These days most any Mercedes leaving the factory in
performance spec is badged as an AMG. But back in the mid-’80s, when this one
was made, the two were entirely separate companies. And this was the pinnacle
of the modified Benzes that AMG produced before Daimler bought it out.
What you’re looking at is a wide-body 1986
Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC 6.0 AMG – one of fewer than 50 believe to have been made.
And it’s coming up for auction.
Based on Benz’s top-of-the-line coupe, this planted
AMG sled packs an enlarged version of Daimler’s 5.6-liter V8 – bored out to a
nice, round 6.0 liters and capable of producing 385 horsepower. That was more
than the Lamborghini Countach was making at the time.
At about US$ 200k, it was also roughly twice as
expensive as a Countach. To put that into perspective, imagine if today’s
S-Class Coupe cost US$ 800k instead of the US$ 165k an S63 (or US$ 236k an S65) will
actually run you.
The price tag was justified by its rarity,
and the wide-body aero kit that made it stand out the standard model on which
it was based. It was a sign of its time, to be sure, especially all snowed-out
as this one was in what we could only call Cocaine White.
Now more than 30 years since this one was made, this
AMG super-coupe is slated to cross the auction block at RM Sotheby’s upcoming
sale in Fort Lauderdale this April. When it does, we won’t be the least bit
surprised to see it fetch a six-figure price like it did when new
