09 Apr 09
AMG
AMG was founded back in 1967 by two like-minded individuals with one sole purpose: to go racing and win. To achieve this both Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher (the G came from Aufrecht's birthplace) chose Mercedes as a base because of their reputation for tough, well-built cars that adamantly, they thought, needed just a decent racing engine to win.
Four years later they proved the racing world they were right, coming first in class at the 24hr Spa-Francorchamps with the 6.8-litre V8 AMG had 300SEL. It was the start of an AMG success story.
Best car: Mercedes CLK 63AMG Black Series
A road-going version of the 2007 Formula 1 pace car that looked and drove so sensationally that it felt fine value even at £100,000. Came standard with a muscle-car soundtrack, too.
What were they thinking: Mercedes SLK 55AMG Black Series
Cute boulevard cruiser meets circuit racer - it was never going to work, was it? To gain the necessary stiffness the cutesy SLK lost its retractable hard top and as a result it rode like bag of rocks. Hated by enthusiasts, too hardcore for hairdressers.
