Reggie’s 1999 Mercedes C43 AMG
Hey Reggie, thanks for being with us! Could you start by introducing yourself?
My name is Reggie Spruill, and I do Architecture for a living. I drive a black 1999 Mercedes C43 AMG.
What made you decide to get this specific car? What makes it special to you, and what do you love most about it?
To be perfectly honest, I got this car because, as much as I love cars, this is the one I knew very little about. I stumbled upon it on Facebook Marketplace. The fact that it's kind of overlooked compared to its competitors (like the E36 M3) made it even more appealing. After I test drove it, I didn’t want anyone else to have it.
What makes the car special to me is that I don’t see many of them on the road, so it feels unique—a reflection of how I want to be remembered…rare. What I love the most so far is the sound of the V8 on open roads. There's truly nothing like it—it’s like a healthy exhale after a long workday.
Have you made any unique modifications to your car? What are some of the standout features or future modifications?
So far, I've only focused on urgent maintenance items. I want to get everything fully sorted before diving into the fun stuff. As for future modifications, I plan to keep it mostly original because I love how it looks. I’d like to update the headliner and steering wheel with suede Alcantara and tint the windows with that light blue AMG production tint you see on the old CLK 55 and E55 models. Beyond that, I’m thinking about some suspension work to add a bit of bounce and maybe upgrading the exhaust—I need a little more sound.
Photos: Ohad Kab
What else is on your bucket list?
How much time you got? lol. To name a few: an R107 or R129 Benz Coupe, an ‘08 Z4M coupe (hardtop), 1972 BMW 3.0 CSi, 1990-92 Lotus Omega (wild card lol), 1987 Buick Grand National, 1995 Ferrari F355. I’ll stop there.
What’s your go-to playlist these days when you’re behind the wheel?
I have a late 90s, early 00s R&B playlist that is in heavy rotation. I like the idea of playing period correct music in the car.
Do you have a favorite mechanic or shop you’d recommend for Mercedes owners?
My mechanic, David, works out of his shop called MATS Automotive Center. He ironically learned how to wrench on Mercedes back home in Ghana so he knows his way around everything, and he’ll show you what and how he did everything.
Where can we catch you and your Mercedes next? Any upcoming events or favorite spots?
I’ll be at Cars & Coffee at Brooklyn Speed on August 10th. As far as any upcoming events, I pretty much find out the week of, but I really want to go on a nice group drive with my friends sometime in the early fall.
