This book is about a famous double brand, bringing together one of the oldest names in the automotive industry and one created in the 1960s, albeit born out of the desire to keep the former in racing. The older company is Mercedes-Benz, while the relative newcomer is AMG. Put them together and the results are always interesting, often special, and sometimes downright thrilling. Over the next few pages, we will introduce you to how the Mercedes-Benz business was formed, and how AMG came about in the days before it became a household name amongst enthusiasts. We''ll then look into the earlier efforts at them working together, both on road and track vehicles, before a more formal co-operation agreement was signed. After all, while the main subject of this book is the post-1992 machines (when the first AMG cars appeared as a specific model grade in official Benz catalogues), the story leading up to then is far too appealing to dismiss lightly. The birth of Mercedes-Benz The Mercedes-Benz name can be traced back to two true pioneers of the motor industry, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz. Amazingly, they actually never met, despite being based less than 60 miles (100km) from each other, and internal politics would see to it that neither headed the companies bearing their names for long.

Nevertheless, their importance in the foundation of the Mercedes-Benz brand cannot be overlooked. Daimler learnt his trade as an engineer well, ultimately becoming a key figure at Gasmotoren-Fabrik Deutz AG (founded by N A Otto, the father of the four-stroke engine) before starting his own business in Cannstatt, an ancient borough of Stuttgart. Working alongside Wilhelm Maybach, who himself would rise through the ranks to create vehicles and aero-engines, Daimler built a motorcycle in 1885 and had a four-wheeled car on the road in the following year. Investors soon got wind of this new technology, with engines used to power all sorts of machines, and the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (or DMG) was founded at the end of 1890. However, Daimler and Maybach were disturbed by the desire for profits being put before their experimental work. This led to the pair walking away at one point, although F R Simms of Daimler in the UK (a separate entity started via the use of Daimler patents) persuaded them to return to the DMG. Sadly, Daimler died in March 1900, and while Maybach stayed on for a while longer, his attention would soon turn to power-unit production for the famous Zeppelin airships. Gottlieb Daimler''s eldest son, Paul, remained at the DMG until the early 1920s (when his Chief Engineer''s post was passed on to Ferdinand Porsche), but a marketing agreement signed at around the time of his father''s death meant that many of the cars were sold under the Mercedes marque name, albeit built by Daimler, and later Daimler-Benz.

Carl Benz started with two-stroke engines, but soon moved over to ''Otto-cycle'' units once a large number of important patents were declared null and void. After numerous ups and downs in business, in January 1886 Benz released the world''s first purpose-built vehicle to be powered by a petrol engine - the three-wheeled Benz Patent Motorwagen. Commercial success followed, leading to the formation of Benz & Cie AG. However, disillusioned, Benz left his post as Chief Engineer and helped set up another concern with his son. This was destined to remain a minor player in the industry, although Benz & Cie continued to grow under the watchful gaze of its investors. The Daimler brand quickly established a reputation for engineering excellence, and Emil Jellinek''s involvement in the company added a racing pedigree and a new trademark - Mercédès (later changed to Mercedes, without the accents). The other development worthy of note was the adoption of the three-pointed star badge, first registered in 1911, and said to represent land, sea and air. Indeed, each environment has been conquered by the Stuttgart firm in its own inimitable way.

Meanwhile, Benz & Cie was also covering all bases, with road cars, a line of commercials, and diesel powerplants and aero-engines under development. Like Daimler, Benz attracted more than its fair share of wealthy clients, and once Hans Nibel was put in charge of car design, it was no surprise that the marque also had a racing programme to help promote it. Germany came out of the Great War in bad shape, with hyperinflation seeing to it that the country remained in the doldrums. Deutsche Bank held a huge number of shares in both the DMG and Benz & Cie, and started bringing them together, first as a syndicate in 1924, and then via a full merger in June 1926. The company became known as Daimler-Benz AG, although, apart from a handful of Benz models that were briefly carried over, the cars were marketed using the Mercedes-Benz name. Despite the poor economy, hit again by the Wall Street Crash, both brands had fielded some magnificent sporting variants in the 1920s, culminating in the SS and SSK, which duly gave way to the 500K and 540K. The glamour surrounding these cars was enhanced by numerous race victories and fabulous coachwork, while the debut of the first of the ''Silver Arrows'' in 1934 helped solidify the image. Germany''s Grand Prix cars (the Mercedes-Benz models combined with Ferdinand Porsche''s Auto Unions) were the envy of the world in 1939, but then the dark clouds of all-out war descended once more.

Post-war, Mercedes bounced back with a line of bread-and-butter machines, but it wasn''t long before sports cars and racing were back on the menu. The 1952 300SL racer was just the beginning, spawning the legendary SLR and road cars, and giving the Stuttgart marque the confidence to return to the GP arena with the W196. Sadly, the 1955 Le Mans disaster led to the company withdrawing from the top tiers of motorsport, although it would continue with rallying and other long-distance events in order to prove (and improve) production cars.