What: 2000 Mercedes-Benz SLK 230 Kompressor Designo Electric Green Edition Color: Designo Electric Green (designoelektrischgrün; metallic UNI; 024; Mercedes-Benz) VIN: WDBKK47F1YF164255 Mileage: 41,800 miles Bid Price: $5,000 with 22h, 59m remaining CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Tampa, FL Link: Cars & Bids
At the lower end of the tailored market is this rare SLK roadster with AMG appearance and Designo Electric Green paint. For its age, this car has remarkably low mileage, though it’s showing its fair share of wear and tear.
Fortunately, modern car auction sites such as Cars & Bids have made considering these sorts of car about as easy as they can with an expectation of photos depicting imperfections in detail. This listing takes that seriously, with close ups of the imperfections.
What: 2021 Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon Color:Designo Brilliant Blue Magno(designobriliantblaumagno; metallic matte; 644; Mercedes-Benz MANUFAKTUR) VIN: W1KZH8KB5MA905031 Mileage: 25,000 miles High Bid as of this Writing: $75,000 with 3 Days Left CarFax: after link Window Sticker: N/A Location: Washington, DC Link: Cars & Bids
If you’re a fan of fast wagons, then the S213-generation Mercedes-AMG E 63 S needs no introduction. Now, pair in special paint like Designo Brilliant Blue Magno and you have both something very special and something enjoyably tailored.
For added flair, this car’s yellow contrast stitching moves it even further into tailored territory.
In a lot of ways, the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon you see here may represent the trifecta – at least by your measure.
For starters, though notably more expensive than most other SUVs on the market, the block-shaped G-wagon from Mercedes-Benz represents all things geometrically good about the 1980s yet underpins that with modern tech.
Next up, so-called “Monoblock” alloys have been associated with AMG since long before Mercedes-Benz even purchased the fabled Mercedes tuner and reconfigured it to be the brand’s in-house performance sub-brand. The look is consistently a wide and heavy-faced rim with five relatively short spokes around the outer perimeter. Monoblocks reappeared on the G-wagon a few years ago and rich history helps bestow them with a “just right” sort of feeling. Add in black finish on a black optics car for extra points.
Now, about that paint. Should you click over to the G 63 configurator (found HERE), you’ll find twelve standard colors on the G 63 and 25 more pre-approved MANUFAKTUR special colors. Among them is China Blue, a light non-metallic pastel blue that dates back to the 70s and, we’d argue, looks timeless on a timeless design like the G-wagon.
Also worth noting, the interior on this G is Macchiato Beige Leather with Black Leather accents.
So, in our opinion, this particular G being listed by a private party in South Carolina is the trifecta. If you agree, check it out via the Facebook marketplace link above.
What: 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster Color: Fantasy Yellow (fantasiegelb; non-metallic; DB 653; Mercedes-Benz) Chassis: 198.042-10-002756 Mileage: 38,447 miles Price Estimate: $1,400,000 to $1,700,000 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: RM Sotheby’s 2025 Miami Auction, Coral Gables, FL Listing: Link
Mercedes made big news at the 1957 Geneva Motor Show when it revealed the 300 SL Roadster as a replacement for the iconic 300 SL Coupe also known as the “Gullwing”. Additional chassis reinforcement took weight up, though further improvements such as a fully synchronized gearbox, improved engine (dropping direct injection), rear axle design assured the newer and heavier Roadster remained one of the fastest accelerating cars available in those years.
In 1960, the Roadster received upgraded larger drum brakes known as “racing drums” as a bridge until new Dunlop disc brakes debuted at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show, exhibited on an identical car to this one given it shared the same striking orange Fantasy Yellow paint. In addition to the Geneva Motor Show “disc brake” Roadster, Mercedes also built a second “big drum-brake” car also for exhibition purposes. This is that second car.
There is no question that the specification was a special order at the time. This included Fantasy Yellow bodywork (DB 653) over black leather (1090) with black soft-top (872) and a black hardtop (DB 040) trimmed with Crème headliner (E4). The car also received English instrumentation, a 3.64 rear axle, 15-inch Kronprinz wheels, chrome disc wheel covers, and quality checks to ensure that it was “suitable for exhibition.”
