Mercedes-AMG Celebrates 50 Years of Performance Cars with Touching Video

AMG dared to touch the seeming untouchable Mercedes-Benz cars, and that was how the 300 SEL AMG model came about. The 428 hp sedan placed second overall at the 24-hour race on Spa Francorchamps in 1971, and that was enough for the whole world to hear about these three letters - AMG - for the first time.

Since then, the Affalterbach company has had more milestones than one can count, both in motorsport and for road-going performance cars. It is the most decorated team in the history of DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft), with 177 racing victories, ten Drivers', 13 Team, and six Constructors' titles.

The collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and AMG as we now know it started in 1990, with the first vehicle being the 1993 C 63 AMG which sold 5,000 units over four years. It may not sound like much, but it was a success.

It was enough for Mercedes-Benz to acquire 51 percent of AMG stock in 1999, essentially tying the Affalterbach specialist to the mother company for good. Six years later, Daimler bought the remaining 49 percent, completing the merger and making sure Mercedes-Benz fans would always have a true sporty version of their favorite model to choose.

2009 Marked the moment the first all-AMG car was launched. We can all remember the stunning Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG with its gullwing doors, infinite hood, and aristocratic stance. The feat was followed in 2014 when its successor, the Mercedes-AMG GT was introduced, taking the number of sports cars developed entirely in-house at Affalterbach to two.

Meanwhile, the AMG motorsport story continued as well, with the V8-powered CLK-GTR winning all eleven races of the inaugural season of the FIA-GT series in 1998. While continuing to dominate the DTM, AMG branched out into Formula One as well, and we all know how that went. Three Driver's and Constructors' titles double in 2014, 2015, and 2016.

And the most incredible part is that it all started with the vision of two men, a shed, a lot of talent, a lot of determination, and even more work. Still, there aren't that many people still alive who can look back at their lives and see what Hans-Werner Aufrecht sees.