This Mercedes 300 SEL ‘Red Pig’ Replica is One of the Coolest AMGs
The 300 SEL Red Pig was the fastest and most powerful car in the early 1970s. It came second in the1971 24 Hours of Spa. This was one of the most defining moments for AMG as it became quite popular for its tuning capabilities. Unfortunately, the original model was destroyed, leaving Mercedes and other enthusiasts to create replicas.
A Fancy Classic
The 1969 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 was the fastest and most comfortable 4-door production car during its time. Production ran from 1968 to 1972. Mercedes had equipped it with the 300-horsepower V8 engine that also powered the 600 limousine. The company then added leather-trimmed seats, power windows, air conditioning, a Webasto sunroof, and a burled walnut interior trim as a luxury treatment.
Photos Courtesy of Carscoops.
Red Pig
The Red Pig version was AMG's first-ever race car. It scooped second place at the 1971 24 Hours of Spa. This was despite being put against nimbler and lighter cars on the race track. The event helped AMG to become a powerhouse among other Mercedes-Benz tuners. Unfortunately, the original model of the Red Pig was destroyed. All we have today are a number of replicas, with the pictured model being one of them.
>>Join the conversation about this 300 SEL Red Pig Replica right here in MBWorld.org
Engine
The Red Pig was powered by a 6.8-liter engine that was amped from the original 6.3-liter to help it produce 420 horsepower. It is said that Mercedes' lead motorsport engineer, Rudi Uhlenhaut, once stopped at a red light during a test drive to see how the huge engine had been fit into the hood. The bodywork was reconstructed to include aluminum doors and flared wheel arches to support larger tires and wider tracks. A racing suspension was also added to boost its capability on the track.
>>Join the conversation about this 300 SEL Red Pig Replica right here in MBWorld.org
Auction
This particular replica has less than 500 miles on its clock. It will be auctioned on February 5th by RM Sotheby's in Paris. As you can see from the images, it's still in great condition both in and out. The interior comes with leather bucket seats, four-point harnesses, and a well-integrated roll cage. The exterior has been modified to look like the original car.
>>Join the conversation about this 300 SEL Red Pig Replica right here in MBWorld.org
Nowhere to be Found
To commemorate its spectacular performance, Mercedes decided to celebrate the car in 2005 after buying a majority stake in AMG. Unfortunately, the car was nowhere to be found. Mercedes decided to build its own version. The demand to see the replica was so high that Mercedes decided to build another Red Pig just for display.
>>Join the conversation about this 300 SEL Red Pig Replica right here in MBWorld.org
For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our How-to section in the forum.
