When you’re talking about supercars the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is sure to be mentioned at some point, but what exactly does AMG stand for? Here’s a look behind the three little letters.
If your car has an AMG badge pinned to it then you know you’re sitting in one fine driving machine. While the three little letters might not do much on their own – apart from look nice – it’s what they stand for that makes them special.
All the top car manufacturers have their best cars tuned by tuning companies or by their own in-house tuning divisions. Mercedes-Benz has it’s own tuning division called Mercedes-AMG GmbH, but it’s more commonly known simply as AMG. You could say that AMG is the sting in a Mercedes’ tail.
The company actually started out in Germany way back in 1967 under the name AMG Engine Production and Development Ltd. It was started up by two ex-Mercedes-Benz mechanics, Hans Werner Aufrecht (A) and Erhard Melcher (M) who thought they knew a thing or two about motors. Aufrecht’s birthplace of Grossaspach (G) would eventually supply the third letter of the company’s name.
Once the company was up and running, Aufrecht and Melcher began designing and testing racing engines for the Mercedes 300 SEL 6.3. Successes at major racing events with the 300 SEL meant that everyone wanted a piece of AMG.
300 SEL 6.9 AMG
In the 1970s the company would expand out into building customised Mercedes-Benz cars. So basically, they became the Xzibit and West Coast Customs of their day. Now, you have to remember that AMG specialised in Mercedes-Benz cars, but it still wasn’t officially affiliated with German automaker.
The company continued to get recognised and it built up a good reputation by developing impressive technology for Mercedes cars with first-class quality and craftsmanship, all the while still being involved in the racing side of things.
Soon enough, AMG would be known as the place to go if you wanted your Mercedes tuned. In 1985 AMG opened its second factory and hired its 100th employee. They were attracting customers from all over the world, including building one-of-a-kind vehicles for international clients.
The single biggest turning point for AMG had to be in 1990 when the company signed a co-operation agreement with Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes’ parent company), meaning AMG products could be sold at Mercedes-Benz dealers in overseas markets. This opened up AMG to a whole new market of people who would have once been sceptical of using ‘unofficial’ parts on their cars. In 1990 the company would expand to 400 employees and open its third factory.
On January 1, 1999, Hans Werner Aufrecht (one of the founding fathers) sold a majority shareholding in AMG, and the company was incorporated into Daimler-Benz AG, which at the time was called DaimlerChrysler AG and AMG was renamed to Mercedes-AMG GmbH. In 2005 Aufrecht sold his remaining share of AMG to Daimler-Benz, meaning the company was now wholly owned by Mercedes.
Mercedes SLS AMG
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG was the first Mercedes car to have been designed and built solely by the AMG tuning house. It’s a stunning car in both its looks and its performance and it has even been called the spiritual successor to the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. The SLS AMG captures the edgy sporty feel that you associate with all supercars while still holding the classy and sophisticated looks of the Mercedes-Benz.
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