The body is finished in Black Pearl “Blue-Black” Metallic (199) with matching lower cladding, a sunroof, headlight wipers, and original US spec lighting. The period-installed AMG body kit features a sculpted front bumper with fog lights, flared wheel arches, a rear ducktail spoiler, sculpted rear bumper, extended side skirts, and dual AMG exhaust outlets. Color-matched paint is extended to the grill surround as well as the inserts of all four original AMG wheels. The seller notes the spoiler is beginning to lift from the trunk lid and can easily be corrected for the buyer prior to purchase, if desired. Very light wear marks are seen on the passenger side top of the trunk lid as well as a slight indentation below the passenger tail light. The seller had the front bumper professionally refinished and detailed photos documenting the exterior condition can be seen in the gallery.
Videos have been provided below displaying a walk around of the exterior and interior, as well as a driving video.
The MB Market is proud to offer the incredible opportunity to acquire this authentic AMG Hammer coupe. We were fortunate enough to spend a considerable amount of time with the owner and the car to understand the history, ownership and story behind this breathtaking example of pre-merger AMG history. The condition of the car is truly remarkable and even more breathtaking in-person. At the time the car was built, AMG was still an independent tuning company separate from Mercedes-Benz. This particular car was built by AMG North America in Westmont, IL during an era when, infamously, “The only limitation on what could be done to your Mercedes-Benz was the size of your bank account”. Cosmetically, there were endless available modifications from interior bits to exterior body kits and wheels. Additionally, AMG offered a wealth of performance upgrades from something as simple as suspension and exhaust mods, to a bored out 6.0L DOHC M117 engine. It’s estimated that approximately 30 AMG Hammers were produced worldwide with only 13 of those built for the North American market.
The AMG Hammer is truly a legendary car on its own, and the history and story behind this example only elevates the prominence. After the car was built in Westmont by AMG, Andy Cohen of Beverly Hills Motoring reportedly sold the car to a gentleman who drove the car from Beverly Hills to Las Vegas on his first day of ownership. Upon arriving in Las Vegas, he was pulled over for speeding and the car was subsequently seized by the D.E.A. after some illegal substances were found in the car. The car was then purchased from a federal D.E.A. auction by Rob Deer, former professional baseball player in the MLB (documentation is viewable in the gallery). Rob owned the car for 2 years before trading it to Symbolic International where it was then sourced by the current seller on behalf of the next owner. The car was then reacquired by the seller in 2006 and stored until last year.
The condition, rarity and performance of this example are paired perfectly with the sinister color combination that should only increase its desirability over time. Over the past few years alone, the market for these ultra rare AMG Hammers has exponentially increased and the vast majority of these cars sell privately in the high six figures making an opportunity like this even more special. There is no question that this will be an appreciating asset for any collector fortunate enough to acquire it as the pre-merger AMG marketplace has continued to accelerate in price year over year. This is more than a car. This is an opportunity to own a piece of automotive history. The car that set the standard for the high performance luxury sedan as we know it today, and the car that permanently affixed AMG among the all time greats: The AMG Hammer.
