What Does AMG Mean? The Name, Its History and the Mercedes Star
AMG stands for Aufrecht, Melcher and Großaspach. A short history of AMG, what the three-pointed Mercedes star means and where both appear on our clothing.
AMG stands for Aufrecht, Melcher and Großaspach: the surnames of the two engineers who founded the company in 1967, Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, and Großaspach, the town where Aufrecht was born. What began as a small engineering office for racing engines has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz parent company since 2005, under the name Mercedes-AMG.
This article explains the name, gives a short history of AMG, looks at what the three-pointed Mercedes star means, and shows where both symbols appear on our clothing for Mercedes-Benz and AMG fans.
What the three letters stand for
- A for Aufrecht: Hans Werner Aufrecht, born in Großaspach in 1938 and a former Mercedes-Benz engineer.
- M for Melcher: Erhard Melcher, his partner and also a former Mercedes-Benz engineer.
- G for Großaspach: the town where Aufrecht was born.
The company's original name was much longer: Aufrecht Melcher Großaspach Ingenieurbüro, Konstruktion und Versuch zur Entwicklung von Rennmotoren, roughly an engineering office for the design and testing of racing engines. It tells you where AMG started: developing engines for motorsport.
Accounts differ on where the very first work was done. Some sources describe Großaspach as the original base, others the village of Burgstall an der Murr near Stuttgart. They agree on the founders, the year and the meaning of the three letters.
A short history of AMG
AMG's breakthrough came at the Spa 24 Hours in Belgium in 1971. Hans Heyer and Clemens Schickentanz drove an AMG-modified Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8, a big luxury saloon, to a class win and second place overall. The red car is still known by its German nickname, the "Rote Sau" (red sow).
| When | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1967 | Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher found AMG as an engineering office for racing engines. |
| 1971 | Class win and second place overall at the Spa 24 Hours with the 300 SEL 6.8. |
| 1970s | Most of the company moves to Affalterbach, where AMG is still based (accounts give 1976 or 1978). |
| 1990 | AMG signs a cooperation agreement with Daimler-Benz. |
| Late 1990s | DaimlerChrysler, the Mercedes-Benz parent company at the time, takes a majority stake (sources give 1998 or 1999) and the firm becomes Mercedes-AMG GmbH. |
| 2005 | Aufrecht sells his remaining shares; Mercedes-AMG becomes a wholly owned subsidiary. |
AMG engines are also known for the principle "One Man, One Engine": a single builder assembles an engine by hand and signs a plaque that is fitted to it.
The Mercedes star: what the three points mean
The three points of the Mercedes star stand for Gottlieb Daimler's vision of motorisation "on land, on water and in the air". His company, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG), built engines for use in all three.
According to the company's own history, the idea came from a family memory. After Gottlieb Daimler's death, his sons Paul and Adolf recalled that their father had once marked the family home with a star on a postcard of Deutz, the town where he worked at the time. They proposed the star as a trademark, and DMG applied to protect it in 1909. From 1910 the three-pointed star appeared on the radiators of Mercedes cars.
The ring, the wreath and the name
The ring came next: DMG applied to protect the star inside a circle in 1921, and it was registered as a trademark in 1923. In 1926 DMG merged with Benz & Cie., and the joint emblem placed the Mercedes star inside the Benz laurel wreath. That combination was registered as a trademark in August 1926. The wreath came from Benz & Cie. of Mannheim and, according to a Daimler history of the emblem, was apparently meant to recall that company's racing victories.
The name Mercedes is older than the star. It was the first name of Mercédès Jellinek, daughter of Emil Jellinek, who raced under the name "Mercedes" and in 1900 reached an agreement with DMG on a new car. The Mercedes 35 hp that followed was named after his daughter.
AMG and the star on our clothing
Our Mercedes garments combine both symbols: the three-pointed star with the Mercedes-Benz wordmark in white, and on most pieces the white AMG lettering with its slanted stripes.
- T-shirt: the Mercedes-Benz logo T-shirt has the star and the wordmark on the left chest; the back and sleeves are plain. 100% cotton, 145 g/m², sizes S to 5XL.
- Hoodie: the Mercedes-AMG hoodie has the star and the wordmark on the left chest and the AMG lettering along both sleeves. 280 g/m², brushed inside, XS to 4XL.
- Joggers and tracksuit: the joggers carry the AMG lettering vertically on the left leg, above the knee. The Mercedes-AMG tracksuit combines the hoodie and the joggers, in sizes S to 3XL.
- Softshell jacket: the Mercedes-AMG softshell jacket has a small star with the wordmark on the right chest and the AMG lettering printed large on the back, between the shoulder blades. Water-repellent and wind-resistant, S to 2XL.
- Winter jacket and gilet: both have the small star with the wordmark on the left chest and the large AMG lettering on the back. The Mercedes-AMG padded gilet comes in S to 4XL, the hooded winter jacket in S to 3XL.
Every product page has a size table in centimetres. Lay a garment that fits you flat, measure the width across the chest 1 cm below the armholes and the length from the highest point of the shoulder to the hem, and compare. The hoodie in L, for example, measures 60 cm wide and 71 cm long.
To look after the print, wash the garments inside out at 30 °C, skip the tumble dryer and do not iron over the print. Always follow the care label on the garment.
FAQ
What does AMG stand for?
AMG stands for Aufrecht, Melcher and Großaspach: the founders Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, and Großaspach, where Aufrecht was born. The company was founded in 1967.
Is AMG part of Mercedes-Benz?
Yes. AMG signed a cooperation agreement with Daimler-Benz in 1990, the parent company took a majority stake in the late 1990s, and Mercedes-AMG has been a wholly owned subsidiary since 2005.
What do the three points of the Mercedes star mean?
They stand for Gottlieb Daimler's vision of motorisation on land, on water and in the air. DMG applied to protect the star in 1909, and it appeared on the radiators of Mercedes cars from 1910.
What does "One Man, One Engine" mean?
It is AMG's principle for building engines: one builder assembles an engine by hand and signs a plaque that is fitted to it.
Which of your garments have the AMG lettering?
The hoodie (both sleeves), the joggers (left leg), the tracksuit, and the softshell jacket, winter jacket and padded gilet (back). The T-shirt has the star and the Mercedes-Benz wordmark only.
Every item is produced on the customer's individual order.