This 1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC AMG Widebody is an AMG Germany-built car that was sold in the Italian market when new. The car eventually made its way to Lebanon for some years where it underwent a full body refurbishment in 2018. Shortly after, the car was imported to Calabasas, California where it remained with a collector until the current seller’s acquisition in early 2025. Power is provided by a high compression 5.5L Euro M117 which underwent a full rebuild and extensive servicing in 2020. The four-speed automatic transmission sends power to the rear wheels with a 2.65 rear differential and LSD. The current owner drove it on the CMS Rally from Los Angeles to Pebble Beach for Monterey Car Week in 2025, and then had it shipped to Atlanta, Georgia for further refurbishment under the care of Stuttgart Steel. Finished in Black Pearl Metallic (199) over Black Leather (261), equipment includes fog lights, a power sunroof, cruise control, automatic climate control, and power-adjustable and heated front Recaro seats. In addition to the AMG widebody conversion, the car is also fitted with AMG suspension, tri-y headers, an AMG instrument cluster, rebuilt AMG Aero 3 wheels, a Momo M38 AMG steering wheel, additional wood door trim, and a Supersprint exhaust with AMG tips. Recent service over the last few months includes an oil service, lower ball joints, fuel filter/pumps, brake lines, rear SLS accumulators, all new rubber hoses, vacuum system, A/C refresh, and much more. Now with just under 92k original kilometers (~57k miles), this AMG Widebody is offered by the current owner in Atlanta, Georgia with an original Italian premerger AMG catalog, service records, prior import documentation, two keys, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Montana title.
The body is finished in Black Pearl Metallic (199) and underwent a full body repaint in 2018 due to clearcoat issues with the car stripped down to bare metal during refurbishment. AMG widebody fenders are fitted to the car by AMG Germany in-period with AMG-stamped fiberglass front fenders and steel rear fenders. AMG stamps are seen in the moldings of the body kit which dress the front and rear bumpers, side skirts, and lip spoiler. Additional features include an electric metal sunroof with tilt function, fog lights, body colored monochrome trim, a power antenna, body-colored mirrors, and headlight washers with wipers. European-market glass headlamps flank the monochrome grill with European-market amber corner lights fitted to the front quarter panels. A complete paint correction was performed in preparation for the sale along with new mirror boots.
Authentic 17” AMG Aero III wheels by O.Z. have been fully refinished and recently fitted to the car, replacing the AMG Penta wheels which were installed upon the owners acquisition. Brand new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 All-Season tires measuring 235/45 front and 275/40 rear are fitted. Braking is handled by disc brakes behind each wheel complete with ABS. New rubber brake hoses can be seen under the car along with new tie rods, lower ball joints, and Self-Leveling Suspension accumulator spheres. The car also features AMG Bilstein shocks and black AMG springs. A SLS service has been performed along with new power steering fluid, hoses, and filters. The SLS suspension has also been calibrated accordingly.
The cabin features Black Leather (261) across the seats, door cards, armrest, and headrests. The black dashboard and center console are accented with Burl Walnut which shows some wear and warping in the veneer. Amenities include heated and power-adjustable Recaro front seats that have been refurbished with new leather, a dual-tone horn, automatic climate control, cruise control, and an aftermarket Blaupunkt Madrid 200BT head unit. An AMG M38 steering wheel is fitted to the car along with additional AMG wood trim along the door pockets. Vacuum powered adjustable headlights are next to the exterior light control knob. A new Alcantara headliner was fitted to the car along with rebuilt seatbelt presenters, the rear roller blind assembly rebuilt, all of the interior lighting fixed and redone to OEM spec, a new headlight switch, driver window switch repair, door mount seat switches rebuilt, driver front seat belt buckle replaced, door contact switches replaced, headlight switch harness rebuilt, overhead console light repaired, rear dome light replaced, trunk light redone, and full instrument cluster light system rebuild. The air conditioning system has also been serviced and repaired with new parts and a system charge.
The AMG M38 leather wrapped steering wheel frames an AMG 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 92k kilometers (~57k miles). The initials "G.F." are shown above the AMG designation on the cluster, which is a rarely seen option for owners that AMG offered in-period.