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90 Comments
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-mercedes-benz-560-sel-amg-6-0-dohc/The guy who purchased this was such a child, John Temerian won that car at auction fair and square. And since he lost out in the opportunity he complained (typical rich guy attitude). The only reason it sold for that much was cause the guy didn’t want John to win the car.To All parties involved : It's been a wild ride . Thank you to theMBMarket and the Bidders . From the first call made by Marc Chase offering the car to me in 1993 to what will be my final moments with this car has been enjoyable . Thank you to all involved . A special thank you to Blakley and company for the enormous amount work they performed pre and post sale . Scott BWhile we’re disappointed that we didn’t ultimately win the Hammer auction, The MB Market absolutely made the right call by allowing all parties to participate when the site slowed down and prevented some active bidders from placing new bids. It would have been unfair to the seller, the other bidders, and the value of all Hammers if we hadn’t agreed to allow all bids to be entertained as “best and final” offers. Maintaining integrity and transparency for cars of this caliber is essential to the hobby and their future values, and we’re glad the correct call was made here by The MB Market and the other parties involved. Bittersweet, sad, a mixture of emotions. I’m genuinely happy for these cars, the seller, new owner and The MB Market. PS: Does anyone know of any other Hammers for sale?AUCTION UPDATE: Immediately following the close of the auction, The MB Market was contacted by bidders who experienced connection issues and were unable to execute bids during the closing minutes. These technical issues were verified and i n order to ensure a full, fair and transparent buying opportunity for all bidders, The MB Market and the seller of the car, jointly decided to offer a sealed bid “best and final offer” opportunity from the parties who were unable to bid during the closing as well as the high bidder. As a result of the sealed bid process, the car was sold to the new highest bidder at a total price of $761,800. Congratulations and Thanks to the parties on transacting a new World Record Price for this 6.0L AMG Hammer Coupe on The MB Market. Well done!@AMGHammer, I just sent Blakley a message requesting your contact information. Thank you@refusedname , contact Blakley he can give you my phone number .@AMGHammer, the "contact seller" button disappears once bidding ends. Standard operating procedure with online auctions.@Buyers I just read your comments . You are free to contact me to share your experience .@Mbmarket , I also noticed the website struggling to maintain stability I suspect due to traffic ? I want to thank Blakley and his crew for a job well done in promotion as well as execution . In 1993 I paid $50k for this car with 5500 miles , Symbolic couldn't get this car out of the showroom fast enough . Congratulations to John for recognizing a very nice car . I still recall the drive back from La Jolla and the high speed race at 5 a.m. with what was late 1980's Thunderbird . We held our own but got taken all the way to an indicated 190 mph . Later when we stopped for fuel in the middle of a dark desert under the hood of Thunderbird was a twin turbo injected V-8 something with a full tube chassis . It was a monster in sheep clothing , the irony . Later I saw Thunderbird gracing cover of some Hot Rod magazineThis was really exciting to watch…and quite surprising to me that it sold as well as it did, actually. As an adolescent, I remember reading all about the Ferrari Testarossa and Lamborghini Countach in every available car magazine and seeing posters of them on every neighborhood kid’s wall. Including my own! They captivated my younger imagination like nothing else in large part because of their aggressive bodywork, scissor doors, spoilers and overall bold Italian styling. They just seemed to scream “200mph” simply by looking at them. I seem to also remember there being an article about the fastest cars in the world about that time that touted the Hammer as the king of them all. But the "just an e-class" styling, even in its stylized AMG form, never really bowled me over or made me daydream about the hammer like the Ferrari and the Lamborghini did. It’s interesting to see that only now, decades later, I see what the hype was really about back then from longtime hammer admirers. Perhaps it’s a product of aging or maturity but this car looks so much more poised and powerful next to the Countach and the Testarossa in my eyes. The styling has truly withstood the test of time and doesn’t look half as dated to me as the others. Maybe I’m just getting old, or I’m “late to the party” but it’s incredibly interesting to me how much that perspective has changed over 30 years. Congrats on the sale of the beautiful 80s supercar.