The AMG Hammer must certainly be considered the car that launched this performance company onto the world stage. Before Mercedes took ownership of the independent tuning house, AMG had been working its magic on models from Stuttgart for decades. One such car was the famous Hammer. The example seen here recently exchanged hands for a record-breaking sum.

Follow Double Apex on Facebook and Instagram, where we share more car content.

Buy now and take advantage of free delivery in South Africa on orders over R349.

Top Dollar

The AMG Hammer was produced in a limited run of just 30 units, of which only five were reportedly coupes. Remember, this was before one could buy an AMG off the showroom floor. You had to buy/own a Mercedes, which was then handed over to the company for modification.

This particular car recently sold on The MB Market for a whopping $761 800. That’s just under R12,5m using today’s forex rate. The price was probably driven up by the car’s extremely low mileage, which currently sits under 32 000 km. Remember, this car is now 34 years old.

Read about the most expensive car ever sold in the world, also a Mercedes, by clicking here.

Earning its Name

The AMG Hammer got its name from the massive motor that it had. AMG took a stock 300CE and ditched the engine. In its place they placed a Mercedes-Benz 5,5-litre V8. The German speed meisters then bored out the engine to 6,0-litre. In addition, they also swapped out the two-valve heads for four-valve items.

Click here to learn about all the AMG Black Series models.

The internals were all balanced for sustained high-revving at autobahn speeds. The end result of all these modifications was a healthy 287 kW and 564 N.m of torque. Those outputs are more than double that of the original inline six. This was a seriously fast car for the day. Top speed of the Hammer was quoted as north of 305 km/h, which was faster than most exotics of the time. It could sprint from standstill to 100 km/h in five seconds flat.

Check out a ultra-rare Mercedes 500TE V8 wagon by clicking here.

Looking the Part

The AMG Hammer stood out thanks to a bespoke styling kit. AMG fitted a body kit of its own design. The kit included new front and rear bumpers, a rear ducktail spoiler, side skirts, and wider fenders. The suspension consists of AMG springs and dampers that control 17-inch AMG Monoblock wheels.

Learn more about the AMG Hammer in the video below.