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Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 Is Up for Grabs (Again)

Back when AMG was entirely independent, the peeps in Affalterbach built a 300 SEL 6.3-based racing car that’s lovingly nicknamed the Red Pig. Despite its considerable weight, the V8-powered luxobarge finished three laps down on the winning Ford Capri 2600 RS, crossing the checkered line second overall and first in its class at the 1971 Spa 24 Hours.
Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 43 photos
Photo: San Francisco Sports Cars via Bring a Trailer
Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3Steve McQueen's 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3
The 300 SEL 6.3-based racecar brought AMG worldwide recognition, but even in fully-stock form, this fellow is very impressive. Powered by the M100 free-breathing V8 engine from the 600 Grosser, the four-door muscle sedan is a high-maintenance collectible that also happens to be extremely desirable. Just over 6,500 units were produced from 1968 through 1972, and none other than Steve McQueen used to drive one: chassis number 10901812006395.

We’ve previously covered this car in June 2021 when San Francisco Sports Cars listed it for $299,995 on their website. The King of Cool’s ride is up for grabs once again thanks to Bring a Trailer, which lists the black-finished blast from the past with a high bid of $45,000 and ten days of bidding left.

Titled to Solar Productions in Hollywood in 1972 and retained by McQueen until his passing in 1980, the car was extensively refurbished between 2012 and 2013. Receipts exceed 125,000 euros, which is more like 140,000 euros if we adjust for inflation. That bundle of cash converts to a little more than 150,000 freedom eagles at current exchange rates, which is understandable given how many things were replaced and reconditioned over two years.

Owned since 2015 by San Francisco Sports Cars, this amazing 300 SEL 6.3 racked up approximately 1,000 miles in these past seven years. The odometer currently shows just under 81,000 miles (130,357 kilometers) although true mileage remains a mystery due to understandably bad record keeping.

Pictured on 14-inch Bundts wrapped in Vredestein rubber boots, the sleeper luxury sedan shows minor signs of age on the inside. But patina makes the upholstery and trim all that more interesting. The sale includes registration slips issued to Steve McQueen’s film company, a binder of receipts from the aforementioned 2012 to 2013 refurbishment, and a clean title.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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