The first of Raul Gardini’s Hammers is this exceptionally rare Coupe, of which approximately 25 were built by AMG, and the only one known equipped with the 6.0-liter DOHC V-8 engine and five-speed manual Getrag gearbox.

According to a copy of the Mercedes-Benz data card, this car began life as a standard 300 CE Coupe, chassis WDB1240501A833114, with corresponding production no. 8165761. Completed at the Untertürkheim plant in January 1988, and originally finished in Anthracite Grey Metallic (DB 172) over black leather, the new, highly optioned E-Class Coupe was shipped directly to the AMG workshop in Affalterbach.

Upon arrival, it was converted to full Hammer specifications and given a new chassis no., AMG124.22416026. The work carried out included installing an AMG exhaust system, wide-body kit, and three-piece “Aero III” wheels. Inside, the cabin was fitted with a 320 km/h speedometer, heavily bolstered Recaro bucket seats, and a small-diameter AMG-branded MOMO steering wheel.

After a period on display in AMG’s showroom, the new 300 CE Hammer was delivered to Raul Gardini in August 1989. He registered the car in Ravenna, Italy, initially as Gardini S.r.l. and then, in 1993, as Servizi Generali, another of his corporate entities. During his ownership, the Hammer was sent back to AMG for upgrades – first in 1989, when it was fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox, and then in October 1992, when it was fitted with the current M117/9 engine, rated at 370 bhp.

Following Sig. Gardini’s death in 1993, the dispersal of his AMG Hammers was entrusted to Paolo Michinelli, a Faenza-based car dealer specializing in Mercedes-Benz. The Coupe was sold, almost immediately, to Emmevudue Assosport Racing S.n.c., an organization that fielded entries in the Italian Formula Three Championship during the 1996 and 1997 seasons. The AMG’s last private Italian owner was Elena Faroni of Brescia, who kept it from 1994 until 2014.

Since 2015, the Hammer has had just two owners – a private collector in Germany and the current owner, an American enthusiast who has owned some of the finest modern-day performance cars. Treated to an extensive concours-level detailing process under his ownership, the Hammer Coupe presents extremely well in all respects and its odometer displayed just 57,423 km (approximately 35,680 miles) at the time of cataloguing.

In addition to preparing the car to the highest standards, the consignor has gone to great lengths to research the provenance of this AMG Hammer. As such, the file contains copies of the original Automobile Club d’Italia registration records and Mercedes-Benz factory records. Also included with the sale are the original Italian-language owner’s manual and maintenance booklet, AMG Italia, Becker, and Michelin brochures, as well as a tool kit, spare, and first aid kit.

Furthermore, this rare W124C Hammer has been inspected, physically verified, and researched in the Affalterbach archives by AMG Classic and MKB Manufaktur and is accompanied at auction by its AMG Classic Conversion Certificate, which confirms its original build details and component numbers.

An extremely rare Hammer Coupe, delivered new to Raul Gardini and specified with the most desirable features imaginable, this unique machine represents the absolute pinnacle of pre-merger AMG production.