What: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL 5.0 AMG “Blueberry” Color: : Lapis Blue Metallic (lapisblau; metallic Uni; DB-932; Mercedes-Benz) VIN: WDB1260371A077462 Mileage: 114,294 miles Price Estimate: $150,000 to $200,000 CarFax:Link Window Sticker: N/A Location: Deerfield Beach, FL Link: RM Sotheby’s
Vintage Mercedes-Benz AMG’s built long before Mercedes’ own buyout of the firm tend to command a premium by collectors in the know. That statement is true for any pre-buyout AMG, but even amongst those, this Lapis Blue 500 SEL known as “Blueberry” is special.
You see, it was the personal car of AMG North America founder and CEO Richard Buxbaum. Augmentation to the car was done in period under the personal supervision of Hans Werner Aufrecht as a Christmas gift to Richard and his wife Robin back in 1984.
Inside, the car gets extended Orion Grey leather upholstery with custom door cards completed by Gemballa.
The car was driven plenty in period and has logged miles to show for it. That said, it’s also got $120,000 in receipts for mechanical and cosmetic restoration since October 2022.
Obviously this car has a very unique and historic backstory. RM Sotheby’s goes above and beyond to tell that story in detail, so we highly recommend clicking through and digging in. Beyond that, their lot listing includes historic photos, documents, build list, etc. Make sure to check it out.
What: 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG Color: Mercedes-Benz Lapis Blue Metallic (lapisblau; non-metallic Uni; 945U; Mercedes-Benz) VIN: WDB2020331F827875 Mileage: 111,776 km, 69,454 miles Price Estimate: $60,000 to $80,000 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Gooding & Company Amelia Island Auction 2025, Amelia Island, FL Listing: Link
During the era Mercedes-Benz was producing its first-generation W202 C-Class, special paint colors were less common than the more apparent MANUFAKTUR presence today. Bold colors like the Lapis Blue shade shown here were even less common, except perhaps in Europe where home market offerings were a bit more fanciful.
When it comes to the W202 C43 AMG, only 3,085 of the cars were produced at all. This was the early Mercedes-owned AMG era, and the cars were made worthy of the badge by Stuttgart fitting its 4,266 cc DOHC V8 engine good for 302 hp paired with a 5-speed automatic transmission…. not to mention all the expected braking and suspension upgrades. These cars are often most easily spotted for their subtle bodywork upgrades and more obvious 17-inch Monoblock wheels.
These cars are just becoming classics given their relative production years, not to mention the resurgence of the so-called “rad era”. They’re even more special when you see it’s a rare-at-the-time special order paint in a color as bold as this Lapis Blue hue. Worth noting, there’s a more commonly found Lapis Blue Metallic from Mercedes that is considerably darker.
In period, this C43 was a competitor to the BMW M3 or Audi S4, so you have to wonder the thinking of the buyer who dreamed up this particular specification. As it turns out, the car was ordered via the Mercedes-Benz Stuttgart dealership. That’s literally ground zero when it comes to Mercedes-Benz home town, where Mercedes clientele probably don’t get any more savvy. You have to figure too that the owner of such a car wouldn’t want to be missed by Audi or BMW drivers (much less the Porsche types) while blasting down the unlimited speed zones of the A8 Autobahn between Stuttgart and Münich.
We can draw conclusions, but whatever that buyer was thinking, he or she appears to be the only one thinking of it. This car is believed to be one of one, the only W202 C43 built in that particular bold Sonderlackierung (special-order) shade of Lapis Blue. Inside, that blue was paired with Graphite / Anthracite AMG leather upholstery (code 581A). It’s also reportedly got a long list of factory options.
The car spent most of its life registered in Germany, remaining well-maintained, well-preserved and highly original without any modifications. To prove this, the offering includes documented owner history, the Mercedes-Benz factory data card, associated books and AMG Classic Conversion Certificate.
What: 1992 Mercedes-Benz 300 CE 3.4 AMG Color: Crystal Green Metallic (kristallgrün; metallic UNI; 256; Mercedes-Benz) Chassis Number: N/A Mileage: 100,500 km, 62,447 miles Price at Time of this Writing: €95,000 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Casting Automobiles, Paris, France Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
Likely due to rarity, it’s not uncommon to see a W124-generation Mercedes-Benz 300 CE coupe built by AMG crossing the six figure mark. Transaction prices approaching six figures (actually passing them by the time you convert to U.S. dollars and import) aren’t something we typically see of 1990s era cars from Mercedes-Benz. However, make them a well preserved AMG and it’s a whole new ballgame.