Revealed in the car’s accompanying factory data card, the “big drum-brake Roadster”, chassis 2756, was originally ordered in late 1960 as a “Standenwagen”, meant for Mercedes-Benz to exhibit at the aforementioned 1961 Geneva Motor show. Interestingly, it appears its commission number was then reassigned to the “disc brake Roadster” that Mercedes ultimately placed on the stand in order to debut the disc brake upgrade at the show.
Of the entire run of 1,858 300 SL Roadsters built between 1957 and 1963, only five were ever finished in Fantasy Yellow. Of those five, only the two mentioned brave were recorded for exhibition use.
Further information revealed in the factory data card suggest it may have been used at the 1961 Tokyo Motor Show, and was most definitely retained by Mercedes’ Exhibition Department or use in company advertisements as late as 1962. It also received a new engine before leaving Mercedes’ ownership, which is the same engine fitted in the car today.
In early 1963, the car was sold to its first owner outside the factory. David Jackson used the car at both his residences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Jackson sold the car nine years later to Dr. R.L. Huntworth of Huntington, West Virginia who kept the car for six years before selling it on. The next owner was John Walker, principal of Mercedes-Benz of Cincinnati, who kept the car for two years before selling it to Jack Hahn who would own the car for the next 40 years. In 2013, the yellow Roadster was acquired by Jim Gusweiler of Ohio. The car would next enter the hands of a renowned California collector who commissioned a nearly two-year restoration by Legendary Classic Center of Costa Mesa, California that was completed in 2015.
It’s at this time that the interior and soft top were refinished to the dark green you see here. One other modification is noted at this time, the addition of Rudge wheels that were color-matched in Fantasy Yellow
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.
Noted Texas-based car dealer and prolific classic car collector of the blue variety, Todd Blue will be parting ways with some seriously unique German automobiles from his LAPIS Collection. Perhaps not surprisingly, they are each in the same color as his name, and they’re a fixture in the upcoming RM Sotheby’s Miami Sale held during the Moda Miami weekend February 27-28.
While the name of Todd Blue’s company LAPIS is an acronym, it’s notable that the lapis is also a deep blue rock. That’s fitting given his name, and his obvious propensity for very special cars painted in blue. While his car’s aren’t religiously blue, it’s clear he has a knack for finding, buying and speccing some of the most incredible blue cars one might imagine in the Porsche and Mercedes space.
We’ve been covering the most special amongst Todd’s cars one-by-one all week, with those stories found HERE. However, we wanted to call out all of those cars in one story, including the ones that may not be tailored in the strictest sense, but are still well worth considering.
Before we dig into the car’s Blue will be selling via RM in Miami, it’s probably worth taking a closer look at his collection. The Petersen Museum visited him back in 2022 and filmed that visit. We’ve embedded it here, and it’s worth a watch. You’ll see several of these cars in there.
Now, on to the cars that will be sold. We’ll cover them here by lot number, providing estimates as suggested by RM Sotheby’s along with links to both our coverage and also the RM Sotheby’s lot description.
Want to know more about Todd Blue? We found this background provided on one of the LAPIS press releases surrounding his purchase of Mercedes-Benz Northern Arizona.
“From 2010-2020, as Founder and CEO, Mr. Blue lead his former auto group on an unparalleled growth trajectory for ten years before selling the balance of his company in late 2020. During his tenure, Mr. Blue was Dealer Principal for multiple Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, McLaren franchises and single points stores for Aston Martin, Bentley, Volkswagen, BMW as well as four Porsche dealerships. Mr. Blue led with a focus built on and around a love for customers. Mr. Blue was the only dealer selected by Porsche AG to serve on the design committee which conceived the Destination Porsche facility Generation Five facility design. Mr. Blue also became the first in the world to build a Destination Porsche facility in California. Mr. Blue was selected as one of 50 nominees for the Time Magazine National Automobile Dealer Association’s Dealer of the Year in 2019. During his time as CEO, his dealerships were multi-year award winners of the J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence Award, Automotive News Best Dealership to Work For, Audi Magna Society, Porsche Premier Dealer, Pride of Jaguar, Lamborghini Vision, and the Provenance Dealer of the Year award for Rolls Royce. Mr. Blue served on the Board of Regents for Porsche Cars North America, The Aston Martin of the Americas Dealer Advisor Panel, the BMW Western Region Dealer Board, and the Bentley USA Presidential Cabinet.”
