Mercedes has secretly modernized the original AMG Super Sedan

Mercedes bought a majority stake in AMG in 1999 before becoming a wholly owned subsidiary six years later. However, the company had been around since 1967, when Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher set up shop near Stuttgart.

The two engineers, who had worked on the racing engine of the 300 SE, left Mercedes to set up shop (deep breath): Aupright Meach GRoßaspach engineering office, construction and testing for racing engine development (Aupright Meach Großaspach engineering office for the design and testing of racing engines).

Like any great car story, AMG’s roots go back to racing. The first notable success came just four years later, when an AMG Mercedes 300 SEL 6.8 not only won its class at the 1971 Spa 24 Hours, but also finished second in the overall standings. More than half a century later, the super sedan nicknamed ‘Red Pig’ is back, albeit virtually. Mercedes’ former design supremo has unearthed a secret, modernized version of the V8-powered monster.

Gorden Wagener, who left the company at the end of last month after 29 years at Mercedes, has revealed his vision of a modern Red Pig in a series of images released on Instagram. As with recent models, he couldn’t resist adding three-pointed stars to the headlights. LED rings have replaced the race car’s auxiliary lighting, while the five-spoke wheels pay tribute to the original.

It’s worth noting that the actual Red Pig no longer exists. Built on a damaged W109 S-Class, the 422bhp race car with its huge 6.8-litre engine was later acquired by Matra, a long-defunct French industrial conglomerate, who used it to test aircraft landing gear.

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Source: Gorden Wagener/Instagram

That made sense, as the 300 SEL was the fastest German production car at the time and one of the fastest four-door cars in the world. As you can imagine, the car was destroyed during its second life as an aircraft tire test rig.

Mercedes eventually obtained the original blueprints and built a faithful replica in the mid-2000s. A few decades later, Gorden Wagener revived the spirit of the Red Pig for his Iconic Design book, which also includes previously unpublished images of his work.

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Taking Motor1s: It is no easy task to breathe new life into the car that laid the foundation for AMG, but Gorden Wagener dared to reinterpret such an iconic vehicle for the 21st time.^st century. Although a production version will never exist, AMG loyalists will appreciate this ‘what if’ exercise, imagining the Red Pig more than half a century after it made history at Spa-Francorchamps.

Wagener has undoubtedly made his mark on Mercedes design over the past twenty years and has earned the right to revisit one of AMG’s earliest icons. A return to that imposing grille is in the offing, as last year’s Vision Iconic concept previewed a new design language that pays tribute to the past.