@sm921 @YuraCoupe, @AMGHammer, it will be interesting to see how the owners of the platform handle this issue. I'm sure they will make it right for the seller and all bidders that couldn't continue with the auction. This sale was highly publicized. The main question was the value of the "Hammer" in today's world. The question remains unanswered due to the server issues.Congrats to Curated. Great purchase! I agree. The site was as a brick - unable to update. Wrong behavior for auction site.@refusedname @thembmarket While I wasn't bidding, will add a data point that the website was basically a brick for me during the last few minutes of action.Just now finishing my popcorn and it's sinking in that these cars are now what they were when they were built: more expensive, faster, cooler, and more rare than a countach or testarossaDang there goes my chance at ever owning one of these one day haha. All good. Big money AMGs are for real $$$$Stunning result and well deserved for a spectacular car! All this talk about the car not being a widebody is ridiculous. None of the US built Hammers were widebodied so this is more authentic to what the whole idea of an AMG Hammer is. A widebody version would be cool too but it would have to have the M117 motor. Let the hunt begin!Wowwww. This was INTENSE! Great result - congrats to the seller and MBM 😎@mbmarket, please check your server and make this right. I was unavailable to continue placing bids after it reached 535K, I tried to log back in and was unable to get access to your website altogether. So did other people that were following this auctionAnd congrats to the MB Market. This auction result, and the likely results of the Black Series AMG GT and the SLS auctions are proof positive that this site's creators have achieved the goal of making this the premiere auction site for unobtanium Mercedes-Benz rarities.This was a BIG dawg auction…wow!yeah, I don't think @CURATED was ever going to loseWOW Congrats to both Where is it going?My wife will be Happy :-PWell doneWinning bid is roughly 1988 dollar equivalent of $265,000. Probably not too far off from the cost of the whole shebang in '88. Congrats to the new owner!$661,800 bid placed by @CURATED
$660,000 bid placed by @Mozart
$635,000 bid placed by @CURATED
$607,000 bid placed by @Mozart
$605,000 bid placed by @CURATED
This VinWiki episode is gonna be great!$600,000 bid placed by @Sieger
Haha. It's a special car but at these numbers, the comments section is as close as I get. This will be clearly be well bought at any number. Good luck to all!$570,000 bid placed by @refusedname
$555,500 bid placed by @BurnerID
$555,000 bid placed by @CURATED
They write books about cars like this.come on @edbolian get in there!$550,000 bid placed by @Sieger
Wow! New player.$545,000 bid placed by @Mozart
$541,500 bid placed by @Sieger
$541,000 bid placed by @BurnerID
$540,500 bid placed by @Sieger
$535,000 bid placed by @refusedname
$540,000 bid placed by @CURATED
$531,000 bid placed by @Mozart
$530,500 bid placed by @BurnerID
$530,000 bid placed by @CURATED
$525,500 bid placed by @Sieger
$525,000 bid placed by @BurnerID
$520,000 bid placed by @refusedname
$505,000 bid placed by @CURATED
$500,500 bid placed by @Sieger
this is amazing$500,000 bid placed by @CURATED
Very nice!$495,000 bid placed by @BlueridgeMB
$490,500 bid placed by @Sieger
$490,000 bid placed by @CURATED
$480,000 bid placed by @Sieger
$475,000 bid placed by @BurnerID
$460,000 bid placed by @CURATED
$451,000 bid placed by @BurnerID
$450,500 bid placed by @Sieger
$450,000 bid placed by @CURATED
$430,500 bid placed by @BlueridgeMB
$425,000 bid placed by @BurnerID
$410,000 bid placed by @CURATED
What an amazing car! My bet is @Curated is not finished.$405,000 bid placed by @BlueridgeMB
$400,500 bid placed by @BurnerID
I think @CURATED is serious$400,000 bid placed by @CURATED
I’ve got my popcorn ready…$355,000 bid placed by @BlueridgeMB
$351,500 bid placed by @BurnerID
some haymaker bids here! Love it$351,000 bid placed by @refusedname
The 80's at its finest. Of the Hammers, the coupe is our favorite body style. Best wishes on the sale.$350,000 bid placed by @CURATED
Happy bidding everyone. What a car!$325,000 bid placed by @BurnerID
$321,000 bid placed by @CURATED