Distinctive MANUFAKTUR Kalahari Gold Magno paint, elegant details and unique finishes
Extensive standard equipment for exceptional luxury and performance
[source: Mercedes-Benz]
Mercedes-AMG presents the new 2025 AMG SL 63 MANUFAKTUR Golden Coast. Limited to 100 units globally, the special edition roadster arrives at select U.S. dealerships beginning in February 2025. The exclusive model is crafted by the MANUFAKTUR individualization program, which offers customers the highest possible individuality and exclusivity with exquisite details and distinctive finishes.
The AMG SL 63 MANUFAKTUR Golden Coast is finished in MANUFAKTUR Kalahari Gold Magno, reminiscent of gleaming golden sand beaches. The striking paint is complimented by 21-inch AMG Forged Cross-Spoke wheels in black with MANUFAKTUR Kalahari Gold Magno rim flanges. Black AMG brake calipers with white AMG logos further highlight the vehicle’s special status.
The AMG Night Package, AMG Extended Night Package and AMG Aerodynamics Package are among the extensive standard equipment and feature contrasting exterior elements. This includes a front splitter, A-Wing trim, exterior mirror caps, side sills and rear accents in gloss black, among other elements. Additionally, the radiator grille, as well as twin tailpipe trims, model badge and Mercedes star at the rear of the vehicle are finished in black chrome.
Elegant details are also highlighted in the interior of the special edition model. Standard AMG Performance seats are covered in hand-stitched black Nappa leather with intricate diamond stitching in gold. This gold contrast stitching extends throughout the cabin, including to the AMG Performance steering wheel, armrest, center door panels and instrument panel. MANUFAKTUR high-pile floor mats with black Nappa leather piping, an embroidered AMG logo and contrast stitching in gold also underscore the superb attention to detail. Unique MANUFAKTUR Kalahari Gold Magno trim elements on the seats, doors panels and center console further accent the interior. A “MANUFAKTUR Golden Coast” badge adorns the center console door, emphasizing the exclusivity of the special model.
A Handcrafted AMG 4.0L V8 biturbo engine powers the AMG SL 63 MANUFAKTUR Golden Coast, producing 577 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. An AMG SPEEDSHIFT® MCT 9G transmission and AMG Performance 4MATIC+ fully variable all-wheel drive enable acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.
About Mercedes-Benz USA Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), headquartered in Atlanta, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service for all Mercedes-Benz products in the United States. MBUSA offers drivers the most diverse lineup in the luxury segment with 18 model lines ranging from the sporty GLA SUV to the flagship S-Class and the dynamic all-electric vehicles from Mercedes-Benz. MBUSA is also responsible for Mercedes-Benz Vans in the U.S. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found at www.mbusa.com and www.mbvans.com.
What: 1990 Mercedes-Benz E300 Color: Surf Blue a.k.a. Deep Blue (surfblau; non-metallic; 900; Mercedes-Benz) Chassis #: Unknown Mileage: 52,000 km, 32,311 miles Price: €43,000 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Lestizza, Italy Private Seller Listing:Link
Why We Love It:
Log this car in as under the tasteful and rare factory specifications column, and maybe something you only would find in a market like Italy. Yes, it appears to be an order guide specification, but its combination an exercise in extravagance more akin to a passionate Italian than a logical German.
The car in question is a 1990, a C124 (a.k.a. coupe-version of the W124 E Class). While its 3-liter V6 engine wasn’t the V8 of its era, it was still an extravagance in markets like Italy that love to tax displacement. Also, the V6 still came with a manual as did this car, making it exceedingly rare in Mercedes-Benz circles where automatics were even ubiquitous during this era.
While the ad doesn’t confirm it, we believe this car was painted Surf Blue (a.k.a. Deep Blue) that was offered in that model year. While that medium blue hue isn’t quite as eye-catching as some other cars in the palette, it’s handsome and bold in context of what was offered. Now throw in red leather and it bestows the car with the flair you’d expect from a wealthy Italian buyer.
This car isn’t an AMG, nor is it the era darling that was the Porsche-developed 500 E. In as much, it’s more obscure. However, for a Mercedes collector or someone seeking something truly unique, we think it qualifies.
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.
