It was June 1, 1967 when Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher set themselves up as "engineering, construction and testing specialists in the development of racing engines." Taking the first letter from each surname provides the A and the M, but G? That came from Aufrecht's birthplace, Grossaspach. A rather prosaic explanation, but let's be thankful neither of them were born in York. The AMY CL65 really doesn't look right, does it?
Herr Aufrecht und Herr Melcher got busy working on Mercedes-Benz 300 SE-based machines running in European touring car races, seeing their first big result in 1971 at the 24 Hours of Spa, the legendary Belgian circuit. A 428-hp 300 SEL 6.8 AMG took second overall and a class win. This was just the first of many successes, including five DTM (German Touring Car) championships, FIA GT winning constructors (winning all 11 races in 1998), and one International Touring Car title.
Racing know-how soon trickled into production cars and AMG started meeting customers' requests for more power and individuality in their street machines, especially Benzes. The company became the first tuner of M-B cars, matching the factory's high construction standards.
America started taking notice in 1986, with the 300 E 5.6 AMG, nicknamed 'The Hammer.' It was the first sports sedan to exceed 300 kph (186 mph). And the US now takes 45 percent of the company's output.
A key moment in AMG's history came in 1990, with a cooperation agreement with Daimler-Benz AG. It meant that AMG products could be sold and maintained through Mercedes' worldwide dealer network. In 1993, the company unveiled the Mercedes-Benz C36 AMG, the first jointly developed vehicle to result from this agreement. That same year, the German Patent Office recognized AMG as a trademark.
Aufrecht transferred a majority stake to DaimlerChrysler AG on January 1, 1999. On January 1, 2005 DaimlerChrysler acquired 100 percent of the shares. Now, sharing test facilities with M-B at Stuttgart and the Nrburgring, AMG employs 750 staff and has 18 models in its line-up.