200 thousand leva have been invested in this unique 6-liter W 126 AMG!

This Mercedes 500 SEL 5.0 AMG, codenamed Blueberry, is not only unique, but also a car with historical significance for the AMG brand. The unique 500 SEL will soon be sold at auctio compresor supraalimentare bts turbo pret.

200 thousand leva have been invested in this unique 6-liter W 126 AMG!

As part of the Sealed Drop, the famous auction house RM Sothebys is offering the Mercedes 500 SEL 5.0 AMG to the general public for the first time. The timing is very clever, because especially in the USA the euphoria around the so-called Pre-Merger-AMG is currently very serious: in recent years, early AMGs have become a real magnet for collectors - who are willing to pay record amounts. In this case, however, it is not about an "ordinary" AMG, but rather a car with historical significance. Get to know the whole story of this unique machine!

The AMG was a Christmas present

In the early 1980s, AMG co-founder Hans Werner Aufrecht had a close business relationship with a certain Richard Buxbaum. Buxbaum, founder of AMG North America, was a frequent visitor to Affalterbach. During one of his meetings with Aufrecht, he mentioned that there was no Mercedes 500 SEL in a more interesting color anywhere in the United States.

This unfulfilled wish was the spark that ignited the Blueberry project. In July 1984, Aufrecht purchased a 500 SEL in the rare Lapis blue metallic (paint code: DB 932 H) – with the intention of modifying it for his valued business partner Buxbaum – and sending him the car as a Christmas present!

Since the lavish W 126 was supposed to be a surprise, Aufrecht took an unusual step: he offered to sell Buxbaum the standard 500 SEL he had purchased from the Karl Russ dealership. Buxbaum agreed and expected delivery of the car in early 1985 – which meant there wasn’t much time left to prepare the limousine.

In the autumn of 1984, the AMG team got to work and created the unique creation they called Blueberry. First, the gray suede interior was replaced with a full leather interior, including even electrically adjustable seats from SEC. A 4-spoke AMG steering wheel, new instruments, and new decorative elements were also installed. The zebrawood was bleached by hand and then painted gray. This complex process was applied to all parts such as the center console, gear lever, and door panels.

On the outside, the modifications are even more extensive. In addition to the full AMG body kit, the then-typical and currently highly sought-after 16-inch AMG Penta wheels are installed. The star is painted in the car color, as are all the chrome parts. Even the “500 SEL” lettering was painted.

Completion in January 1985

But the optical tuning alone wasn't enough. In Affalterbach, they also installed a Bilstein sports suspension, a revised limited-slip differential and a completely new generation of exhaust systems, including new manifolds and dual exhaust pipes. In short: the 500 SEL gets the complete package of improvements from AMG.

An invoice shows that the Blueberry was completed on January 11, 1985. So the original goal of having the AMG finished and delivered by Christmas was not met. But, albeit with a slight delay, in early 1985, Aufrecht's people faxed the invoice to AMG North America. It had a small note on it saying that it was a Christmas present for the Buxbaum family, who were overwhelmed by the Germans' generosity.

In March 1985, the unique limousine arrived at Buxbaum's home in the US and over the next 15 months it was used as a company car, a "school bus" and a high-speed taxi. During this time, the W 126 diligently accumulated miles - and after 15 months the dashboard already showed 15,365 miles (equivalent to 24,728 kilometers).

The Buxbaum family would have likely kept driving their AMG for a while longer, but in June 1986, billionaire Rick Cohen approached the folks at AMG North America with a huge request: find him an S-Class in a special color. Since Blueberry turned out to be the only W 126 available in a more attractive color at the time, Buxbaum decided to part with the car after consulting with his family.

Cohen used the SEL as a daily driver for the next five years, putting in a lot of miles. He took the limousine in for regular service at Mercedes specialist John Quay. When Cohen started looking for a new car in 1991, Quay decided to take the opportunity—and a few days later, he bought the special 500 SEL 5.0 AMG.

Buxbaum, however, misses the S – and after it was sold again, he asks Quay once a year to sell it back – but to no avail. The new owner knows the car and its unique character. He only drove the AMG on weekends between 1991 and 2022, and in that time he has driven just 19,000 kilometers.

High estimated price

In October 2022, Buxbaum had already given up hope of ever getting his AMG back – but he received a surprise call from Quay, who offered him the car – but on the condition that he restore it to its former glory. Buxbaum gratefully accepted the offer and immediately got to work.

By 2024, the 500 SEL 5.0 AMG had been painstakingly restored. Over $50,000 was spent on the underbody alone, and another $46,000 on cosmetic repairs. In total, around $120,000 was invested in the unique AMG limousine, which currently has just 183,938 kilometers (114,294 miles) on the clock.

Given the serious investment, the estimate of $150,000-200,000 given by RM Sotheby's no longer seems so astronomical. Especially considering the historical significance of this unique AMG model.

Car parts AutoPower
Car parts AutoPower

As part of the Sealed Drop, the famous auction house RM Sothebys is offering the Mercedes 500 SEL 5

The AMG was a Christmas present