AMG C36 is Perfect Way to Join Big Boy Benz Club for Cheap
AMG ownership is a fairly exclusive membership but the cover charge isn’t as high as you think it is.
AMG wouldn’t be where it is at today in the U.S. without the AMG C36. That’s just a fact. It was the first officially commissioned car by Mercedes’ newly acquired in-house tuner, and now, it was time to let them loose on the car that would represent the brand in DTM racing. Sure, the C43 came to represent the AMG brand ethos better (and did so rather quickly) but the C36 is still loved, for the most part.
We browsed the MBWorld marketplace listings and found two. One listed for just $5000 in great shape, and one under a grand, albeit in a bit rougher shape.
When new, the punched out M104 inline-six engine was good for a healthy 276 horsepower. Coupled with a 0-60 time of 5.8 seconds, and it could square off with a lot of current cars today without feeling too embarrassed. But as time went on and AMG went even deeper into lunacy, the relatively tame AMG C36 fell out of favor. This means if you can find one, you’ll likely pick it up quite cheaply.
Remember, AMG at this time wasn’t using dual clutch transmissions or carbon ceramic brakes, or any particularly special AMG-only parts, so the majority of repairs and maintenance on an AMG C36 is quite reasonable. It likely wouldn’t take much money or work to get a rough example back into working order. Additionally, Mercedes dealerships even have a support now to keep older cars like this on the road through discounts on parts and service.
Some might balk at the idea of such a cheap car being in their club, but it has earned its spot, and rightfully so. They say you can’t have cheap, fast and reliable, but the C36 offers a respectable amount from each category.
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