The Mercedes-Benz E 50 AMG Premiered 25 Years Ago

• It put AMG on the map as a serious performance brand.

• The E 50 AMG was powered by a 347-horsepower V8.

• It was the legendary 500 E spiritual successor.

AMG had already collaborated with Mercedes-Benz on a handful of production models when the 1996 E 50 AMG hit the road. The difference is that this super-saloon, as they say, set the bar on a considerably higher plane than any other performance-oriented sedan had done before.

Of the projects developed between AMG and Benz before the E 50, there was the 1993 C 36 AMG based on the 202 model series C-Class. There was also a 124 model based series E 60 AMG saloon and the E 36 AMG model as a coupé and estate. The love Mercedes-Benz E 50 AMG got from the automotive media back then, became a star and cemented AMG’s place in the world of tuning.

Physically, the E 50 AMG sported functional aerodynamic add-ons both in the front and on the sides. The rear was buttoned down with the memorable twin oval tailpipes. More powerful than the base Mercedes-Benz E 420 on which it was based, the E 50’s 347 horsepower allowed it to reach 100 km/h from a standstill in only 6.2 seconds.

Helping performance along, the E 50 was fitted with a dedicated AMG sports suspension with stiffer shock absorbers as well as a new larger and more powerful braking system uniquely developed for this high-performance vehicle.

Had it not been for the remarkable Mercedes-Benz E 50 AMG, it is probable that cars like the C 63, E 63, ML63, S 65, SLR, SLS, and the GT and GT 4-door would have never seen the light of day. We don’t want to imagine a world without these fast and loud performance cars.