HWA has announced a mysterious new project on its official Instagram page. The HWA Hammer could be the company’s second project after the HWA Evo.
When development of the HWA Evo began, a modern reinterpretation of the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evo II, HWA executives stated that the business could not be profitable with just one model.
Developing the HWA Evo required substantial investment and considerable time, as HWA engineers sourced old 190 bodies, restored them and reinforced their structures to form the basis of the new HWA Evo. Essentially, the original car’s body structure is retained, while all other components are new.
Because of this complex restoration process, production takes considerably longer than it would for a model built from scratch.
Now that HWA has developed the necessary technology and restoration processes, the company wants to use them on a broader scale. This is why it is considering a second model.
HWA has therefore published a mysterious photograph on Instagram showing the side profile of a sedan against a black background, accompanied by a fairly explicit message:
“Following the HWA EVO, we are revisiting another extraordinary chapter of our engineering heritage. Staying true to its origins while exploring the possibilities of modern technology, a familiar idea is taking on an entirely new form.”
The silhouette resembles that of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class W124, while the small spoiler on the boot lid is reminiscent of the 300E 6.0 AMG launched in 1986, when AMG was still an independent tuning company. Enthusiasts know this model as the Hammer.
This car should not be confused with the Mercedes-Benz E 60 AMG, launched in 1993 and based on the Mercedes-Benz 500 E.
The Mercedes-Benz 300E 6.0 AMG was based on the 300E W124, originally powered by an inline-six engine. Erhard Melcher, the man behind the M in AMG (the A comes from the other founder, Hans Werner Aufrecht, while the G stands for Grossaspach, Aufrecht’s hometown), modified the 5.6-litre M117 V8 from the 560 SEL, increasing its displacement to 6.0 litres. The engine developed 385 PS and was fitted under the bonnet of both the E-Class and the S-Class.
The 300E’s inline-six produced 188 PS, while the 5.6-litre engine in the 560 SEL delivered 279 PS. Following the modifications, the new 6.0-litre V8 produced 385 PS, more than twice the power of the standard 300E.
The performance of the modified 300E was impressive, and it quickly earned the nickname “The Hammer” in the United States. Because the conversion cost an enormous amount—more than DM 100,000, exceeding the price of the standard 300E—AMG built very few examples: 34 sedans, 18 coupes and just one or two estate versions, nicknamed “The Mallet”.
The sedan was officially launched in 1986, followed by the coupe in 1988. The sedan used Mercedes-Benz’s 5.6-litre engine, modified with a cylinder head featuring four valves per cylinder instead of the two used in the standard Mercedes-Benz engine.
Only the coupe received the V8 with its displacement increased from 5.6 to 6.0 litres, making it particularly special and extremely expensive. Developed by AMG before the company was taken over by Mercedes-Benz, this exceptionally rare coupe now commands astronomical prices, sometimes reaching €1–2 million.
AMG was founded by Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, but it did not sign an official cooperation agreement with Mercedes-Benz until 2000. In 1999, DaimlerChrysler acquired a 51% majority stake in AMG, and in 2005 Daimler took full ownership of the company.
Aufrecht subsequently established a new company, HWA AG, which operates in motorsport and competes in partnership with Mercedes-Benz. With the development of the HWA Evo, Aufrecht has returned to the business of building road cars.
