great piece of AMG history and a great investment!@benzgarden stock single piston FWIW.Hi everyone, I'll keep it fairly to the point. Car is all there, doesn't look to have had much if anything done since Before 2004 (tires are from 1998) and a lot of the time it did spend was outside. Corrosion under the rear window is extensive. It's going to require removal of the hat tray assemblage and a new rear window. Neither of those parts exist. The fender wells in the rear have some pretty serious Holes as well... I did NOT dig into the visible rust on the fenders, not my car not comfortable pushing/pulling/chipping away at things. Fuel tank and fuel system have been ravaged, not surprised. My phrase of late with a number of cars I have been PPi'ing has been 'everything needs something, but some things need More'. This car falls under that heading. You won't leave a single aspect of this car alone in an effort to bring her back to former glory. All that aside, again she is all there and the real deal. If you budget under six figures for a resto you're not doing the car justice IMHO. I'm watching closely, I do have Everything here that would be needed to sort her out at least. Also, Kudos to Marco for watching this beast of a car for years and having the wherewithall to go and snap her up. He's a great guy based on our time spent, a pleasure making your acquaintance sir!Yes still waiting for Jono's full reportAny commentary forthcoming from @BlueridgeMB?If you need a place to safely park some cash then I think you've found it haha. The dollar may go down but a car like this will only go up!$80,500 bid placed by @Chester
Smart money buys this one! You can't find them like this anymore today. If my pockets were deeper it'd be no question. A dream car for the century GLWA!@48hp, the door panels in the magazine car are different as well.@MP91 The Ideal and Classic seats are very similar but those pictured in the magazine are Recaro Idealsitz, not Classic-C seats. The photos used in the magazine article are stock AMG catalog photos. Though the press car and the car being auctioned are very similar, they are not the same.. Regardless, beautiful time capsule and GLWS!$80,000 bid placed by @Bgood5
$51,000 bid placed by @Abolfaz
Hard to find in any condition . incredible !Also you can see on the magazine pictures the Recaro seats where installed when the car was built.Jonathan stopped by on Thursday, October 5th, to check out the car. During our conversation, one of the many things we talked about is the existence of the original AutoWeek magazine from July 23rd 1984 featuring this very car! Jonathan suggested I share this information with the auction, so here it is! When I purchased this car from the previous owner, she graciously passed the magazine along to me. She remembered how it had been gifted to her by the dealership where she purchased the car in the early 2000s. All of this goes to show the incredible history and story behind this iconic car!This is by far, my most favorite car in a long time here on MB market. A true ‘80s time capsule build with an open checkbook. Also, probably my favorite engine with the 5.4 displacement. Yes, yes, the 6.0 is more powerful, but with the 500 crank this is also more revvy compared to the ones with the longer stroked ones. Yes, the four valve engines are even stronger, but the maintenance, and potential oil leaks are real put-off. The ONLY mod I’d do to this one is put a 5speed Getrag manual with the AMG designed bell housing. That would truly wake this car up, and make it a real hoot to drive, with the eager reviving 5.4 engine. Again, fantastic car!!!!!This car was reportedly featured on the cover of the July 1984 AutoWeek magazine along with a full article about the car. An original copy of the magazine accompanies the car and photos have been added to the gallery.jonathon we expect a full report, nothing lessWe'll be swinging by to pay this car a visit on Thursday. Should be Fun:)$50,500 bid placed by @Wilson1974
Love this time capsule. This example certainly represents the pinnacle of AMG at the time. @AMG5pt4 is spot on and living through the resurrection of his own superb Gen I WB example. The earliest WB front flares were actually attached on top of OEM front fenders as found on the legendary Phönix wide body. Also, unique to the earliest examples was the rear quarter styling and no part number embossing.. The WB kits and WB metal fabrication techniques evolved over the years. This beauty will require a tub of elbow grease to bring back but well worth the effort. GLWS!@MP91 that is good news re: the front fenders. I had never heard of front glass flares mounted to steel front fenders. Basic fiberglass repair on the fronts would be all that is needed. This is a really neat car with the entire body kit intact. I would bet the engine is a 5.4L given all the other AMG goodies present. Looks like all 4 of the original Bilstein AMG shocks are still present. They can be rebuilt, but not by Bilstein any longer - they now outsource rebuild service. Too bad, because their in-house rebuild service in San Diego was quick and OEM quality and only $85/shock. Now, the 3rd party rebuild service doesn't want to deal with these older shocks and want $400/shock (!) for a fee. I rebuilt the 5.4L in my 84 sedan using new forged pistons from Wossner that are much, much lighter than the cast Nural pistons AMG used. Don't dismiss a well re-built 5.4L AMG engine with 50.1 cams and solid lifters. Stock was 310hp and about 325 Lbs torque. I know my engine is much more powerful now and is way more reliable than the quad cam engines. My engine is easily 330/350 now.