1975 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 'Rote Sau'

• Faithful replica of AMG's famous 'Rote Sau'
• Delivered new to Austria
• Restoration and transformation completed in July 2025
• Air suspension like the original 'Rote Sau'

The imposing Mercedes-Benz competition saloon offered here is a faithful replica of the famous AMG-built 300 SEL 6.3 'Rote Sau' (Red Pig), which astonished the motor racing establishment when it finished 2nd in the Spa 24 Hours race on 25th July 1971. There were many more-fancied entries in the field, driven by the likes of Nikki Lauda, Hans Stuck, Dieter Glemser and Jochen Maas, yet the Mercedes of Hans Heyer and Clemens Schickentanz beat all but one of them: the works Ford Capri of Glemser/Soler-Roig. AMG's was a privateer effort and many drivers had turned down the opportunity to race the rank outsider, including the 1971 Le Mans winner Gijs Van Lennep. It should be mentioned that the unflattering sobriquet 'Rote Sau' was not used by AMG but was bestowed on the behemoth by the motoring press.

AMG is now Mercedes-Benz's performance brand but back in 1971 it was an independent concern specialising in tuning the Stuttgart company's products. Even so, the choice of the heavyweight 300 SEL 6.3 luxury saloon must have seemed bizarre to all but AMG founders Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, who no doubt reasoned that even if the car proved uncompetitive, it would generate much valuable publicity for the fledgling firm. Using a crashed example as the basis, AMG rebuilt the car in its entirety, ditching the automatic gearbox in favour of a five-speed manual and racing clutch. With its 6.3-litre V8 engine tuned to produce 428bhp - a substantial improvement on the standard car's 250 horsepower (DIN) - the 'Rote Sau' had a top speed of 265km/h (165mph).

Sadly, its racing career would be short-lived, as the regulations were changed to limit engine capacity to a maximum of 5.0 litres in 1972. The 'Rote Sau' was sold to the French aerospace company Matra, who needed a heavy, powerful and fast vehicle for testing aircraft tyres. It then disappeared from view, believed scrapped at some time during the 1980s.

As the original 'Rote Sau' made such an impression in the minds of motor racing enthusiasts, many attempts have been made to create replicas. We believe that the car offered here comes closest to the original. Before its conversion into a Rote Sau replica, this 300 SEL 6.3 belonged to an Austrian owner until 1988 when it was exported to Germany, passing into to the ownership of Amrein Automobile in Lahnstein. Our vendor purchased the Mercedes on 5th February 2024, with the intention to make the best possible replica of the original Rote Sau. For that reason, the car has had a full body-off restoration, with every last nut and bolt renewed or refurbished. The car's mechanical transformation was undertaken by classic Mercedes specialists Wörle Fahrzeugtechnik of Syrgenstein, Germany. The complete bodywork was entrusted to Kraaijvanger in Haaksbergen, Netherlands and the air suspension was made by Intrax Suspension Technology in The Netherlands. The restoration was completed on 1st July 2025. Related bills are available as well as certificates from Wörle Fahrzeugtechnik. Built with the highest possible attention to detail, this Rote Sau is believed to be the best replica currently on the market. In fact, it is a new car worthy of a place in the collection of any connoisseur of motor racing!

The car comes with its original Austrian registration document and a spare key.