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Orion Blue Metallic, that’s what the paint is called and the main reason I decided to write up this Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG. One of the other reasons is that I’ve always felt this car was overlooked due to the its successor being the tire slaying C63 AMG. Those cars continue to fall in pice but it will be a few more years before they reach the bottom of the depreciation curve. The C55 is already close and will likely drop down a little further in the next couple of years. If you enjoy the “double bubble” headlight style of the W203 then this car has to be at the top of your list as it is the most aggressive looking one you could buy. What I find appealing is that even in AMG form, it still retains a clean sleeper look. Were it not for the matte black Vertini wheels, I think this car would be able to fly way under the radar, a bonus when you’ve got 362 hp on tap. If I were to take this home I’d probably swap them out the wheels for a nice brushed aluminum multi spoke from the AMG catalog, but I have to admit the concave style does add a certain badass element to the car. I think that has to be one of the most appealing things about the C55 AMG, it can be made to look like a mundane country club classic or a aggressive Autobahn animal. All you need to do is change a few minor things to tip the scales in either direction and I have to say, this car strikes a nice balance between the two.
For all the high end exotics we feature here at GCFSB, there’s a part of us that still appreciate more modest transportation. Outside of the AMG variants, a late model W202 C-class might not be the typical car of choice for the weekly lineup here on our site, but it’s a car I’m intimately familiar with. For six years, I piloted a 1998 C230, the four cylinder variant of the car we see here. My mother has driven a 2000 C280 for 14 years, racking up over 120,000 miles with nary an issue. These small Mercedes sedans are robust machines, and if cared for, have the longevity made famous by Mercedes-Benzes of yore. This 1998 C280 for sale in Florida may not be too arresting in Glacier White over tan MB Tex, but it has only 57,000 miles on the clock. Mint condition W202s are becoming harder to find, so this one is worth a second glance.
The Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG is one of those cars that I never cared for all that much. A V8 stuffed under the hood of a compact sedan sounds like fun, but in this case it always seemed like Mercedes failed to execute what was a great idea on paper. Though it was significantly more powerful than the E36 M3, it didn’t garner the same respect in its heyday and not much has changed. I’m fine with the understated appearance, there are few things as fun as driving a sleeper Benz but I think this car is just too bland for my tastes. The most aggressive thing about it is the mono block AMG wheels, the exhaust note is just as toned down as the styling, fine for a normal Benz but this is an AMG, let that V8 sing! I wonder just how much more popular this car would have been if it had a raucous exhaust note like the C63 that eventually followed. Of course a big part of why the M3 was more popular despite being less powerful is that the M3 could be had with a manual where as the C43 was auto only. It was, however, a stout 5-speed gearbox borrowed from V12 models that was supposed to learn a drivers habits and improve the driving experience, so I suppose there is is some credit due there.
Over the years, we’ve enjoyed showcasing high-performance or rather posh vehicles here at GCFSB. However, we do have an appreciation for the more mundane. These would be your base model or workaday vehicles. Those which are well-preserved especially grab our attention. This 1998 C280 for sale in Missouri represents the first year of the W202 C-class facelift. Two years later, W202 production would cease. Along with the demise of the R129 SL in 2002, a generation of styling language would come to an end.
The W202 C-class is a car I’m quite familiar with. I drove a 1998 C230 for six years and sold it to a friend, who has racked up over 200,000 miles. My mother, to this day, pilots a 2000 C280 in this very color combination. Her car is closing in on 130,000 miles, having bought it as a Starmark certified vehicle with only 7,000 miles on it. There is constant talk about replacing it with a present day Audi A4 or Volvo S60, but the old Benz just keeps going on from strength to strength.
I was always remorseful that Mercedes-Benz decided not to send it’s W202 C-class estate to the US market. This was a very handsome five-door that was a star amongst taxi drivers the world over. I still see a good number of these trolling the streets in various cities abroad, such was durability of this car. Even during a trip to Lisbon last year, there was a line of W202 diesel estates waiting outside of Portela International Airport. And yes, if speed was your thing, Mercedes-Benz offered an AMG version of this estate, just to make you long roof fans a bit more jealous of other automotive markets. This final year C43 AMG Estate for sale in Switzerland was brought to our attention from our reader Richard in Zurich. With just over 20,000 miles on the clock, this is a dream come true for those into the Youngtimer scene.
