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.