@MP91 - can you remove a front wheel and take a picture of the front caliper? I’ll be able to tell if it’s 4-piston AMG upgraded one looking at it from the front. Some even had AMG stamp. My 84 SEL had them so it was something they were doing then if requested. I haven’t been able to find anyone to repair mine and currently using standard W126 caliper.@Ali63 I haven’t removed the wheels to inspect brakes but they appear to be Mercedes. I’m not sure if it has a first gear start valve body.@AMG5pt4 I did test each fender with a magnet and only the rear are steel as the fronts did not stick. I have seen some other fiberglass fenders develop hairline cracks before although I can’t be certain how these were originally made. As you stated, this is a very early car, likely one of the first cars built, and AMG was making a lot of tweaks with each car. The only thing I can say for sure it the magnet did not stick on the fronts. From all research I’ve seen this is one of the first iterations of the AMG widebody Gen I kit. Thank you for all of your input and knowledge!@martystein I’m not sure when Recaro began offering the Classics but I know they were used by AMG on various builds in the 80s. They certainly could’ve been added at a later time but the condition of the seats is consistent with the doors, rear seats, carpets, and dash which are remarkably well preserved. Refinishing the wood and installing a new headliner are the main interior needs. I looked into seeing how involved it would be to measure the stroke and have attempted to get it today but it is more than I’m equipped to do at this time. I did find additional markings on the rear diff which appear to indicate it is a Gleason 3.06. Photos have been submitted to MB Market and will be added to the gallery. I was able to find an AMG stamping on the rear bumper which is pictured as well. The other pieces are smooth although I can’t tell if they’ve been previously sanded down or just didn’t have anything from being such an early car.There is no way to private message in MBM, so I have to reply in the auction forum. The prior auction you linked was a bargain for a legit WB that was missing the extremely valuable 32v AMG heads - and the low price was a too hefty discount. A complete 6.0 32v would have quadrupled the value of that car, IMO. Mark's car was painted and he installed a newer late Gen II interior that looked nice. The WB on offer in this auction is also a legit WB with all the pieces in place - still a SOHC engine, but a fully legit SOHC engine. Hard to put a value on these ultra rare cars, especially when this one needs a lot of paint/body work. All of the cracking on all 4 fenders indicates the seams where the glass flares were glued to the original steel body. IMO having gone through this ordeal, the glass flares need to be removed and any underlying rust on the original steel needs to be addressed properly and the flares re-attached. I would also be highly mindful of the steel trunk metal under the rear glass - I suspect there is corrosion there that needs attending. If I were personally interested in this car, I would go see it and pay careful attention to the interior. If the interior is in solid condition with a deep cleaning needed with some minor repairs that is a big plus. I would also hook a fresh battery to the car - not to start it - but to make sure all the electronics work - interior switches, lights, seats, windows, sunroof, seatbelt extenders, HVAC buttons. You have to identify what is good and what isn't. You know the car needs a lot of paint/body attention. I suspect the engine will be fine from looking at the pics and the camshafts. The wheels alone are worth $8-$10k! The beauty of this car is it is all there - nothing is missing. IMO, around $40-50k in paint/body/interior. If the engine runs, then another $10k for suspension/brakes/HVAC/fuel (you will need a new fuel tank). Removing glass flares without damaging the original flare profiles is not easy. Properly remediating the steel before re-attaching the flares is important - don't want rust and cracks to reappear. Lots and lots of time blending in the flare seams and flare profiles to look right and line up with the door hip line. Do not believe that all of the flare cracking can be chipped away and smooth sanded! There will be rust under all those cracks.@AMG5pt4 - looks like you are restoring one at the moment. What’s a realistic cost for a decent restoration, I don’t have an open checkbook and not planning to take it to Monterey/Amelia island. Just presentable and running. At the current price point, it seems this car was a better deal unless I’m missing something. https://thembmarket.com/1988-mercedes-benz-560sec-6-0-amg-widebodyHave looked at all the pics provided several times. The one area I keep coming back to are the front fenders. Have not seen front widebody fender cracking before. My WB front fenders are 100% glass. The very late Gen II widebody fenders may have moved to all steel - I have access to a late Gen II WB - I should check if they are all steel. This car seems to have glass flares glued to the original steel fenders. Would be great if the Seller could put a magnet on the top of the front fenders to see if they are