Shared by @grunty_diecast (Instagram)
This is a '71 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8, better known as the Rote Sau (lit. "red pig"). This was a converted version of the 300 SEL 6.3, converted from a damaged car by AMG Motorenbau und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, a small tuning shop founded by Hans Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher. The platform was actually not intended for motor racing, but Aufrecht and Melcher made it so; the cars featured enlarged 6.8L V8s yielding 422 BHP. The cars were successful, yielding a 2nd place finish at the 1971 24 Hours of Spa; however their careers didn't last long due to the lack of suitable tires and ever-changing regulations. One car was later sold to French industrial conglomerate Matra, who used it to test aircraft landing gear. Five were produced, with all either on display or sold to private owners.
Now this casting was designed by Mark Jones and introduced in the Deutschland Design series of the Car Culture line. This is currently the casting's only release. The yellow stamp on the side features tributes to various Mattel staff members: Mark Jones (designer), Steve Vandervate (graphics designer), Jimmy Liu (marketing manager) and Julian Koiles (packaging designer). The real car however features "H.E. SIEGER BRIEFMARKEN LORCH/Württ" on the sides of that stamp decal; this refers to a postal company in Germany. Other decals are also missing on the car compared to its real counterpart but other than that it is a faithful replica.
