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Take a lap through the complete illustrated history of the powerful Mercedes-AMG, from the Red Pig racer to today’s 1063-plus horsepower Mercedes-AMG ONE.For decades Mercedes-Benz was known primarily as a builder of luxury sedans, grand touring coupes, and handsome roadsters. But racers like its 1950s Silver Arrows and the stunning 300SL were reminders that performance lurked in its DNA, never far below the surface. Wanting to set that performance free, two former Mercedes-Benz engineers, Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, teamed up in 1967 to focus on building M-B-based racing machines.
Mercedes-AMG recounts the unlikely, amazing story of how they remade a stodgy Benz sedan into the all-conquering Red Pig racer and thus launched one of Germany’s greatest high-performance car companies: AMG.
Considerable success in endurance and touring-class competition led AMG to a second business modifying production Mercedes-Benzes for enthusiast customers. By the 1980s, AMG was designing and building high-performance engine assemblies allowing them to modify M-B engines to previously unknown levels of performance. Thus were born legendary cars like the AMG Hammer.
Mercedes was well aware of AMG’s success, and in 1990 a formal arrangement was made between the two companies leading to jointly developed performance cars sold and serviced through M-B dealerships. In 2005, M-B purchased AMG outright, leading to the creation of Mercedes-AMG, the high-performance arm of the company.
Mercedes-AMG covers the full history of these German powerhouse cars, including:
- Early racing exploits in the 1960s
- The iconic Hammer and Black Series cars
- Today’s exclusive, high-performance Mercedes-AMG models ranging from the 420hp A45 hatchback to the 680hp C63 station wagon to the outrageous 1063hp Mercedes-AMG ONE
- Prototypes, racing, and special models
This beautifully illustrated volume belongs on every Mercedes enthusiast’s shelf.
List of contents
Foreword by Sam Posey
Introduction
This Pig Can Fly
Meeting of the Minds
AMG is Born
One Man, One Engine
From Burgstall to Affalterbach
From Road Back to Track
The Hammer Drops
Official Business
The Black Series
Partners in Performance
Dawn of a New Era: The Mercedes-AMG SLS
Mercedes-AMG GT: Foundation for the Future
Going Beyond the End of the Road
The AMG ONE Story
AMG Today and Tomorrow
About the author
Matt DeLorenzo is a longtime automotive writer. He has been editor of Autoweek, a staffer at Automotive News, and both Detroit editor and editor-in-chief at Road & Track magazine. Matt is an original member of the organizing committee for the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards. In addition to his extensive magazine writing, he has published a number of books, including Legendary American Cars, Modern Chrysler Concept Cars (winner of the 2000 Best of Books Award from the International Automotive Media Association), and Mustang 2005. Matt resides in Lake Forest, California.
Summary
Mercedes-AMG covers the full history of these German powerhouse cars, from the early racing exploits of the 1960s to the iconic Hammer and Black Series cars to today’s high-performance Mercedes-AMG models.
