History of AMG®
Aufrecht. Melcher. Großaspach.
Two men and passion. That’s all it took. A two-man operation based in a small German town would evolve into one of the most respected global automotive brands. More than four decades of superior craftsmanship have transpired since the company’s inception, and we, the consumer, are the fortunate beneficiaries.
AMG®. You know this company as being synonymous with Mercedes-Benz – a performance division that manufactures pristine engines by hand with a surreal promise: one man, one engine. Every AMG® is crafted by a single expert technician from start to finish, and he attaches his personalize nameplate to the top in a symbolic gesture of confidence in quality. This unique process began in 1965 with a 300 SE racing engine.
Han Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher designed and manufactured a 300 SE engine that won the German Touring Car Championship ten times. These two men became the staples of Daimler-Benz’s Development Department, and they built a tremendous reputation for their accomplished work. That is until the company discontinued motorsports development.
In 1966, the two men left Mercedes-Benz to create the “Aufrech Melcher Großaspach Ingenierbüro, Konstruktion und Versuch zur Entwicklung von Rennmotoren” – in other words, AMG®: to design and test developmental racing engines (paraphrasing, of course). Just five years later at the 24 Hours of Spa, the company would relish earning a championship for its race car’s class and earning a second place overall. That car was an AMG® Mercedes 300 SEL 6.8.
Why such buzz? This model was a robust luxury sedan that competed, and beat, nearly every single lighter race car.
And, thus, AMG® became a global phenomenon.
Throughout the decades, AMG® would create mechanical innovations and revamp entire engines so many times over that you’d exhaust yourself reading this blog. Let it suffice to say that the company prospered, and customer demand outpaced expansion – the best problem to have in business. In 1990, AMG® entered a cooperation agreement with Daimler-Benz AG. Today, AMG® is highly-customizable and still adheres to the principles that made it great: precision, accuracy, and quality.
For more in-depth information regarding the history of AMG®, we invite you to follow this Mercedes-Benz AMG® link for an interactive look at this automotive icon.
Driving a Mercedes-Benz AMG®
The AMG® distinguishes itself with a mere glance at the sharp exterior. Embellished styling across the frame coupled with appropriate badging and quad tailpipes are exclusive to this performance division. It’s strange to call a car sexy, but that’s exactly what the brand exudes. It also inspires envy in those unfortunate motorists trapped behind lethargic engines that can only muster a feeble hum upon acceleration.
No, the Mercedes-Benz AMG® is far more capable than that. Though it is quiet while idling, you can liken the subdued sound to a predator that silently stalks its prey. With hands on the wheel and the car shifted to “Drive,” you discover an enticingly resistant accelerator. It wants you to take up the challenge – test the limits.
Portions of the Cary “test track” – for lack of a better term – that Mercedes-Benz of Cary utilizes is home to meandering side streets that are ideal to develop a full appreciation of the car’s handling, as well as employ bits of its power coming out of the corners. The seat seemingly clutches onto you, keeping you in place as the car masters the road with balance and grace. Tap the accelerator for some audial gratification or punch it for a whiplashing good time. This coupling of power and sophistication is evidence of the genius behind German engineering.
The AMG® produces raw power. On this test-drive, we experienced what can only be described as G-force – for the first time in our lives. Our content writing team felt emboldened by weeks of climbing behind the wheel of supposed “sports” cars. From a stand-still in an empty parking lot, when our first member took the driver’s seat, he hammered the accelerator for just a brief second to feel the AMG®’s power. Every one of us, though braced for speed, felt our heads whisk backwards into the seat’s headrest. Speechless. Breathless. Awed. Humbled.
Our next portion of the test drive would get the AMG® out onto Route 1. Breaking traffic laws is not part of our protocol; therefore, we test the car’s limits in a safe and legal manner – while still having fun. In the AMG® model, our team thought it prudent to slowly merge onto the on-ramp, providing ample space to really enjoy the acceleration. Anxious drivers behind us honked and made charming hand gestures, and just as they were likely to lose the last thread of patience, we engaged those cylinders in a manner that produced a throaty, masculine roar that crackled as we decelerated after reaching the 70 MPH limit in two breaths. The AMG®’s acceleration is absolutely aspirating – appreciate the alliteration.
Behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz AMG®, you can quickly jet by vehicles moving at a seemingly glacial pace. Slow up to relish another thundering press on the accelerator and subsequent crackling. Other motorists must’ve questioned what caused such strange behavior, and they might unfortunately never know. Exiting Route 1 was just as enjoyable as merging onto it, for we took Exit 98B – a beast of a bend that beckons you to push it a bit. So we obliged it. Even at higher speeds, the vehicle hugs you tight as it tenaciously grips the corner while the AMG® engine unleashes its predatory growl that warns the road ahead: Here I come.
Upon returning to the dealership, you have to begrudgingly accept that the test drive is complete. That’s the only detriment of such experiences – our cars, for days, seem so incredibly hum-drum. With the keys given back to our AMG® expert Ryan Gury, we walked away from the car, peering over our right shoulder like you see in the movies when a man leaves his grief-stricken love behind.
The basic truth is this: The AMG® is not for the faint of heart, nor is it intended to be parked in a garage for its owner to one day boast how few miles he or she has acquired on it. An AMG® is meant to be driven. Driven hard. Driven fast. If you can fulfill that simple criteria, then you’ll find no better model of car than an AMG® to sate your appetite for automotive power.