C-Class six-cylinder saloon with designo green metallic paintwork
The C 280 is the top model of the 202 series in its debut year 1993
Mercedes-Benz has offered a wide variety of factory paint finishes since the 1950s
[source: Mercedes-Benz]
“Close-up” – the name of this series from the Mercedes-Benz Museum says it all. Each instalment tells a surprising, exciting or behind-the-scenes story, illuminating details of a vehicle, an exhibit or an architectural or design feature. In the spotlight this time: the Mercedes-Benz C 280 from 1996 in Collection Room 5: Gallery of Everyday Heroes.
No. 1/2025: Mercedes-Benz C 280 (W 202)
A bold statement: This Mercedes-Benz C 280 from the 202 model series certainly attracts attention. All the body surfaces, front and rear aprons, trim strips and exterior mirrors of the sporty saloon are painted in intense designo green metallic, which has the Mercedes-Benz colour code 252. The C-Class with its 2.8-litre six-cylinder engine radiates springtime verve and energy all year round. Museum visitors can see this for themselves in Collection Room 5.
Top model: The first generation of the C-Class made its debut in May 1993. At that time the C 280 was the top model in the 202 model series. Its six-cylinder in-line engine delivered 142 kW (193 hp), with an automatic transmission transferring the power to the road. The C 36 AMG became top model of the series in September 1993.
Sporty highlights: The dynamic appearance of the C 280 on display is emphasised by the “Sport” design and equipment line. This includes, for example, a suspension lowered by 25 millimetres, a firmer suspension set-up and wide-base tyres as standard, as well as light-alloy wheels in AMG design on the vehicle on display. From 1993, Mercedes-Benz offered three equipment lines in the compact class in addition to the classic equipment (later “Classic”): “Esprit”, “Elegance” and “Sport”.
Modern saddlery: The theme colour green is continued in the designo interior. Both the seats and the door panelling play with the contrast between central green elements and black sides. With this customised design, Mercedes-Benz demonstrates the saddler’s art with a flair for sporty aesthetics. Using the rear seat unit as an example, the various rectangular, green components of the seat, backrest and head restraint together form a vertical stripe – as if dynamically applied with a brush on the canvas of a modern work of art.
Individual appeal: The designo paintwork of the C 280 dating from 1996 and displayed in the Mercedes-Benz Museum is a testament to its time. One year earlier, in 1995, the first Mercedes-Benz designo consulting centre opened in the customer centre at the Sindelfingen plant. Mercedes-Benz experts were on hand to discuss and plan their individual dream cars with customers. Nowadays the MANUFAKTUR individualisation range across all model series offers exclusive equipment for the exterior and interior – including MANUFAKTUR paint finishes. In December 2024, Mercedes-Benz opened the new MANUFAKTUR Studio in the heart of the Sindelfingen plant. Here, customers can experience first-hand how their vehicle is customised according to their personal wishes with attention to detail, classic craftsmanship and state-of-the-art production technologies.
Explosion of colours: Colourful paint finishes for the high-quality individualisation of cars play an important part in the history of the brand. In the second half of the 1950s, Mercedes-Benz significantly expanded the colour range: in 1953, passenger cars bearing the star were only available in five different paint finishes as standard. By 1956, there was already an opulent colour range with 26 monotone and 23 two-tone paint finishes.
Great variety: During the model offensive of the 1990s, Mercedes-Benz once again focused on prominent colours for individual appeal. Examples among recent classics include the SLK (R 170, from 1996) in intense yellow or the CLK Coupé (C 208, from 1997) in bright blue metallic.
Special EnChroma® goggles: At the Mercedes-Benz Museum, visitors with colour vision deficiency are also able to enjoy the full beauty of colourful paint finishes like that of the C 280. Because for more than a year, the Museum has made it possible to borrow special EnChroma® goggles free of charge for the duration of a visit. These goggles filter a small part of the colour spectrum from the visible light, making it possible to see clear, vivid colours despite colour vision deficiency.
If Green Hell Magno looks right at home on the AMG GT R from Mercedes-AMG, that’s because it was created to celebrate the car. You see, the AMG GTR spent most of its development time on the legendary Nürburgring Nordschliefe circuit (a.k.a. the “Green Hell”).
Likely the color comes from the green forest that surround the historic Norschliefe, and certainly they inspired the name in the track’s nickname. The other part of that name, “Magno”, is Mercedes-Benz speak for matte paint finish. In the end, it’s likely the most striking (and fitting) of the colors offered on the AMG GT R.
