NEW YORK (July 20, 2022) – The MB Market, the world’s first and only online auction platform dedicated exclusively to Mercedes-Benz, has announced that the auction of a rare 1988 Mercedes-Benz 6.0L AMG “Hammer” Coupe is now live online at https://thembmarket.com/1988-mercedes-benz-6-0-amg-hammer-coupe. The auction will end on August 4, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. EST.
This “Pre-Merger” AMG Hammer coupe is one of only 13 Hammers built by AMG in the United States and one of an estimated five Hammer coupes built for the U.S. market.
“We at The MB Market are privileged to offer this previously undiscovered AMG Hammer coupe, which has not been offered for sale publicly for over 25 years and has remained under the care of the current owner for nearly two decades,” said Blakley Leonard, co-founder of The MB Market.
“Experiencing the car firsthand was a special event given the historical significance of the Hammer and the car is even more impressive in person.”
This is the first time an AMG Hammer is being offered for sale via a U.S.-based auction or any online auction platform worldwide.
“The MB Market is proud to be the first in this arena and further solidify our position as the premier outlet for buying or selling Pre-Merger AMG and all Mercedes-Benz vehicles,” said Leonard.
At the time this car was built, AMG was still an independent tuning company separate from Mercedes-Benz. It was built by AMG North America in Westmont, Illinois, during an era when, notoriously, “the only limitation on what could be done to your Mercedes-Benz was the size of your bank account,” added Leonard.
It’s estimated that approximately 30 AMG Hammers were produced worldwide, with only 13 of those built for the North American market and less than five in the desirable coupe variant. It is from the Hammer that the lineage for all modern “luxury performance” cars can be directly traced.
“This is the car that started it all: the mythical AMG Hammer,” Leonard offered.
After the car was built in Illinois by AMG, Andy Cohen of Beverly Hills (Calif.) 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 state auction by Rob Deer, former MLB pro baseball player. Deer owned the car for two years before trading it to Symbolic International where it was then sourced by the current seller on behalf of the next owner. It was then reacquired by the seller in 2006 and stored until last year.
“This is more than a car,” continued Leonard. “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.
“Without the insane experiment undertaken by AMG to stuff a nearly 400hp, hand-built V8 into a mid-sized luxury sedan, an entire segment of the modern automotive marketplace might not even exist.
“The condition, rarity and performance of this example pair perfectly with a sinister color combination that should only increase the car’s overall desirability in the future.”
About The MB Market:
The MB Market is the world’s first and only online auction platform dedicated exclusively to Mercedes-Benz. Founded in 2019, The MB Market has quickly established itself as one of the premier automotive auction platforms by providing insight and analysis on the individual vehicles listed as well as the Mercedes-Benz collector marketplace as a whole. This expertise is derived by the fact that The MB Market is owned and operated by three life-long Mercedes-Benz collectors and enthusiasts who understand the cars and their market trajectory better than any other online auction platform. Technology, as well as recent resource/inventory shortages, have changed the way consumers buy and sell vehicles today. The automotive sales market has shifted away from both brick and mortar dealerships and even traditional “live” auction houses when buying and selling enthusiast cars. Online auction platforms are quickly becoming the first choice for savvy, informed car buyers and sellers due to the wealth of information provided on each car listed, the ability to interact and ask questions to sellers directly, and the presence of a shared community of other users/commenters to help identify key points about the vehicle(s) being represented. Unlike on The MB Market’s marque-specific auction platform, Mercedes-Benz vehicle listings on other, non-specialized auction sites https://www.facebook.com/thembmarket to overlook details specific to these vehicles that are only rote to informed Mercedes-Benz owners and enthusiasts. In addition, many otherwise strong vehicle listings risk getting “lost in the shuffle” when hundreds of other cars are being sold each day on “bulk” automotive auction sites; thus negatively affecting the final sale value. The MB Market is able to combat some of these negative aspects of the burgeoning online auction space by staying laser focused on its area of expertise and committing all resources to best representing the Mercedes-Benz marque. thembmarket.com, https://www.facebook.com/thembmarket, https://www.instagram.com/thembmarket
