1979 Mercedes-Benz 500 TE AMG Wagon

AMG has built a household name as Mercedes' performance wing. Far less well-known in the late 1970s before merging with Mercedes, AMG already had a reputation for modifying the German company's sedans and wagons with serious performance parts. But this 1979 Mercedes-Benz 500 TE wagon is a mystery, despite being equipped with the best AMG had to offer at the time. There is no record of the 5-liter V8 in the car having been assigned to any chassis by Mercedes, meaning that a swap from a donor is highly unlikely. The motor has AMG headers and exhaust, oil cooler, and motor mounts custom-made for the car, and the rear suspension has been replaced with AMG-exclusive aluminum alloy pieces. AMG wheels, badging, monochrome paint scheme, and Recaro seats are all consistent with AMG's offerings at the time, and only someone with deep knowledge of AMG could have performed the modifications — meaning that it's either an unrecorded factory build or a passion project built by an unknown AMG employee in-period.