I've watched Tech's with considerably more experience then I take those side seals and bin them with regularity. If you don't glue them in place at this point they never stay. Guess it's destined to come here, I've got a few extra sets sitting out back! I'm satisfied with the originality of the car, should be an Exciting day :):)Patina Collective where are you at on this tuner yo?500k + for the culture! LFG!!!!@YuraCoupe Thank you for your comment and questions. - The car has lived in New Mexico for the majority of its life and lived in a dry climate. Nothing has been replated and the car has never been disassembled. I believe what you’re referring to is Cadmium plating from the factory in period and remains original. Because of the dry climate I was surprised the coolant tank did not need to be replaced. I can try to take additional photos if you would prefer. I've seen the cadmium plating fail on other cars in particular environments but these are original and the cadmium pieces on the underbody are the same. - I think I see the seals you're referring to in the older pictures of the engine bay and am unsure when or where they went. Great attention to detail on your part. I'm not even sure what those seals were originally for. - The bumper trim has never been touched or changed. It was not painted originally as seen in the old photos, but can appear as such because it’s black plastic. - Yes the antenna seals and washer nozzles have always been painted just as the door handles which were done by AMG along with front grill - One of the headlight bezels was replaced previously due to a rock chip. - The exhaust is how it came from AMG. The parts used were from a C126 (transmission and brackets). The side that looks like it’s not secured actually has a clamp welded on the other side from the camera. You can sort of tell in the photo.The car is awesome. And I want to add few words to all who already wrote here. I'm sure the car was prepared for sale. It was disassembled, the paint was renewed, the fixture was zinсed (it's not from factory), etc. Some fixture is covered with yellow zinс now but it wasn't the same from the factory (engine hood stops, radiator fixture). And my questions to current car details are: - seals at front fenders under the hood are absent (you can see them at the old photos) - the bumper trim is not painted but it was painted when the car was new (see old photos) - antenna seals are painted (that's strange) - water nozzles at the engine hood are painted (that's strange) - headlights are different. Something is wrong with the left one. It's not clear. - right side of the exhaust system is not properly fixed to the gerbox. Fixture is in the air. You can check it at the photosFound in the comments section of Jalopnik's review of this car featuring one of the bidders that many know and love... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXAjxS0kgC4@AMGHammer the hose used was a bit underwhelming for Sure. Modern anerobic sealants have proved Useful on those cludgy 90 degree fittings and So far So good such that I can leave the originals with out major issue in an effort to preserve etc... I like to double/marine style clamp the lines for good measure as well, never hurt!@BlueridgeMB: Unfortunately I did not think about your straw trick when I had pan off to fix oil sending unit as well as the oil return lines and fittings as fabricated by AMG . BTW , not particularly impressed with the return lines and fittings , we made considerable improvements to both .I doubt this Hammer has had it's quad cam engine "upgraded" with incorrect stampings, genuinely I'd be shocked. Checking the 6.0L displacement isn't Hateful on this example with the removable lower sump...unlike some of the earlier cars with SL one piece lower pans. Cut a plastic straw to 100mm and see if it Fits. Great time to tend to the oil level sender if thusly equipped...Worth swapping the factory orings for VITON if you want to Impede it's failure in the future. Trim could be painted or Not. Entirely at the original owners discretion and documented cars have come both ways. As for the grommet, with out going and Looking (which I may do later) is the one that's "missing" one of the drain grommets with funnel/hole at the bottom? I Think you show the other side in your photos, 3742 and 3743 respectively. Regardless, I don't see this car rusting out anytime soon...esp when you consider the lengths MB went to rust proof these cars. I can say with some certainty that I very much Doubt she'll be thrust into daily driver duty, but that wouldn't suck if it did!! I've wondered for a Long time why these cars aren't worth more, a lot of talk of the worlds fastest cars Road and Track. Everything on that front cover is a 1M$ car except One. Go figure...but I feel like we're on a road to remedying that outlier...:-D@nehuge: After reviewing images I think you are referring to oval holes in frame rails ? If so , none of my parts books show a grommet in the oval hole in either frame rail. If you have a reference please share ?@nehuge: All the alloy trim pieces are anodized from MB factory . In fact the windshield is the original unit when car was purchased new . Perhaps there were cars that had painted trim bits from AMG , this was not .