5 of the Quirkiest AMG Cars Ever Produced

Today, AMG is responsible for building high-powered, road-legal Mercedes-Benz cars and handles the German manufacturer's motorsport programs.

However, until 1999, when Mercedes, or DaimlerChrysler AG, as the corporation was officially called back then, acquired 51 percent of its shares, AMG functioned as an independent tuner that mainly focused on beefing up existing Mercedes models.

Founded by ex-Mercedes engineers Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher in 1967, AMG started out small and became legendary in less than half a century.

While the vast majority of the cars that donned its badges became high-performance icons, some are best remembered for their quirkiness.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG "Red Pig"

In 1971, few people in Germany had ever heard about AMG, but its small staff aimed to change that by tuning a Mercedes-Benz and taking it racing.

The project centered on possibly the most un-sporty Mercedes of the era, the big and bulky 300 SEL 6.3 luxury sedan.

Working with a wrecked car they sourced for cheap, the AMG team fixed the bodywork, shed as much weight as possible, modified the suspension, and turned its stock 247-hp, 6.3-liter V8 into a 6.8-liter powerhouse capable of 422 hp.

Subsequently nicknamed "Red Pig", the massive AMG-tuned 300 SEL was entered in the 1971 edition of the 24 Hours of Spa endurance race.

While everyone thought the entry was a joke, the Red Pig stunned everyone by not only finishing the race but doing so first in its class and second overall.

The quirky sedan credited for putting AMG on the map was eventually destroyed, but Mercedes-AMG built an exact replica of the icon in 2006.

Mitsubishi Galant AMG

During its independent years, AMG mostly worked with Mercedes-Benz models. I say "mostly" because, during the second part of the 1980s, the Affalterbach-based tuners partnered up with Mitsubishi to create two quirky AMG-badged production models.

The first, called Debonair V3000 Royal AMG, came in 1986 but only featured minor exterior upgrades and AMG badges.

The second AMG Mitsu was introduced three years later, and this time, it received the full treatment.

Available in dark gray or black, the JDM-only Galant AMG featured beefier bumpers, a unique rear spoiler, bespoke 15-inch wheels, and an all-leather interior highlighted by sporty bucket seats.

Under the hood, it didn't get a V8, but its stock 2.0-liter DOHC four-cylinder received many performance-oriented upgrades that pushed output from 90 to 168 hp.

Though cool in more ways than one, this forgotten Galant remains a quirky AMG because it was a Mitsubishi.

Mercedes-Benz MB 100 D AMG

Whether you call it a minivan or an MPV, this type of vehicle is the last one you'd associate with AMG. Nevertheless, it's real, and it was produced in only two examples.

Based on the mass-produced MB 100 D, a diesel-powered commercial cab over van assembled in Spain, the AMG version received new bumpers, a two-tone finish, a completely-revamped interior, and, last but not least, a fair share of mechanical tuning.

The two MB 100 Ds that were "AMGized" were powered by different Mercedes engines. One left the factory with a 2.4-liter OM616 four-cylinder while the other received a 2.9-liter OM602 inline-five.

In both cases, AMG engineers swapped several stock engine parts and added a turbocharger, improving the two engines' output to 97 and 125 hp.

During the 1990s, one of these quirky AMGs saw service as an official team van for the AMG-Mercedes DTM racing team.

Mercedes-Benz 300SL AMG

Introduced in 1954, the 300 SL coupe is still the most iconic Mercedes-Benz vehicle ever created.

Inspired by the W194 race car, it was created at the insistence of prominent luxury sports car importer Max Hoffman, who convinced the German company that such a radical model would be a hit among affluent US buyers.

Hoffman was right, and the 300 SL Gullwing was a resounding success, but AMG was still a decade away from being established, so did an AMG verison really exist?

The answer is, of course, yes.

Between 1996 and 2009, AMG took eight Gullwings (and three convertibles) sent by insanely rich owners, like the Royal Family of Brunei, and restomodded them.

Each Gullwing received a modern 380-hp, 6.0-liter V8, like the one used in the SL60 AMG and the E60 AMG, as well as modern suspension components, braking systems, and fully modernized interiors.

While purists may cringe at the thought of not one but eight genuine Gullwings receiving this treatment, there's no doubt that the result is one of the quirkiest AMG cars of all time.

Mercedes-Benz C 30 CDI AMG

The W203 C-Class is best remembered for the facelifted, 362-hp, naturally-aspirated C 55 AMG. However, the generation also gave us the only diesel-powered AMG production car to date.

Launched in 2002 as a 2003 model, a year after the supercharged V6 C 32 AMG, this model was conceived to capitalize on the diesel craze that took over Europe during the 2000s.

Available as a four-door sedan, wagon, or two-door coupe, it shared the same exterior features as the C 32, but under the hood, it received an AMG-tuned 3.0-liter five-cylinder diesel rated at 228 hp and 398 lb-ft (540 Nm) of torque.

Due to its less-than-impressive performance figures and hefty price tag, the C 30 CDI AMG failed to impress in terms of sales, so Mercedes decided to discontinue it after the 2004 model year.

Though it was essentially a failure, the model remains one of the quirkiest AMG cars of all time because of its diesel engine.