Goodwood Revival: Collectors' Motor Cars and Automobilia - 19 September 2026, 13:00 BST

Chassis no. RS00-001
Estimate: £220,000 - £280,000

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• Factory test and development car
• Never raced in period (only one race since)
• Maintained by Sporting & Historic Car Engineers in the UK
• Recent workshop refresh and airfield shake-down
• Previous Goodwood Festival of Speed invitee

The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) series was re-established in 2000 after a multi year hiatus. This evolution aimed at racing simpler, less expensive cars with silhouette bodywork based on production models, with tube-frame chassis and 4.0-litre normally aspirated engines producing around 450bhp and driving the rear wheels only.

Mercedes-Benz with their eight-strong line-up of newly developed CLK DTM cars fended off challenges from Opel and Audi to dominate the 2000 season with Bernd Schneider securing his second DTM title following his 1995 championship win. There were 16 races that season - half of them won by CLKs - leaving the remainder to Opel's Astra V8. Schneider claimed six of those victories and finished on the podium 13 times overall, giving him a comfortable lead over second-place Manuel Reuter for the championship.

This particular car, Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM '001' was the test and development car of the HWA team, which was running the factory's DTM effort at the time. This car was used for the 2000 DTM season, and although it never raced, it is understood that most of AMG's factory drivers spent time in it, including Klaus Ludwig, Tomas Jäger, Marcel Fässler and, of course, multiple Mercedes-Benz DTM Champion Bernd Schneider.

Having laid the foundations for AMG's DTM title hat-trick, CLK DTM '001' was sold by HWA to Brazilian billionaire businessman, racer and car collector Alcider Diniz, the uncle of 1990s Formula One 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 complete 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, CLK DTM '001' was sold to a European collector who has since enjoyed using it on track days.

In recent years the car has been maintained by Sporting & Historic Car Engineers in the UK and has most recently been the subject of a workshop refresh and an airfield shake-down. Immaculately presented in the iconic D2 sponsor's livery, 'RS00-001' is a stunning time warp to a golden age of DTM.

The fortunate new owner could choose to use the car as a track day weapon, as the current owner has done; in addition, it would also be very welcome at demonstration events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed or the Supercar Driver Secret Meet, both of which the car has received invites to in the past. The car also comes with various spares and a spare set of wheels.

Text & Image: Bonhams