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Mercedes-Benz built plenty of fast wagons, but very few of them are as quietly strange as this one. A 1995 Mercedes-Benz E36 AMG Touring is bidding at $15,000 on Hagerty Marketplace, and the listing describes it as one of a reported 30 1995-model-year examples. The auction is set to end Tuesday, October 20, at 2:05 PM EDT.
An AMG Wagon Built for Japan
The car started life as an S124 wagon, the practical, boxy-and-beautiful estate that most people remember for hauling dogs and luggage. This one was delivered new to Japan, where it was sent to AMG for the full treatment: the aerodynamic body kit, 17-inch multi-piece Aero I Sport wheels, and a speedometer that reads up to 280 km/h. Those are the pieces you can see from the curb.
The real story is under the hood. Instead of the stock inline-six, this wagon carries AMG's enlarged 3.6-liter M104, identified by the “3.6” intake plenum and an AMG-stamped block. Other write-ups of E36 AMG models of this era have quoted roughly 272 horsepower, which would have made a wagon like this a genuine match for the sport sedans of its day. Power goes to the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic, with an Automatic Slip Differential helping put it down.
Why It Gets Overlooked
Part of the problem is the name. The E36 AMG badge sounds like it should be a BMW, and the car lives in the shadow of AMG's more famous “Hammer” and of the Porsche-assisted 500E. It also wasn't an official North American import, so most American enthusiasts have never seen one in person. A similar 1993 E36 AMG Touring sold at RM Sotheby’s London for £25,300, which was roughly $32,000 at the time, so this one is sitting well under that mark with days left to run.
If you like the idea of a wagon that surprises people, we’ve seen the appeal before in the forgotten 345-horsepower Volvo V60 Polestar and Chrysler’s AMG-built Crossfire SRT-6. This Touring belongs in the same company, with a much more serious pedigree.
What to Know Before You Bid
The wagon went from Japan to Germany and then arrived in the United States in 2020. The listing notes mechanical work in 2020 and 2021, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Florida title in the owner’s name. The odometer shows 12,700 kilometers, or about 7,900 miles, but it is marked as true mileage unknown, so treat that figure with care. The seller is The Patina Collective in Tamarac, Florida, with a Broad Arrow specialist acting as agent.
There is one more wrinkle. The listing says this car was previously offered through Broad Arrow Auctions, but the buyer failed to close, which is why it is back in front of bidders. Condition details sit in the 87-photo gallery, so look closely before you commit. The same seller also has a 1993 Mercedes-Benz 500E AMG 6.0 ending the same afternoon, which makes for an unusually Mercedes-heavy Tuesday.
For anyone who has wanted a fast, understated wagon with real AMG DNA, the next few days are the time to watch. We recently covered another understated German sports sedan, this jet black 1988 BMW M5, and this wagon is the more unusual of the two. You can see the full listing and place a bid on Hagerty Marketplace.