@Merc1990 . I have no problem verifying it is a 6.0 . Not sure how someone could fake a four-cam motor . I saw both cams on one cylinder head when we resealed cam end cover plates on pass.side cylinder head . Happy to work with you in anyway you wish .Seller - would you be willing to allow the winning bidder to confirm it is indeed a 6.0 in the car? The gentleman behind these in Westmont was notorious for taking the 6.0's out to sell separately. I would love to acquire the car but it needs to have the 6.0... no questions asked. I see that it has the correct valve covers but to my understanding, these could be faked, etc.@BlueridgeMB I like that your price you bidded was 124,000........ heh W124 I see what you did thereNote that the metal trim around the windshield, back window, and over roof drip rail should be matte black, not the chrome/black look as the finish had come off. Additionally, in the pic that shows the front wheel wells and springs, there are oval shaped rubber plug caps missing which will allow water to splash into that area and ruin this $1M car.One day we are going to wake up and the Hammer will be a million dollar plus car. Rarity and historical significance drive the collector market. A 6.0 liter Hammer is on par with an 1967 L88 Corvette and a '70-71 Hemi 'Cuda. In both cases GM and Plymouth took a standard, mass-produced car and modified it to take the gnarliest engine at the time. The cars were some of the core poster children of the muscle car era. As the muscle car generation came into wealth, car folks with deep pockets had to have "the one". In the case of the '67 L88, only 20 were built and it is now a $2-4 million car. In the case of the Hemi 'Cuda, 759 coupes were built and trade for a quarter million, but if you want one of the 30 convertibles, be prepared to spend $2-4 million. See a pattern here? The generation that grew up with the Hammer is just starting to come into real wealth. As more and more folks from this generation look to build out top car collections, they are going to want "the one". Hammers were mythical poster cars of the go-go '80s car scene (who can forget a Hammer sedan outrunning supercars like the Countach in the R&T Top Speed July 1987 issue). With Hammers numbering ~30, and 6.0L versions being even fewer, might we expect this to be a $2-4 million car someday? There has been speculation on the board that this car could go for $500k. That probably makes sense today, and it very well may turn out to be a bargain in just a few years.@Shervin Too bad the Testarossa couldn't catch them!Will Crockett and Tubbs chase down the winning bidder?$320,000 bid placed by @TommyD
I have a widebody I am also restoring and they are not sleeper cars, for sure - they are in your face cars and coupled with a quad cam M117, they have the bang under the hood to go with the body. Having said that, the Hammer has an aura of mystique that has accrued over the many years when the first Hammer brought to the US was grandly unveiled to Motorsports Press members. Were there W126 sedans and coupes that first got the AMG quad cam engine? Yes, but those cars (like mine) were quietly built and sold and owned. The cache of the Hammer will never be equaled by a widebody SEC. And I am jealous of that cache. But, I lusted after a widebody and am lucky to have one. Both AMG models are rare as hens teeth. Real hammers are easily less than 50 - the original Signal Red Hammer brought over from Germany (press car), the 13 made in the US by AMG N America and then a few more made in Germany and Japan. The number of 500/560 SEC widebody cars plus W126 sedan/coupe unmodified body cars (narrow body) a couple hundred or so - who knows? AMG made about 275-ish of the quad cam engines. This car is very special and should go for lots of $$$. Best of luck to the new owner.$303,000 bid placed by @JohnVlas
$300,350 bid placed by @shouldbeworking
I gave up explaining my cars to non car folks a long time ago;) The flash of a Widebody is fun, I've got one that I'm restoring so i get it...but I Love the stealth these Hammers provide. If you know you know, it's an exclusive little club...:-D@BlueridgeMB like I said, I get it from a cerebral perspective, but to have to explain to every non-car-guy under 45 why you paid $500k for a 30 year old e-class wouldn’t be fulfilling for me, personally. Now a c126 widebody, that’s a different story.@Retrophit I look at them and see Tutonic mastery and fall in love every time. A nearly 40 year old design that still looks Crisp and Tasteful, never mind it is Exceptionally functional as well! Couple that with the underlying anger that is a DOHC M117 and these cars are like No other AMG. Driving them is very much it's own reward on multiple fronts.Just an aside, but this year at The Bridge Coucours there will be 6 Hammers on deck and I'll surely bring this one in addition should things Work out! That said, if she doesn't come home to GA I hope who ever is the succesful bidder will be willing to come and attend. Sept 17th FWIW.