Highlights

Incredibly rare UK-delivered W124 E36 AMG
Recent mechanical restoration costing £30,000
Mechanically proven and ready to enjoy
Believed to be one of only 7 UK cars ever made

The Background

A fantastic example of a pre-merger AMG engineering, the E36 AMG was produced between 1993 and 1997, yet only around 200 were produced, and only a small percentage of these were imported into the UK, making any W124 E36 AMG a rare sight in England, to say the least.

Based upon the W124 E-Class but boasting a 3.6-litre DOHC inline-six engine from Daimler which had been heavily tuned by AMG, the E36 produced an impressive 272bhp in pre-merger vehicles.

Outwardly and in terms of the interior, the E36 AMG was largely similar to high-end E-Class W124 models, so was a true ‘Q-Car’ in the sense that it was near-imperceptible to passing motorists. This, coupled with its rarity, made it a wonderful proposition for performance enthusiasts during the 1990s.

The History

Of the 200 built, only 47 E36 AMGs came to the UK, split between 12 Sedans, 14 Cabriolets, 24 Coupes and 7 wagons. This means that what you’re looking at here is a one-of-seven E36 Wagon, making it an exceedingly rare proposition for any enthusiast.

Ever the Mercedes fan and a lover of ‘under-the-radar’ cars, our vendor simply had to snap up this E36 when it came up for sale, as - he admits - he never thought he’d ever see one on the market, so had to seize the chance when it was presented to him.

In the years since, our vendor has commissioned an almost total mechanical overhaul of this E36, seemingly stopping short only of stripping and rebuilding the entire engine, such is the level - and expense - of this work that has been carried out. As a result, they state they would have no reservations jumping in the car tomorrow and driving anywhere that was required, as it has proven to be wonderfully reliable since returning from its major overhaul.

Naturally, with the work - and finances - concentrated on the areas you can’t see, the bodywork has been left as it was when the car was purchased, meaning this E36 in particular is a true ‘under-the-radar car’ and wouldn’t attract a second glance from anyone unless they were very, very clued up indeed.

The Paperwork

If you’re a fan of a car with history, this is the AMG for you, as the history folder is extensive, to say the least.

Included is the full complement of user manuals and handbooks, stamped service record, V5 showing 8 former keepers, numerous MoT certificates and a plethora of historic invoices, including numerous M-B main dealership documents and receipts, suggesting early in its life this W124-based power-wagon enjoyed dealership attention.

What’s more relevant, however, is the paper trail from the vendor’s ownership, with total expenditure amounting to in excess of £20,000 since 2019.

Naturally, there is too much to list individually, but highlights of these invoices include:

A full gearbox rebuild among other extensive works in February 2019 at a cost of £9,465
New rear arms, tracking and more in May 2019
Air-conditioning system overhaul in July 2019 plus other work at a cost of £1,389
Attention to the sunroof, cooling system and throttle cable in September 2019
Cylinder head strip, new head gasket and other gaskets and seals in May 2020 at a cost of £4,068
A new fuel pump, crank sensor, EVAP valve, MAF and battery in August 2020.
Welding to the offside rear and front inner arches, floor, inner sills and other areas where required in November 2020 (along with an MoT exam)

This example has also been serviced as required, and has been worked on irrespective of cost, with a view to sorting all the mechanicals before starting on the bodywork.

The Interior

Testament to Mercedes’ legendary build quality in the 80s and 90s, the interior of this E36 wagon has certainly stood up remarkably well considering it has over 200,000 miles on the odometer.

Naturally, this kind of mileage does come with some superficial wear, most notably to high-traffic areas such as the door cards, floor mats, steering wheel, shifter and surround and the seats, with typical scuffs and creases noted, but major damage and rips are notably absent - always a good thing in our books!

Elsewhere, the rest of the cabin wears a lovely light usage patina consistent with a vehicle that has been used and enjoyed, and our vendor reports that the only known issues are that the lower half of the heated seats are inoperable (though the back pads still work as they should) the throttle cable is slightly sticky at times, and there is an intermittent bulb out warning, though there are no blown bulbs.

Up above, the headliner is in good order throughout with no sagging noted during our inspection, and the vendor reports the sunroof is in full working order, though it can be a little slow to operate.

The Exterior

Wonderfully subtle, you’d have to look very, very hard at this E36 Wagon to tell it apart from a normal, non-AMG example, which is all part of the appeal to our vendor, and we have to say we’d agree.

With all of the expenditure during our vendor’s ownership having been focused on the mechanicals, the bodywork is in the same condition as it was when purchased, and as such wears its mileage and age openly.

The most important thing we need to highlight is that the vendor states the vehicle was in a shunt at some point prior to his ownership. This was not recorded on insurance (so the vehicle is not a ‘category’ car) but the front offside wing and bonnet now do not line up correctly, and the paintwork is not an exact match.

Other than the wing, the paintwork does seem to be correct everywhere else, which is good news. Naturally, there is some heavy wear noted, ranging from major chips to scuffs, deep marks and bubbling paintwork/corrosion, which has all been documented in the gallery of photographs below for your assessment.

That having been said, the bodywork is solid throughout and shows no other signs of impact damage, and all of the trims, badges and miscellaneous parts are present and correct.

With the hard work done underneath, it means that the next owner can simply concentrate on the bodywork, safe in the knowledge that the car is mechanically excellent and ready to use and enjoy as it sits.

The Mechanicals

Having benefitted from routine servicing, MoT exams and extensive works whilst in the vendor’s care and in the years prior, this E36 AMG is in rude mechanical health, and our vendor has no hesitations about the mechanical nature of the vehicle whatsoever.

Along with its dependability, there are other hints at how recent works benefit this AMG wagon. The gearbox, for example, is wonderfully smooth, and free of the usual characteristic ‘thud’ when switching from park to drive or reverse, which is often seen on leggy M-B transmissions of this era.

Similarly, the car starts with ease and idles happily, the air-conditioning works, the steering pulls true and there were no clonks, knocks or untoward noises noted during our photo shoot, and the car is remarkably quiet and smooth upon idle, showing good oil pressure and no signs of any untoward behaviours.

The most recent MoT exam - dated 31 January 2022 - shows a pass with advisories for the front tyre condition, a deteriorated front plate, and discoloured marker lights.

In addition to the works highlighted above in the ‘paperwork’ section, this example has also benefitted from - among other things - new timing chain tensioners, Dinitrol applications, a major service, chain guides and a new timing chain in August 2021, at a cost of over £8,200, which should give plenty of peace-of-mind to the next owner and any potential bidders.

The Appeal

For those looking to fly under-the-radar in style and comfort, yet retaining the practicality needed for a small family, pets or businesses, fast wagons have long been the best fit for the situation, and few do fast practical cars better than Mercedes.

This 1996 E36 AMG Wagon is arguably one of the best examples of subtle performance car design seen during the 20th century, and being one of only 7 built for the UK, is a true collector’s item, and one that would be richly rewarding to enjoy and cosmetically restore for the next owner.

Benefitting from an extraordinary amount of recent work, mechanical overhaul and attention regardless of time or cost constraints, this is a rare super-wagon that is ready to jump in and enjoy, yet still retains plenty of potential for the next owner to take it ‘up a notch’ and match the mechanical condition cosmetically.

The possibilities are endless, and no doubt plenty of kudos awaits the next owner wherever they go. Good luck!

Notice to bidders

Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.

As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.