Mercedes-Benz R63 – with looks only its mother would love
Every Monday we’re serving you up a delicious slice of pure postulation. That’s right, once a week we’re using our expertise and passion for the subject to predict what motors are destined for classic car stardom. This week, Parkers finance editor and former Classic Car Weekly news editor, Murray Scullion is celebrating the Mercedes-Benz R-Class.
A seven-seat MPV may well be a brave choice as our entry for ‘what’s gonna become a classic’ for this week. But there’s method here. The R-Class was a sales flop, it’s awkward to look at, and it could be specced with a 510hp V8. It has future classic written all over it.
Mercedes-Benz R-Class: History
Designed with the US market in mind, the R-Class hit the showrooms in 2005. It was aimed squarely at ‘empty nesters’ who wanted a car with space and flexibility. It’s a niche-filling exercise up there with vegan, gluten-free, low sodium, low GI wholewheat rye bread. In the press bumf that came with the R-Class launch Mercedes tempted fate by describing the car as ‘a wholly new motoring experience’.
Normally describing something like that would open Mercedes for ridicule. And don’t get us wrong, it’s a ridiculous thing to say about a car. But Mercedes wasn’t entirely wrong. That’s because the R-Class is a rear, or four-wheel drive MPV (or is it an estate?) available with five, six, or seven-seats. Plus the R63 AMG version had a 6.2-litre 510hp V8 shoehorned in up front, propelling it to a 0-62mph time of 4.6seconds. It is a new experience in a way. If you were an empty nester in America who for some reason or another wanted a huge car, but you absolutely hated the thought of money and wanted to spend it all on fuel, then finally, you were catered for.
Amazingly, the R-Class was on sale for six years here in the UK. In America, where sales were much stronger, it only survived for the same amount of time. Interestingly, it’s still for sale in 2020 in China. Put that down to the long wheelbase version. Having loads of legroom means you probably have a driver, and in China, having someone to ferry you around really makes you're a somebody.
Mercedes-Benz R-Class: Rarity
The R-Class was a bit of a sales flop. People didn’t trample one another to go out and buy a £50,000 estate/MPV/maybe-a-shooting-brake-at-a-push.
Only around 45,000 R-Classes found homes in Europe, and we suspect not many of those found their ways to UK shores. It doesn’t mean it’s impossible not to find one though. Just don’t expect to be swamped with AMG versions on your classified searches. The version you’ll most likely see is the five-seater with the 320CDI V6 diesel.
Mercedes-Benz R-Class: Why should you care?
Beyond being simply something a bit left-field the R-Class manages to be something that’s completely arse about face. The biggest trend of the last decade or so has been the crossover - a hatchback attempting to make itself look like a 4x4. Whereas the R-Class is based on the ML-Class SUV.
So it took something popular, the SUV, and threw something ungainly and unpopular in the shape of an MPV body on it. With the benefit of hindsight this is complete madness. But, that’s also what makes the R-Class such a compellingly good luxury-lined bargain future classic. Prices range between £1500 and £15,000 at the moment depending on year and spec. Older pre-facelifted cars are cheaper and uglier/more characterful.
Mercedes-Benz R-Class: The CCfS classic car prediction
The Mercedes R-Class is just weird and wonderful enough to be considered a future classic. After all, the Renault Espace and Matra-engineered Avantime MPV are both nailed on classic cars now, so there is room in the classic car world for practical boxy offerings.
We reckon those ultra-rare and silly AMG versions will be welcomed into the scene within 10 years. More workaday diesel offerings will take longer. Much longer.