The high compression Euro 5.5-liter M117 V8 features Bosch Jetronic fuel injection and was factory-rated at 300 horsepower with 336 lb-ft of torque when new. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission and a limited-slip differential. A 2.65 rear end is fitted compared to the taller 2.47 rear end in the North American market cars. An extensive service in 2020 included a complete engine rebuild to OEM Euro-spec with correct RUF 24/25 cams. A new long block was used with new block internals as follows:
More work was performed than the listed items. Detailed underside photos are provided showing this SEC has been mechanically refreshed and sorted by the current owner. Euro high compression engines got different piston hats, scalloped valves, EGR system, exhausts, catalytic converters, knock sensors, thermostat, spark plugs, revised camshafts, and other mechanical changes to get the compression up to 10:1 ratio making these engines produce 51 more horsepower and 49 foot-pounds of torque more than the North American market engines. The optional Tri-Y headers and Supersprint exhaust are estimated to further increase power and can be seen from the underbody photos as its four pipes connect to a true dual pipe exhaust finished with AMG tips. Additional repairs over the last few months include:
The Carfax report shows first entry in 2022 with no accidents or damage reports. An original premerger AMG brochure in Italian featuring the C126 is included with the sale along with service records documenting the extensive servicing.
The seller has included the following videos:
It doesn’t get much better than a real SEC AMG Widebody. The Euro-spec, 10:1 high compression M117 is so good with considerably more power than the U.S. counterparts. When paired with the tri-y headers, it makes for the highest output M117 ever offered from the factory. Mercedes-Benz built these high output V8 engines to compete with the new BMW V12s while they continued to develop their M120. M117s are generally bulletproof if you drive them, but over time they will need timing chains, guides, valve guides/seals, and usually a head gasket. It’s the only big ticket item on these cars – but guess what? This example has all of that done! An extensive engine rebuild in 2020 returned this car to its former glory. Then some dialing in over the last few months for a properly sorted SEC was done by Stuttgart Steel.
The initials on the AMG gauge cluster had us doing some research. While AMG offered owners the option to put their initials on the clusters, very rarely do you see any that opted for that. After some extensive digging, we speculate the original owner in Italy may have been Giorgio Falck. Falck was close friends with Raul Gardini through their shared passion for sailing and fast cars. Gardini is best known for ordering two of the original AMG Hammers in 1988, one being the only manual sedan built. There are no documents to verify but we felt obliged to share our nerdy research.
All of the genuine AMG parts paired with the monochrome exterior in 199 paint with the AMG stamped box flare fenders that look like homologation racing parts give this SEC so much attitude. Genuine examples are getting extremely difficult to find, and those with an extra half liter under the hood are fetching over half a million dollars. We love the factory Euro 560 engines in these cars (especially when paired with tri-y headers and exhaust) for their performance, driveability, reliability, and ease of service. This car has the added benefit of being in the right color combo and O.Z. Aero III wheels that have been refinished to perfection with fresh Michelin rubber. With extremely limited production numbers and timeless styling, the C126 AMG Widebody is an all-time favorite amongst enthusiasts from all walks. This is your chance to own a genuine legacy piece from AMG, a true investment that will continue to appreciate with time.
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2 Comments
$20,000 bid placed by @Bankrep40
Hello and welcome to the listing for my AMG Widebody! I’m extremely happy to offer this car on The MB Market but make no mistake, I would absolutely keep it if I could. As we recently announced, The MB Market is establishing a headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia and funds are needed to go towards the cause. I bought this car sight unseen earlier last year and on day 1 of seeing the car in person, took it on a near 400-mile rally for Monterey. It was amazing and the car performed flawlessly! Since then, I’ve had Stuttgart Steel sort out all the gremlins and nuances that come with these classic MB's. Being able to blast ice cold AC while sitting for an extended period at idle and maintaining perfect engine temp was a must. The car had AMG Penta wheels on it when I first acquired it, and since then I’ve fitted the car with freshly refinished OZ Aero III wheels and brand new Michelins. As a 1989 model, I felt the OZ’s better suited the car. One of my favorite details of this car is the “G.F.” initials on the gauge cluster. While my team and I were unable to find any solid proof of the original owner, we speculate it may have been Giorgio Falck. As many of you may be familiar with the two AMG Hammers ordered by Raul Gardini in Italy, Falck was a close friend of Gardini and they shared the same passion for sailing and cars. And what better car to get when a Ferrari is just too mundane for a sailing aficionado in Italy? Regardless, this is a special car. Stamped AMG fenders and body kit, full suspension, gauge cluster, additional wood trim, M38 steering wheel, fully rebuilt high compression M117, tri-y headers, Supersprint exhaust, OZ wheels… the list goes on. I’ll be at Monterey this week with my white 560SEC AMG Widebody while this car stays safe and sound in Atlanta. Stuttgart Steel will be able to help with any questions or requests in the meantime. If you’re in Monterey this week, come say hey! And if not, I hope you enjoy this listing as much as I do. Best of luck to all and happy bidding!$10,126 bid placed by @Vlad600sel
Oof this is painfully gorgeous! Makes me want to revamp my stock 560SEC!!! GLWA!