AMG began in 1967 when Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher left Mercedes Benz to focus purely on racing engine development. What started as a small independent engineering firm soon changed motorsport history. In 1971, the massive Mercedes 300 SEL 6.8 stunned the racing world at the Spa 24 Hours in Belgium. Despite being a large luxury sedan, it won its class and finished second overall, shocking competitors who underestimated its size and weight.

The car earned the nickname Red Pig because of its bold red paint, wide body, and dominant V8 presence compared to lighter race cars of the era. Under the hood, a 6.8 liter V8 engine produced 422 horsepower, making it the fastest German production based sedan of its time and the fastest four door vehicle in the world. That victory transformed AMG from a small racing workshop into a serious performance brand that would later become Mercedes Benz’s official partner in endurance racing.

For his farewell project, Gordon Wagener reimagined the Red Pig with a modern design language that respects its racing roots while embracing future Mercedes styling. The updated concept features front headlights that integrate the three pointed star directly into the lighting elements, surrounded by modern LED rings that replace the traditional rally style auxiliary lamps.

Wagener preserved the bold five spoke wheel design and maintained the commanding front grille inspired by the original W109 generation. He revealed the concept images in his book titled Design Iconic, presenting a vision of what a contemporary Red Pig could look like if built today. The design reflects cues also seen in the Vision Iconic concept, signaling Mercedes interest in blending heritage styling with futuristic detailing.

The story of the original car carries an unusual ending. After its racing career, the Red Pig was sold to the French aerospace company Matra, where engineers used it to test aircraft landing gear due to its extreme speed. The car was eventually destroyed during tire testing for aviation projects. Mercedes later rebuilt a faithful replica in the mid 2000s using original technical drawings to preserve the legacy.

Since Mercedes took full ownership of AMG in 2005, the spirit of the Red Pig has lived on in high performance sedans like the E63 and S63. Wagener’s tribute serves as a closing chapter to his career and a reminder that true performance heritage never disappears, it simply evolves with time.