steel. If they are glass flares applied to the original steel fenders that would be interesting and would point to this car being a particularly early WB conversion. AMG was constantly changing/updating their body kits from early Gen I to Gen II to late Gen II. Bumper aprons, side skirts, WB side cladding, trunk spoilers all evolved over time. Each one of these cars is unique - no two are the same.Front brakes upgraded, first gear start valve body?If (big "if") AMG stamped the block in this car, it would show next to the engine serial # - back of the block Driver side. With the engine installed, you need a strong light and mirror to see the engine serial number. It is often covered in crud and grime, so a new can of Brake Kleen and a stick/rag to clean the serial # ledge helps. AMG rarely stamped the displacement on Gen I blocks. Absent original paperwork, best way is to drop the lower oil pan and measure one of the cylinder openings. PITA to do this, but no other option really. The 5.4 Gen I M117 would have a cylinder bore of 98.5mm and stroke of 88.9mm for 5,417mm displacement.@AMG5PT4, Sounds like you are an "expert" - where is the stamping located on the block? It should be easy to check? " I can't tell from link where exactly on the block it is.@martystein and any other past or future posters on this auction - please don't comment in terms of absolutes! I have two Gen I 5.4l AMGs - one sedan done @ Affalterbach and one widebody done @ Affalterbach. One of my blocks is very much stamped "5.4" and the other is not. Everyone thinks they are an expert in all things AMG. Truth is, AMG was not very consistent on what they did or didn't do. Sometimes they used the original block, sometimes they used an engine already modified and re-stamped the blocks. As to the seats, maybe that car was originally completed with stock seats and then added. Without the original paperwork, hard to say. Maybe AMG N America or Beverly Hills Motoring added the seats later. https://amgclassic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=15876&hilit=5.4+stamp#p15876Recaro Classics did not exist in 1984 which indicates seats were not installed at AMG Germany at time of build, possibly done later. The 50.1 cams do not prove a 5.4 displacement. Cams and badge are good indicators, but not hard proof. Only way is measure the displacement, there won't be any stamping on block. Is there is Gleason-Torsen differential installed? Special oil tag is generic Mercedes. Even if GT diff was present, it would be on borrowed time. Any way to confirm? Seller can you post AMG stamping from side skirts and bumpers? I did not see that from pics.yeah evidence of the 5.4 stamp for be nice.... easier than measuring the pistonsWell, congrats to MBM to bring this car to market. Totally original and legit Gen I 500SEC widebody with an AMG SOHC engine. No mention on if the displacement of 5.4l is verified (engine stamp) or otherwise. No mention of original AMG paperwork. Can't fake what is presented, though. My 85 widebody was in similar condition a few years ago. Lots and lots of paint/body work ahead for this car, but it will be worth it. Its never just the problems you can see, its always the problems you can't see... Good luck to the Seller and hope for good decision making to the Buyer.$50,000 bid placed by @Bgood5
Dayum! You all went reckless on the bidding with this one. There’s still 9 days left. I get it though, it’s a guaranteed blue chip and it doesn’t matter long term.ULTRA cool!!! Brazil delivery too, I bet that is a cool story. I see Mr. Buxbaum himself is bidding. I wonder if he did the work at Central and maybe he remembers it since it is one of the rare 500SEC's instead of the much more common 560SEC, and a 5.4L as well? Same big wing as my '85 500SEC AMG which I believe is rare on the coupes. Looks like the self-leveling rear suspension still works too. Amazing!!!$45,000 bid placed by @dramaking
$40,000 bid placed by @RichardBuxbaum
$22,000 bid placed by @Fcadili
This is AMAZING! What a find in 2023Perfect car for Curated to resurrect! Needs some big money spent on it to get it back up and working (and presentable), but well worth the investment. Can't see these ever depreciating.@slownrusty it may starts, I didn't move forward with the fuel system. I stopped with the fuel pump and filter.@MP91 - perfect, thank-you for the prompt response. Do you think the car will run for a few seconds on ether / starting fluid? I am in Houston and the cosmetics do not really bother me as I know a talented body and paint guy that can work magic, same with the headliner and other things. The overall condition of this car does not scare me, as I have rescued some seriously roachy SECs over the years and currently own three (3)x 126 cars. Trying to figure out if I can squeeze in another with this car. The write-up provided by MB-Marketplace is fantastic, very well written and kudos to them!@slownrusty yes, I did install a new battery and cranked the engine, the engine and accessories turn freely.I'm awestruck. Absolutely incredible. Has a battery been installed to confirm that the accessories work and the engine turns over (will crank)?$20,000 bid placed by @amusicianslife
$10,000 bid placed by @R129hoarder
$250 bid placed by @Q8imports
@BlueridgeMB I will be happy to show it to you. I will have Blakley send you my phone number.oooo, I'll be in Lexington next week, would like to come by for an in person look if possible.