Stunning 19K-Mile 1988 Mercedes-Benz AMG Hammer Is One of Just 13 in the U.S.

Rare and highly desirable, this amazing 1988 Mercedes-Benz AMG Hammer has a story that’s even more impressive.

The Mercedes-Benz AMG Hammer is easily one of the coolest cars in history, and we aren’t just saying that because we’re a bit biased. Every car fan worth their sale knows about these special cars, particularly if you grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, when the hype over this car was immense. This particular example – which happens to be up for sale at MB Market – is also one of just 13 believed to have been produced for North America, and it has just 19k original miles, to boot.

With only around 30 built for the entire world, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Hammer is exceptionally rare by anyone’s definition, and needless to say, they don’t pop up for sale very often. And that’s precisely why this car piqued the interest of Ed Bolian at VINWiki, or at least, the specialness of the vehicle combined with its very interesting story. It all starts with the second owner, really, which was actually the Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA.

Apparently, the original owner of this car took delivery of it in Beverly Hills, promptly filled it with drugs, and drove to Las Vegas to celebrate. He wasn’t exactly driving the speed limit, however, which isn’t surprising given the fact that this was one of the fastest cars one could buy at the time, which attracted multiple law enforcement officers. Regardless, they followed him all the way to Sin City, at which point they found cocaine, pills, and various other drugs inside – enough to seize the vehicle, apparently.

Interestingly, the DEA kept the Hammer and added around 1,500 miles to its odometer before selling it at auction to Major League Baseball star Rob Deer, who drove it for a while before selling it to a dealer. The next owner kept the car for a full decade before it moved on to current owner, who has had it for even longer – 15 years – without adding too many miles to the clock.

That person figures to rake in a formidable profit for his foresight, because the Mercedes-Benz AMG Hammer has exploded in value over the past few years, with this one quickly being bid up past the $300k mark. But perhaps more importantly, it has easily the coolest story of any Hammer out there, at least as far as we know.

Photos: MB Market

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Brett Foote

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he’s been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.