1967 Mercedes-Benz 230 AMG

In 1967, AMG was formed by Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, two former Daimler-Benz engineers with a passion for engine tuning and motorsport. The pair turned their hand to custom race configurations with a penchant for Mercedes-Benz, notably bulking out and entering the now-famous 300SEL-based “Red Pig” in the 1971 24 Hours of Spa. It was not long before Mercedes-Benz customers of both road and track bent began to ask AMG for their own solutions — including the first owner of the example offered here. Herr Werner Kurras placed an order for a second-series 230 “fintail” through the official Mercedes-Benz dealer, Kirstein & Sauer GmbH, of Bielefeld, on March 21, 1966, for 20,912 Deutsche Mark. The following year, chassis 026864 was delivered, finished in Graphite Gray over a Light Gray leather interior, and equipped with a 2.3-liter engine that delivered 120 PS. Herr Kurras clearly enjoyed his 230, as by June 1972 it had covered 109,524 kilometers. Yet perhaps the owner pined for a hint of added oomph. It is at this point that the car was presented to AMG for a performance uplift. Important upgrades included the fitment of a new cylinder head, camshafts, and the enlargement of the intake manifold. The displacement of the engine was increased to 2.8 liters. Key structural changes were made for improved road handling — notably receiving a new rear axle with a longer gear ratio, fitment of Bilstein shock absorbers, modifications to the front axle, as well as enhancements made to the brake system that meant its anchors could keep up with the engine’s uprated power. Period invoices from AMG — available to view in the history file — note the car’s renewed power rated at 185 PS when it left the Burgstetten workshop. The modifications totaled 17,711.95 Deutsche Mark, almost matching the price of the car seven years earlier. Herr Kurras wrote a timeline detailing the car’s changes and history, which is offered with this lot. After he sold the car in 1980, it was acquired by the consigning owner around two years later. Recognized as an important part of AMG history in AMG 45: The Story — The Cars by Becker, Bolsinger and Clauss, chassis 026864 is thought to be among the first road-going Mercedes-Benzes to bear the AMG badge. Today, the car presents as a highly significant part of AMG and Mercedes-Benz history, offered by only the third owner with more than 40 years of continual ownership.