2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet

The Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet is an unusually focused open road car from AMG’s mid-2000s period. It carries the road-going CLK DTM identity into a soft-top body while retaining its own 80-car series reference. The original coupé’s production number cannot simply be reused for the Cabriolet.

History and verified programme identity

RM Sotheby’s chassis-specific programme account identifies the Cabriolet as a 2006 model and gives 80 examples. This profile corrects the inventory’s earlier 2005 reference while preserving that original value in its source metadata. The closed road-car series and the subsequent open version should be described separately. Their relationship explains the familiar wide body and competition association without turning either car into an actual DTM racing chassis.

Engineering and design

The published Cabriolet account describes the supercharged AMG V8 context and its very substantial performance brief. The open body makes roof arrangement and passenger-compartment design central to the comparison with the coupé. A fabric roof, a tall fixed rear wing and wide arches present a very different design balance from a conventional luxury convertible. The engineering story is therefore about the whole factory programme, rather than a generic horsepower claim copied from another AMG model. This specification belongs to the documented programme. It should be compared using the original measurement convention and the relevant configuration. A larger number copied from a different engine, market or racing derivative would describe a different car. Likewise, an engine change during restoration does not add another vehicle to the original production run. The distinction matters particularly when a model name appears in both road and competition histories: shared styling or ancestry can coexist with substantially different structures and equipment.

The physical car in the supplied photograph

Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet at the Classic-Gala 2025 in Schwetzingen, shown from the rear three-quarter angle with its fabric roof raised.

What makes this version distinct

The photographed car is a CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet with its fabric roof raised, seen at the 2025 Classic-Gala in Schwetzingen. Its event date does not change the original model reference. The coupe-style rear wing remains visible, but it does not make this a coupé. Original body configuration and factory records should determine identification, especially when a caption is copied between websites.

Collecting and chassis evidence

Keep roof-system work, distinctive body-panel repairs and original edition documentation together. A Cabriolet’s present roof position can hide its body identity in a distant photograph, so record clear side and cabin views as well as the permanent chassis reference. Later cosmetic changes should remain dated. Start with the permanent chassis identity and a dated factory specification, then organise invoices, registration documents and photographs into a chronology. A recent photograph describes present appearance; the original delivery record establishes how the vehicle left its manufacturer. Record replacements and reversible changes without erasing their dates. For a limited edition, retain the allocation paperwork and edition plate together, since a badge alone cannot establish membership. Photographs of body seams, interior fittings and mechanical markings help a specialist understand changes across time. Where a vehicle has been repainted or restored, keep the earlier material alongside the finished appearance. A clearly documented change is more informative than an unsupported claim that every component has remained untouched.

Related Mercedes-Benz designs and meaningful comparisons

The CLK DTM AMG Coupé is the natural first comparison. The SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S offers a different limited open performance programme, with a two-seat carbon-intensive sports-car layout. Both deserve their exact original names and counts rather than being grouped as interchangeable AMG convertibles.

Reading the sources

The programme sources and the photograph answer different questions. Manufacturer and custodial records establish the original model, Type, category and published production scope. The creator’s file establishes the pictured subject, setting and image permission. An individual chassis history can then add ownership, competition entries and dated repairs without changing the scope of the original programme. Build references are not survivor counts, and a later specification does not automatically become an additional newly manufactured vehicle. Where primary evidence does not establish a complete fabrication census, that field remains unassigned.

Specifications and rarity evidence

Frequently asked questions

How rare is the CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet?

The cited chassis-specific auctioneer record describes an 80-car CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet series. It is separate from the 100 original coupés and is not an additional race-car allocation. The profile uses 2006, correcting the workbook’s 2005 programme year.

How is CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet classified?

This is a named original Mercedes-Benz road-car programme or factory body configuration within a qualifying low-volume family. The source-defined reference is below 7,500. Completed manufacture, shared allocation ceilings and current survivor counts remain separately labelled.

Which technical details are established for the programme?

The primary record supports body: Factory CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet; fabric roof; engine context: Supercharged AMG V8; series reference: 80 Cabriolets, cited auctioneer programme account. These are programme or explicitly attributed photo references. A particular surviving car’s engine, chassis repairs and competition preparation require its own dated documentation.

Does the photographed appearance establish factory originality?

The caption records a real creator-identified CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet subject and its documented setting. It establishes the illustration’s scope, while original components, restoration work and individual race provenance require chassis-specific evidence. A competition number, current paint or museum display is not used as an originality certificate.

What rarity or archive scope is verified?

The cited chassis-specific auctioneer record describes an 80-car CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet series. It is separate from the 100 original coupés and is not an additional race-car allocation. The profile uses 2006, correcting the workbook’s 2005 programme year.

Who photographed the supplied image?

Alexander Migl via Wikimedia Commons, under CC BY-SA 4.0. The original file and licence are linked with the image. Retain the creator, source and licence when uploading, exporting or reusing it; local retouching and synthetic enlargement have not been performed.

Related Mercedes-Benz profiles

• 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG Coupé
• 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S

Sources and photo credits

• Custodial or chassis-specific programme evidence
• Mercedes-Benz manufacturer record

Photograph: Alexander Migl via Wikimedia Commons original source, CC BY-SA 4.0. Original image or source-provided thumbnail supplied without local cropping, retouching or synthetic enlargement.