"Red Pig": The legendary AMG returns virtually with a new look

AMG has existed since 1967, when Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher started their own business near Stuttgart at that time. The two engineers, who had previously worked on the 300 SE racing engine, left Mercedes-Benz and founded the AMG engineering office for the design and development of racing engines.

Like every great automotive story, AMG's roots are in motorsport. The first big success came only four years later - the AMG Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 not only won its class at the "24 Hours of Spa" race in 1971, but also finished second overall despite its weight.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG “Red Pig” Photo: Mercedes-Benz

More than half a century later, the super sedan, called the "Red Pig", is back, albeit only virtually. The former chief designer of Mercedes-Benz has revealed a modernized interpretation of the monster. Gorden Wagener, who left Mercedes-Benz at the end of last month after 29 years, demonstrated his vision of a modern "Red Pig" in a series of images on his Instagram profile.

A true believer in beauty, Gorden Wagener shaped the new brand identity with a multitude of production cars and prototypes.

To match the current models, he couldn't resist adding three-pointed stars to the headlights. The LED rings replace the auxiliary lights of the racing car, and the five-spoke wheels are a tribute to the original.

See Gorden Wagener's vision for a modern "Red Pig" >>  >>  >>

The real "Red Pig" no longer exists today. The racing car, built on the basis of a damaged W109 with its massive 6.8-liter engine and 428 hp, which developed a top speed of 265 km/h, was later taken over by Matra - a long-defunct French industrial group that used the car to test aircraft chassis.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG “Red Pig” Photo: Mercedes-Benz

The standard Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 was considered the fastest German production car at the time and one of the fastest four-door cars in the world. As expected, the car was eventually destroyed in its second life on a test site for aircraft tires.

Later, in 2005, Mercedes-Benz acquired the original drawings and built a replica of the original. About two decades later, Gorden Wagener revives the spirit of the "Red Pig" in his book "Iconic Design", which also includes previously unpublished images of his works. The book, priced at 75 euros, contains 540 hand-signed sketches by the designer.

Photo: Gorden Wagener/Instagram

The revival of the car that laid the foundations of AMG is not an easy task, but Gorden Wagener dared to rethink this iconic car for the 21st century. Even if there is never a production version, this thought experiment should appeal to AMG fans. It shows what the new "Red Pig" would look like more than half a century after its legendary appearance at the Spa-Francorchamps track.

Mercedes Red Pig concept Photo: Gorden Wagener/Instagram

Wagener has significantly shaped the design language of Mercedes-Benz over the past two decades, thus earning the right to return to one of AMG's earliest icons. The return to this distinctive grille is already on the horizon. Last year's Mercedes-Benz Vision Iconic concept already offered a glimpse of a new design language that consciously harks back to the past.

Mercedes-Benz returns to the golden age of automotive design

The Vision Iconic concept combines iconic details from the legendary models 540 K, 300 SL, W108, W111 and 600 Pullman

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