RM Sotheby's offered two particularly wide Mercedes coupés: 300 CE 3.4 AMG Brabus and 560 SEC Koenig Kompressor were probably only almost sold.
Quite a few consider the C 126 series S-Class Coupé presented 40 years ago at the Frankfurt IAA to be one of the most beautiful Mercedes ever. Designer Bruno Sacco drives a dark blue 560 SEC from 1989. "Coupés are the fillets of a series," he says.
Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC Koenig Widebody
Would Sacco ever have brought his SEC to Willy König? Probably not. The racing driver and car tuner made Ferrari, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche sports cars and coupés wider in the 1980s and 1990s. Under the name "Koenigs-Specials" he sold eye-catching wide bodies with extra-wide tires on extra-deep drop center rims.
If you wanted, you also got a more powerful motor. The previous owner of a 560 SEC from 1990 wanted both: He ordered the "Version II" wide body and an Albrex compressor for his 560 SEC. Koenig remodeled bumpers, wheel arches and rocker panels, and a rump was added to the rear. Under the spacers are 17-inch OZ wheels, which at the time must have looked like tires in cinemascope format. An Albrex compressor kit from Austria boosted the performance of what was then the most powerful Mercedes passenger car series engine from 272 to 406 hp.
Almost 18,000 euros for repairs and maintenance
The coupé painted in 199 blue-black metallic with numerous extras was ordered: automatic air conditioning, ASR and trip computer, to name just a few items on the equipment list. The coupe was at home in Japan until it came to Great Britain in 2014. Various works on the technology were carried out until 2021, according to RM Sotheby's, the invoices are available. A total of 15,000 British pounds (equivalent to 17,780 euros) was invested. The odometer is currently at 91,275. RM Sotheby's had the equivalent of 145,000 to 175,000 euros. The highest bid was the equivalent of 145,790 euros including fees. The wide-body SEC was not sold immediately.
Mercedes-Benz 300 CE 3.4 AMG Brabus Widebody
At 220 hp it was over. There was no more power ex works in the 124 coupe. The most powerful engine was the M-104 straight-six with a displacement of three liters in the 300 CE-24 and 3.2 liters in the 320 CE/E 320 Coupé. Unless you went to AMG or Brabus. They delivered a 3.4-liter version with around 270 hp. Just 25 coupe buyers ordered the 3.4-liter from AMG.
The first owner of this coupé also ordered a five-speed automatic transmission, automatic locking differential (ASD), electric steel sliding roof, air conditioning and Sportline. Brabus then converted the AMG coupe into a "widebody" - with this wide body, the C 124 comes across like a 500E coupe, including fog lights in the front apron.Matt black slats in the radiator grille, glossy black 16-inch wheels and the slanted twin tailpipes clearly indicate the Bottrop origin. Like the body, the bumpers and side planks are painted in 199 Blue Black Metallic.
The coupe stayed in Europe until 2002, then came to Japan and stayed there for 13 years. In 2015 the coupe was sold to Great Britain. According to RM Sotheby's, it has received over £5,600 worth of maintenance over the past six years. Among other things, the seals on the cylinder head, valve cover and valve stems were renewed and the engine bearings and water pump replaced. The car currently has 101,419 kilometers on the clock. According to RM Sotheby's, the only known 300 CE AMG 3.4 Widebody should cost 60,000 to 70,000 euros. The highest bid was the equivalent of 64,160 euros, which was not enough, at least for an immediate sale.
Conclusion
Tuned Mercedes from the 90s are certainly a matter of taste and not everyone would fight to keep them. The fact is, however, that they existed and some of them are in good condition. If you want a Mercedes that isn't on every corner at the meeting, conversions from AMG, Brabus and Koenig are a good way to start a conversation. The tuning is always historically interesting - the Koenig conversion with Albrex compressor is also technically something special. The prices achieved were respectably high, but apparently not enough for an immediate sale.
