- This Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG packs a 302-hp 4.3-liter V-8 under its hood.
- Silver paint and a black interior emphasize the bedroom status of this eight-cylinder C-Class.
- The tender ends on Monday 1 May 2023.
For the 2024 model year, the Mercedes-AMG C63 loses its predecessor’s V-8 engine in favor of a complex turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline-electric hybrid engine. What’s more, the new C63 still accelerates like a rocket. Unfortunately, it comes at the cost of high weight. Today’s selection on the auction site Bring a trailer– what, how Car and driverit is a part of the Hearst Autos group – harks back to a simpler time in the three-pointed star. This 1999 C43 AMG was the first time Mercedes installed a big V-8 in the small C-Class sedan.
Today, AMG fits seamlessly into Mercedes’ corporate structure, a well-polished cog in a great machine. In late 1997, when the C43 was first shown to the world, AMG mbH engine construction and development company it was still its own entity (Mercedes would take a controlling stake in the tuning shop in 1999). Having previously built the six-cylinder C36 to compete with the BMW M3, the company now returned to its favorite pastime: cramming big V-8s into small cars.
In the case of the C43, AMG plucked the 4.3-liter V-8 from the Mercedes-Benz E430 midsize sedan and placed it under the hood of the compact C-Class. The AMG folks assembled each engine by hand (one technician per V-8). Thanks to improvements to the big engine’s oil cooling and intakes, the C43 rolled off the line with a stable 302 horsepower, 27 more than an E430.
The C43 may have lacked the handling grace of an M3. But what it fell short on lateral dynamics, the little AMG-tuned C-Class made up for with the melodious soundtrack of its V-8 engine and big torque.
This particular C43 up for auction is a 1999 model painted silver and fitted with a black interior, and is the epitome of ‘speak softly and carry a big stick’. The C43 is all about subtlety, but those in the know won’t miss its big 17-inch monoblock wheels and moderately massaged fascias, for the era.
This example is particularly attractive due to its relatively low mileage (just over 41,000 miles), all of which were put on during the car’s tenure with its original owner. The car also benefits from a clean CarFax report and a well-documented service history.
Fewer than 1500 C43s were produced for the United States over the course of three model years, making these AMGs relatively rare finds. Despite this, these V-8 sedans still sell for relatively reasonable sums, with the C43 the most expensive. Bring a trailer (at the time of writing) sells for $33,500. We think it’s only a matter of time until W202 C43 prices rise as more collectors appreciate this German muscle car.
Collaborating editor
Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, BC, Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British cars, came of age in the golden age of Japanese compact sports performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it’s racing. the career of Walter Cronkite or the half-century obsession of the Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki with the Citroën 2CV. He’s taught his two young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to perpetually buy Hot Wheels.