If you’re a connoisseur of these cars, then we think it’s worth pointing your attention towards this particular specimen – a tone-on-tone coupe in a rare color of Crystal Green Metallic paired with green-tartan seating. It appears to have originated from Japan, though can now be found at a specialty dealer in Paris, France.
Translating the listing gleans a few more notes about the car based around option codes. Where’s what it says:
916 VEHICLES FOR HOT COUNTRIES – ADDITIONAL PARTS, HEATED REAR WINDOW
ORIGINAL JAPANESE CAR CRYSTAL GREEN (256U) with PINE CANVAS (066)
221 LEFT FRONT SEAT WITH ELECTRICAL ADJUSTMENT
222 RIGHT FRONT SEAT WITH ELECTRICAL ADJUSTMENT
240 EXTERIOR TEMPERATURE INDICATOR
341 ADDITIONAL INDICATORS
425 5-SPEED AUTOMATIC GEARBOX
430 HEADRESTS, TINTED UPPER PART
600 HEADLIGHT WASHER-WIPER DEVICE
613 LEFT-HAND DRIVE HEADLIGHTS
664 20 LITERS OF FUEL AND VE III PACKAGING MODE
802 CHANGE OF MODEL YEAR, LAMINATED GLASS
Now, throw in the fact that this is a fully-built and well-preserved AMG model constructed on the W124 chassis a full 13 years ahead of Mercedes-Benz’s own buyout of AMG and you have a thoroughly interesting specimen for a serious MercedesBenz collector.
This is one of our Euro market finds, so the usual caveats apply for our primarily North American readership. For Europe and other markets, we focus on cars older than 25 years, meaning a relatively easy import into the USA. This is often done by working with firms such as our friends at Orchid Euro, you can have the car purchased, transported to port, shipped to America and cleared through customs for clients seeking this sort of service.
What: 2020 Mercedes-AMG E 63 S Estate Color: Porsche Graphite Blue Metallic (graphitblau; metallic UNI; M5G; Porsche) VIN: WDDZH8KB0LA714387 Mileage: 6,990 miles Price at Time of this Writing: $103,882 CarFax:Link Window Sticker: see gallery below Location: Audi Plano, Plano, TX Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
Cars like this S213 E 63 Estate are next level on the if-you-know-you-know factor. Some will scratch their heads over the idea of spending money on a custom order (a.k.a. “PA1” inside Mercedes) and then choose a subtle color like a grey tone. We see that as the signature of a connoisseur though, not needing to be noticed by everyone. It goes further though. This isn’t just any grey, but Porsche’s Graphite Blue Metallic, meaning you have to be a specific level of brand color aficionado to pick up on what’s going on with this long roof.
Or… maybe it’s much simpler than that. Maybe the original owner just wanted to match his Porsche. Whatever the case, we love this car shared by @designomanufaktur via @winglessGT3 on Instagram.
The car’s got other sought-after options too including carbon ceramic brakes, AMG Night Package, Acoustic Comfort Package, Multibeam, 20-inch twin 5-spoke AMG wheels with black accents, and (a nod to autobahn burners of the past) it’s debadged.
Check out more via the dealer’s listing, and frankly even more as identified by Mercedes experts including @wongnathan01 via the @designomanufaktur Instagram post embedded above.
What: 1999 Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG Station Wagon Color: Unknown Green or Blue VIN: N/A Mileage: 199,999 km (24,273 miles) Price at Time of this Writing: € 19,900 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Rüsselsheim-Königstädten, Germany Dealer listing:Link
Why we love it:
Hear us out. Yes, we know the E 55 AMG Station Wagon was sold in the United States. They’re exceedingly rare, especially in solid survivor condition, but they were sold here. Still, anyone who loves these cars or is seeking a unique long roof may find this one worth going through the extra effort of importation. That it’s old enough for easy import is one obvious reason, but more so is the unique build specification this car got from the factory. This sort of specification would have been extremely difficult if not impossible for anyone in North America to order, so it’s worth noting… even if it does have a dash of turn-of-the-century Y2K kitsch in the color choices.
