After experimenting with displacement increases in the 5.5-liter V-8 derived from the S-Class and SL roadster, independent tuner AMG enlarged the engine to six liters and installed it in the sedate 124-series sedan and coupe, which Mercedes-Benz had not previously offered with a V-8. Reportedly nicknamed the “Hammer” for the force with which it hurled drivers back into their seats under hard acceleration, this new model—also offered with a 5.6-liter V-8—attracted attention from the automotive press and created considerable publicity for AMG.

Due to the à la carte nature of AMG’s options, clients could customize the details of their cars, rather than be limited to pre-configured packages. Paul Fingold, a Canadian customer who had ordered numerous cars from AMG North America, chose to have this Hammer built for his wife by using a 300 TD Turbo station wagon instead of a 300 E sedan or 300 CE coupe. The car had its turbocharged 3.0-liter diesel engine replaced by a naturally aspirated 6.0-liter gasoline V-8. Only an estimated 30 Hammers were built in total, with less than half ordered for the US market.