Gorgeous 1979 Mercedes 500 TE AMG Is Everything We Want From A Wagon

This is an AMG back from the time AMG was a small independent firm; a 1979 Mercedes 500 TE AMG fitted with AMG’s notorious 5.0-liter V8 conversion, and one of the just five W123 cars that received this treatment allegedly.

Rumors say that AMG’s W123 conversion was fitted to a pair of wagons, a pair of sedans and a single coupe, making this striking wagon feel even more special than it already is.

The specific example was discovered in 2013 by Henric Nieminem, an AMG enthusiast from California. The previous owner didn’t know the history of the car, which remains unknown to this day, but the car spoke for itself.

Nieminem took the 500 TE AMG to Mercedes-Benz, where they discovered that the M117 5.0-liter V8 wasn’t allocated to any specific chassis but was fitted with tubular headers, downpipes, a secondary oil cooler and custom engine mounts designed to fit specifically to the W123 engine bay.

In addition, the car features cast aluminum rear suspension, an OE skid plate, a full AMG body kit, date-stamped 1979 Recaro seats with upholstery that matched the door cards, the taxi upper console which hosts additional gauges and many more clues that you could only find in an early AMG conversion.

All these features suggest that this rather ridiculously cool wagon was build in period by AMG but there isn’t any conclusive paperwork to support its originality. A cosmetic refresh took place in 2013 by Nieminem, with the car even featured on an episode of Top Gear America celebrating 50 years of AMG.

In 2017, the car was bought by its current owner and imported to Switzerland, where it remained as part of his stunning collection. The Mercedes 500 TE AMG will auctioned by RM Sotheby’s (alongside other stunning vehicles) at the 2019 Techno-Classica Essen in Germany, on April 11.

The car is estimated to bring between 60,000 and 70,000 euros ($68k to $80k in current exchange rates) which makes it sound like a bargain, if you ask us.