Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/164130
36 www.bigrigowner.com September 2013 By Pat French The Supercar Chronicles > Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher were just a couple of Mercedes engineers who were working on the 300 SE race engine program in the Daimler-Benz Development department, until the company discontinued all motorsports activities. Their passion for motorsports remained and they continued developing the engine in their spare time. They served notice of their engineering prowess in 1965, as the 300 SE powered by an AMG engine, driven by Manfred Schiek won 10 races on the German Touring Car Championship. With their stock on the rise, they formed AMG in 1967 and saw their reputation grow in modest increments. In 1971, their 6.8L engine powered the 300 SEL "Red Pig" to a class win and 2nd overall at the 24 Hours of Spa and immediately, AMG was of- supercars 0913.indd 1 ficially a force to be reckoned with. They expanded their business to build custom road cars based on Mercedes models by offering engine performance packages, alloy wheels and styling products. In 2005, AMG became a wholly owned subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz and became the official in-house tuner for the upscale marque. Unveiled in 2009 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the SLS represents the first car fully designed by AMG, and was designed as the flagship successor to the Mercedes-Benz SLS McLaren and the spiritual successor to the iconic Mercedes 300SL Gullwing of the 50's. As with any modern day supercar manufacturer, there are serious profits to be gained in offering additional, limited edition versions of the base vehicle. AMG is no different and the focus of this article will be on the SLS Coupe Black Series that will be available for sale in the Summer of 2013. The "Black Series" models were derived 8/7/13 11:55 AM