15 Mercedes-Benz Cars Every Enthusiast Should Know About

Mercedes-Benz AMG Hammer

After the release of the 190E, Mercedes-Benz continued its new styling direction with the W124 300E. This larger sedan kept the signature boxy design but gave it a more spacious platform, powered by Mercedes' reliable inline-six engine. While the 300E was more than enough for the average professional, Mercedes figured some buyers might want a little more.

AMG, originally just two guys who loved making Mercedes-Benz cars faster, had grown into a specialist in performance parts and racing engines. Their success led Mercedes to team up with them, asking AMG to transform the 300E into a high-performance model that could be sold and supported through Mercedes dealerships. The result was the AMG Hammer, which, according to Road & Track, was a 300E fitted with a 6.0-liter quad-cam V8 engine producing over 375 horsepower. This allowed the car to hit 60 mph in 5.3 seconds---an impressive feat for the late '80s.

Along with the upgraded engine, the Hammer received some cosmetic tweaks and interior upgrades, including an AMG steering wheel and sportier seats with better corner support. The Hammer could easily have been named the Rocket, as it was at the cutting edge of high-performance German engineering. Today, it remains a highly sought-after special edition, with recent models fetching impressive prices at auctions like Sotheby's.