Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG With 41K Miles Is One Super Sweet Muscular Sedan

By Brett Foote - May 9, 2023

One of just 1,425 built over a few model years, this Olivier-era 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG is a bit of an undervalued underdog.

These days, it almost seems like super clean, low-mile Mercedes models from the not too distant past are everywhere, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We aren’t exactly sure why so many people buy cars like this and keep them stored away, barely ever driving them, but the result of that is that we have some pretty sweet machines to choose from on the used vehicle market. The latest is this – a simply gorgeous, immaculately kept 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG that recently hit the block at Bring a Trailer.

This 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG is notable for a number of reasons, but it’s a fantastic machine in its own right – after all, this generation marked the debut of the V8 engine in the small C-class sedan, as well as a time when AMG was still its own separate entity rather than a part of M-B itself.

Those things alone mean that this is a pretty special model with a lot to offer, and this particular example is about as nice as they get with just 41k miles on the clock.

With a subtle silver exterior hue, this C43 is the definition of sleeper, save for its iconic 17-inch mono block wheels and some unique bodywork, of course, though the average bystander probably won’t notice such things.

It’s also incredibly rare as just one of 1,425 built for the U.S. market between 1998 and 2000, and it was a proper one-owner car until this year, when it was acquired by the selling dealer.

The star of the proverbial show here is the 4.3-liter V8 underhood, which was borrowed from the mid-size E430 and hand-built by the folks at AMG.

During that process, they tweaked the intakes and oil cooler, extracting 27 extra horsepower to bring that total to 302 ponies, along with an even 302 pound-feet of torque, which flows to the rear wheels via a five-speed automatic transmission.

Truthfully, there’s a whole lot to like here, and not much to point a finger at. Regardless, this shining example of AMG’s past sold for a mere $33k, which seems quite reasonable by today’s lofty standards.

But then again, collectors don’t seems to appreciate these special rides quite as much as we do, so for now at least, they can be had for far less than some of their more highly-touted competitors.