Regarding the color, it’s a bit of a puzzle. It’s listed as “green” and 027 Designo-LCP paintwork, then later in the thorough option code listing we see Z98 PAINT FINISHES OUTSIDE THE SAMPLE CARD. So, we know it’s special paint, but we don’t know what color as “027” is effectively ambulance white in the lexicon of Mercedes-Benz color codes.
Looking over the photos, the color almost appears to be a predominantly blue metallic that fades to green from certain angles or in certain lighting conditions. So, we’re not even sure if it’s blue or green. Maybe it’s both.
Inside, the car has a period “Avantgarde” interior package, which is typically two-tone leather with segments of the seats in some more bold color. In this case, that color is green that would have been popular in the late 1990s when this car was produced. It’s not a timeless shade of green, but it definitely puts you in the period and plays on the theme.
We’re going to go ahead and list the listing description and options (translated to English with Google Translate) for reference here. We found them all in the car’s listing over on AutoScout24.
LISTING TRANSLATION BELOW:
Beautiful E55T AMG in LCP from 2nd hand with no maintenance backlog Vehicle from 2nd hand 23 years in one hand Service booklet available AMG rims in several parts in 18″ Inspection with engine mount recently new Summer tires in 5/2024 new Non-smoker Very well-maintained vehicle Sale on behalf of customer Original equipment codes according to MB query Sales name E 55 T AMG AMG order number 0822300604 Delivery date14.12.1998 Paint number027 (Invalid designo-LCP paint) Interior 581 (Exclusive leather – black/anthracite) Engine 11398060006397 Transmission 72263601237265 213 PARAMETER STEERING / VARIO STEERING 214 ADAPTIVE DAMPING SYSTEM 220 REAR PARKING ASSIST 231 GARAGE DOOR OPENER 242 RIGHT DRIVER’S SEAT ELECTRICALLY ADJUSTABLE WITH MEMORY 249 INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR MIRROR AUTOMATICALLY DIMMING 260 TYPE PLATE ON REAR LID REMOVED 275 MEMORY PACKAGE (DRIVER’S SEAT, STEERING COLUMN AND MIRROR) 312 SUN BLIND IN THE CARGO AREA (PARTITION GRID) 345 RAIN SENSOR 351 ECALL EMERGENCY CALL SYSTEM 363 ECALL CONVERSION TO NATIONAL EMERGENCY CALL 414 ELECTRIC GLASS SUNROOF 423 AUTOMATIC 5-SPEED GEARBOX 472 PETROL PARTICULATE FILTER (OPF) WITHOUT SENSORS 500 ELECTRICALLY FOLDABLE EXTERIOR MIRROR 543 SUN VISOR WITH ADDITIONAL FUNCTION 551 BASIC BURGLAR AND THEFT ALARM SYSTEM (EDW) 570 ARMREST WITH COMPARTMENT AND REAR COMPARTMENT VENTILATION 581 AUTOMATIC AIR CONDITIONING 581 EXCLUSIVE LEATHER – BLACK/ANTHRACITE 600 HEADLIGHT CLEANING SYSTEM 611 SURROUND LIGHTING 612 XENON HEADLIGHT LIGHT UNIT 673 BATTERY WITH LARGER CAPACITY 682 FIRE EXTINGUISHER 772 AMG STYLING – FRONT SPOILER, SIDE SKIRTS 774 AMG 5-SPOKE WHEELS 18″ ALL AROUND 810 SOUND SYSTEM PREMIUM 815 SINGLE DVD DRIVE 819 SOUND2LIGHT 873 HEATED SEATS FOR DRIVER AND PASSENGER 882 SENSORS AND SIREN BURGLAR AND THEFT ALARM SYSTEM 910 ALTERNATOR WITH LARGER CAPACITY 954 EQUIPMENT LINE/PACKAGE – AVANTGARDE 988 INVALID (VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND COC PAPER AND TYPE PLATE) Z51 BUSINESS CONSOLE WITH SOCKET Z98 PAINT FINISHES OUTSIDE THE SAMPLE CARD
