Mercedes-AMG Collection to Auction Including Rare Cars and Parts

Bonhams will offer its largest collection of more than 20 AMG-modified Mercedes-Benz classics and the auction house's claimed largest collection of pre-merger AMG parts in two sales this summer.

The collection, which belonged to the late San Francisco Bay Area car collector Barry Taylor, who died in 2020, will be offered in two online auctions. The first auction is scheduled for June 17-24 and will feature 200 cars. The remainder will be sold in a second auction scheduled for July 22-29.

Highlights include several prominent cars built during AMG's time as an independent tuner, before it began co-developing factory cars with Mercedes in 1990 and before it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Mercedes in 2005.

One such car is the 1979 Mercedes-Benz 500 TE AMG, a modified version of the W123-generation (predecessor to the current E-Class) wagon with a 5.2-liter V-8 and five-speed manual transmission. $150,000 to $180,000 It is expected to sell for $150,000 to $180,000.

Another lot of note is a 1976 Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC coupe 6.9 called the Green Machine. Rumored to have been built for the former boss of the European Dresdner Bank, it is powered by the 450 SEL 6.9 sedan's M100 6.9-liter V-8, still connected to a 5-speed manual. It also features a body kit reminiscent of its era and a green velour interior that includes Recaro sport seats made of the same material. The sale price is expected to range from $45,000 to $60,000.

Perhaps equally important, however, is the stash of parts that will be auctioned. According to Bonhams, this will likely be the last time such a large quantity of pre-merger AMG parts will be offered in the U.S., making it an important resource for owners and restorers. This is a restorer's dream come true," Bonhams Automobilia Specialist Kurt Foley said in a statement. It's like stepping into a pre-1990 AMG dealership and rifling through a cache of vintage stock parts."[11