2000 Mercedes CLK DTM

Mercedes CLK DTM chassis RS00-001 was HWA’s test and development car for the 2000 DTM season, it was a key car for Mercedes as the DTM returned with a new silhouette formula. Though it never raced, most of AMG’s factory drivers spent time in it, including Bernd Schneider, Klaus Ludwig, Tomas Jäger and Marcel Fässler.

It was a highly successful season for Mercedes, with Schneider taking six wins to become Champion, and his D2 team winning the Team Championship with eight victories.

The car was then sold by HWA to Brazilian billionaire businessman, racer and car collector Alcides Diniz, the uncle of ‘90s F1 driver Pedro Diniz. Once in Brazil the CLK spent most of its time being driven at Diniz’s private Autódromo Capuava race track. However, it did do one race – the 2006 ‘Mil Milhas of Interlagos’ – where it was driven to 2nd place by Tony Kanaan, Raul Boesel and Pedro Lamy.

After Diniz passed away later that same year, RS00-001 was subsequently sold to a European collector who has since enjoyed using it on trackdays.

The car, registered in France, has a significant spares package and is ‘on the button’ having been maintained by Sporting & Historic Car Engineers in the UK and has most recently been the subject of a workshop refresh and airfield shakedown.