Mercedes C43 AMG | Spotted

The first V8 C-Class is now almost 30 years old - and perhaps more appealing than ever

Rumours continue to swirl about the return of a V8 engine to AMG C- and E-Classes. As well they might: there’s decades of hot rod heritage to continue, a hybridised 4.0-litre that must be able to fit (given the previous generation contained it) as well as the fact that four- and six-cylinder plug-in models haven’t really hit the spot. The performance and the innovation is there; the charm - so often a given in AMGs - is disappointingly absent.

So let’s continue to hope for a return in one form or another, because there’s really nothing quite like a V8 C- or E-Class. What seems unlikely to come back, however, is the truly subtle supersaloon. That’s hardly an AMG affliction, of course; any maker with anything vaguely sporty for sale is now apparently compelled to shout about the fact. Even Alpina, for so long the very best at under-the-radar performance, is making more overt fast cars than ever. AMG, having enjoyed its period of excess during the 1980s as the preeminent Mercedes tuner, then calmed things down for a while as it became gradually more absorbed into the Mercedes mothership.

Look at this C43, for example. It’s so unassuming that most simply wouldn’t give it another glance - really it’s only the rear badge that gives it away, the AMG monoblocks (or wheels that look like them) featuring on so many old Mercs. The blistered arches, aerokits and suggestive ride heights that would come to characterise AMGs are notable here by their absence. It’s just a silver W202 C-Class to many eyes; a car that’s ageing really nicely indeed, though not generally regarded as anything special.

Except it’s not just a C-Class, of course, it’s a C43 - the very first C-Class with a V8, no less, with iconic models like the C55 and C63 to follow. There had been an AMG C-Class before this car, the C36 AMG with a straight six, but if the V8s are the most loved Afflaterbach C-Classes then the story begins right here. It was powered by the M113 eight-cylinder, too, a legendary Mercedes V8 that would go on in 5.4-litre form to power the supercharged ‘55 models.

The C43 was launched in 1997, the same year as the engine, with its own unique tune: where a standard M113 in 430-badged models was 279hp and 295lb ft strong, the AMG C-Class boasted 306hp and 302lb ft. Even with a standard auto that was far from the slickest, the big V8 meant 0-62mph in six-and-a-bit seconds and 155mph.

Any C43 is a bit of a find these days, given their age and the W202’s propensity to rust. Once upon a time these were almost bargain basement AMGs, and some must have fallen by the wayside as a result. That was never likely to happen with this example, however, as it was owned by the same gent from first registration on August 4th 1998 until this year. The second owner was his wife, so a true one-family-from-new car. Looks like it, too, every fixture, fitting and bit of fabric almost factory quality. But it’s been enjoyed as well, notching up just over 70,000 miles in almost 30 years. So anyone keen to experience the charm of a V8 C-Class would be in the perfect position to do so. Yes, you’d have to pay C63 money for the privilege, but as AMG Q car heroes go, it’s hard to think of much better than an original C43.

SPECIFICATION | MERCEDES C43 AMG

Engine: 4,266cc, V8
Transmission: 5-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 306@5,850rpm
Torque (lb ft): 303@3,250rpm
MPG: 24
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1998
Recorded mileage: 72,000
Price new: £49,070
Yours for: £17,995

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nismo48

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