
May 18 2023
If you are a fan of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, aware of important factors like the Mercedes-Benz GLC price, then it is highly likely that you might have heard about ‘AMG’. If you don’t know already, AMG is an aftermarket tuning company that specializes in producing performance versions of the Mercedes-Benz vehicles. It is owned completely by Mercedes-Benz, but that wasn’t always the case as it started as an independent company that made a big impact in the automotive world.
Here are some interesting facts about AMG that you may or may not know:
1. It Is Named After Its Founders
Ever wondered what the letters AMG stand for? These letters represent the names of the founders. The two men named Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher were the founders of the company. The letters ‘A’ and ‘M’ represent the surnames of both the founders, while ‘G’ was taken from Großaspach, which was the hometown of Aufrecht.
2. It Started In a Garage
Just like many success stories of some of the biggest corporation of the world, AMG also started in a small garage in 1967. Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher were both German engineers who left their jobs at Mercedes-Benz to start their own company. Despite resigning from the company, their love for Mercedes-Benz vehicles never vanished, so they decided to modify their cars to convert them into racecars.
3. The 300 SEL AMG
The car that put AMG on the map was the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3. The 300 SEL was a full size sedan by Mercedes-Benz with a massive 6.3 L V8 engine. The car produced 250 HP and had a top speed of 137 mph, which was fairly decent for a luxury sedan at the time. AMG took this giant car and converted it into a racecar. They shaved off almost 430 pounds off the car and converted the engine displacement from 6.3 to 6.8 L. After the modification, the car was able to produce 428 HP, and the top speed was also raised to 165 mph. The race version of the 300 SEL went onto win many races, which was a huge leap for AMG in the automotive world.
4. SLS AMG had Bombs
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG was introduced in 2010 as the top dog of the brand’s sports cars division. Just like the 300 SL, it featured the glorious gullwing doors. An interesting fact about this car was that it had little explosives installed in the hinges of its doors for emergency situations. For example, if the car gets rolled over, these explosives will unhinge the doors so that the passenger and driver can escape easily.
5. One Man, One Engine
All of the engines built at the AMG factory are handcrafted, and they have a policy which says that only one man should work on the entire engine. Hence, these engines have a signature plate on them that bears the name of the person that built it.