To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Paris
event, 5 February 2020.
Estimate:
€150,000 - €200,000
- A faithful re-creation of Mercedes-Benz and AMG's iconic 'Red
Pig'
- Restored by Mercedes-Benz specialist Arthur Bechtel
- Less than 800 km since conversion
Arguably AMG's most iconic vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 'Red
Pig' jump-started the small company's rise to fame, leading to
Mercedes-Benz's eventual takeover of the tuning house roughly
twenty years ago.
Modified at a customer's request, AMG started with a damaged 300
SEL and turned it into an all-out racing machine. Boring the engine
out to 6.8 litres, which produced 420 bhp, AMG fitted aluminium
doors, widened the track, fitted larger tyres, and flared the wheel
arches. Due to its ungainly proportions and red paintwork, the car
was quickly nicknamed the 'Red Pig', but soon enough the car proved
itself in the crucible of motorsport. At the 1971 24 Hours of Spa,
the car won its class and finished 2nd overall, having started 5th
on the grid.
While the original 'Red Pig' was eventually used in aircraft
testing leading to its destruction, a handful of faithful replicas
have been built, including one by Mercedes-Benz. This example
started as an accident-free, 1969 model year 300 SEL 6.3 and was
restored to a 'Red Pig' replica by the Mercedes-Benz specialists at
Arthur Bechtel Classic Motors in B�blingen, Germany. Purchased by
James Goo Kim, CEO of D.Parts of South Korea, directly from Arthur
Bechtel, it has travelled less than 800 km since its
conversion.
- Re-cr�ation fid�le de l'embl�matique Mercedes AMG "Red
Pig"
- Restaur�e par le sp�cialiste Mercedes Arthur Bechtel
- Moins de 800 km depuis sa conversion
La Mercedes 300 SEL "Red Pig", sans aucun doute la voiture la plus
embl�matique de celles r�alis�es par AMG, a largement contribu� �
faire conna�tre cette petite entreprise de pr�paration, amenant
Mercedes � s'y int�resser au point d'en faire l'acquisition il y a
une vingtaine d'ann�es.
Pour r�aliser cette voiture � la demande d'un client, AMG est parti
d'une 300 SEL endommag�e et l'a transform�e en machine de
comp�tition radicale. En plus d'un moteur r�al�s� � 6,8 litres et
d�veloppant 420 ch, AMG a �quip� la voiture de portes en aluminium,
a �largi la voie et l'a dot�e de pneus plus larges et d'extensions
d'ailes. A cause de ses proportions peu flatteuses et de sa couleur
rouge, elle a �t� rapidement surnomm�e "Red Pig", ce qui ne l'a pas
emp�ch�e de se montrer tr�s comp�titive. Lors des 24 Heures de Spa
1971, elle a remport� sa cat�gorie et termin� deuxi�me au
classement g�n�ral, apr�s avoir pris le d�part de la cinqui�me
place sur la grille.
Alors que la "Red Pig" d'origine a �t� ensuite utilis�e pour tester
des �quipement d'avion, ce qui a men� � sa destruction, plusieurs
r�pliques ont vu le jour, dont une r�alis�e par Mercedes-Benz. Cet
exemplaire a pris comme base une 300 SEL 6.3 de 1969 non
accident�e, puis a �t� restaur� sous la forme d'une r�plique "Red
Pig" par le sp�cialiste Mercedes Arthur Bechtel Classic Motors, �
B�blingen, en Allemagne. Achet�e directement � Arthur Bechtel par
James Kim, directeur g�n�ral de D.Parts, en Cor�e du Sud, elle a
parcouru moins de 800 km depuis sa conversion.To view this car and
others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM
website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/pa20.