@NYCdriver one of the Coupes that was built is Very much gone, others are still MIA.Watching Miami Vice to see if it made an appearance…..Ed is bidding, when are John Temerian and Vico Ibrahim going to start bidding? Amazing car, it's mine if I win the 800 mil tonight. LolI'll look, and thank you. I always love reading about MB specials cars, the only thing better is driving them.@Jim_Rosenthal 1000sel.com has some amazing info on these cars, not sure if it's exactly what you're looking for. https://www.1000sel.com/index.php/amg/mercedes-w124-hammerThese cars, which are rather rare, have value not only because of their performance (which is legendary) but because of their rarity and the fact that they were all custom built. I had the impression, though, that there are some cars which may contain AMG parts or mods, but that were not built as genuine AMG Hammers. (this doesn't apply to this car, I don't think) Can anyone point me to a reliable source of information on that topic?Are any of the 13 cars unaccounted for?@Retrophit The idea was understated performance and speed. In an era where the Testarossa and Countach reigned, this was the true sleeper!Other than the legendary status and rarity I don’t get the appeal of these cars. Very unemotional. Too cerebral. But I hope it brings seven figures!$288,888 bid placed by @edbolian
$275,000 bid placed by @AJC247
$222,222 bid placed by @edbolian
Well done on the description! The prior "Hammer" auctions that have been publicized in years past really confused the market about what these cars really are. This is the only true Hammer I've seen on an online auction platform and this is surely the real thing.Hey BlueridgeMB... Love see you guys out in front on this beautiful Hammer and hope you guys pull the winning bid. Also hope to come visit you guys one day!$208,888 bid placed by @ct2go
@DW168 every car they sold was a-la carte. Some folks went whole hog inside/out/under etc and others not so much. All to taste!@BlueridgeMB so what do you HONESTLY think this car is worth?@AMGCPE when something is grossly underpriced what's the difference IMHO. I know the Real numbers are still a waaaaaays out yet. Good luck to All!when I saw this car, @Blueridge came to mind, if you are from the Atlanta area or know of him, you will understand why he wants this so bad. @Bluerigdge, nice to see you bidding the top $$ here :) - I have some rare Mercedes for your big $$ pockets :)@BlueridgeMB I dont get offended bud, Im not a joe biden voter. Just curious as to why the bids were jumping in 50-100k increments and everyone else was bidding a few grand.If I had a line on this car prior to it being here it Wouldn't be listed here. I sold a sedan for multiples my current bid, if you don't feel as though there is value at this price point or above that's fine. I know the value of the car, it's a Lot more then where I am so for the moment I've enjoyed bidding (w)124 and (color code)199....my apolgies if I've offended your sensabilites in the process.Looks like Blueridgemb is just hyping up the price…. Is this your friends car you’re trying to help him on the auction to inflate the price? Just curious, everyone else bidding in a couple thousand increments and your bidding in 50-100k increments.As every one of these hand built beauties is unique, I wonder why original owner didn't order with the AMG steering wheel and Recaro seats.... Must be a story behind it. Oh well, still an awesome find, and I'm sure will command top dollar. GLWTA!$199,000 bid placed by @BlueridgeMB
Wouldn't be a pre-merger AMG without a story about a little Colombian marching powder! Beautiful example, gonna bring the big bucks!Great start to the day seeing this listed here. Curious to see where this ends up in both price and with the location of the buyer. Awesome!Wow. This is really something special here. I don't think I've ever seen a Hammer on an online auction platform. What an amazing opportunity. GL to all.@Vlad600sel C'mon, you know you want it! Just tell the ol'Lady a few less Gucci handbags and you got this one! This one is really a Unicorn!This is an insanely important car. Wish I had $500k lying around.... Real Hammer, Coupe body style, amazing condition, low miles and so forth. I bet less than 5 real Hammer coupes ever made. I know of 3 including this one.$125,000 bid placed by @BurnerID
Well, that escalated quickly!$124,500 bid placed by @Ali63
I'm thinking of that song by Yellow that was in the Ferris Bueller movie as I look over this listing -- oh......yeah!$124,000 bid placed by @BlueridgeMB
Anyone curious about the nuances of Hammer ownership and restoration entail I'm happy to enlighten/inform. Currently we have 5 of the 13 US Hammers here at the shop, and one of the only 2 Affalterbach built 5sp/Getrag cars, the latter we are in the midst of a complete overhaul of the M117 DOHC engine. Ping us here or give a ring, 404.805.1357 jono$15,000 bid placed by @Itchy_Toes
$10,000 bid placed by @Vlad600sel
Now that’s a car Gl I ll start first