Mercedes-Benz or AMG never made this turbocharged 560SEC. This resto-mod Mercedes coupe has a later V-8 engine and a manual drive and looks like it did in the 1960s. The humble Californian who built it is set to play a major part in the next Miami Vice revival. In the 1980s and early 1990s, AMG was a company that made machines with a single goal. It was later bought by Mercedes-Benz and merged into its corporate structure. Being hand-built with a V-8 engine that could hit like a gun, they were not light. At one point, AMG even called one of its cars “the Hammer.” This huge restored car, which combines brutal force with leather-lined luxury, really captures the spirit of the time. Bring A Trailer sells this autobahn sledgehammer. It is owned by Hearst Autos, the same company that produces Car and Driver. The car is a 1990 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC with a widebody kit, a 6.2-liter AMG V-8 engine, and a six-speed manual gearbox. Does anyone else suddenly hear the Crockett’s Theme from Miami Vice? It would help if you fought the white Testarossa with this big, strong dog with square jaws. The SEC was the coupe form of the Mercedes S-class, which made it a good replacement for the supercharged 500K from the 1930s. It was first sold in the US in 1981 with a 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine, but it finally gave in to the Gordon Gekko excesses of the decade and became more luxurious and powerful. Back then, if you were a Wall Street wolf who wanted to show off your raw strength on the tracks, you’d use your shoebox-sized cell phone to call AMG and order the widebody version of the W126. It looked like the Porsche 911 and was the opposite of a road knife. It also had a hand-built V-8 engine. The rarest cars had a 6.0-liter DOHC engine and a six-speed manual gearbox. This 1990 560SEC was fixed up by Bespoke Orange County, a Mercedes-Benz repair expert that also makes carbon-fiber parts for cars like the G-class. It doesn’t matter if the Gelandewagen is plain; these people will make it stand out for Rodeo Drive. This specimen, made by a company that specializes in the 560SEC widebody, is said to have taken three years to make. It has a 17-inch three-piece metal wheel, a carbon-fiber body, better suspension and brakes, a hand-made leather interior with Recaro seats, big brakes to slow down on the highway, and a powerful radio that can play the best of Jan Hammer’s synths. Just lower the windows that don’t have pillars and listen to the loud sound of the V-8 engine’s stainless steel exhaust. The original V-8 engine can be found in a 2006–2011 CL63, which is the car’s real ancestor. This is a newer M156. This is a throwback to a time when an AMG logo might be on a four-cylinder hybrid car or an electric car that looks like a bar of soap; this car is both fast and nostalgic. This Mercedes coupe sledgehammer is a perfect example of an old AMG car. November 4 is the last day to bid.
