Mercedes-AMG Brings ‘Red Pig’ to Total 24 Hours of Spa
AMG may have been around before the ’71 race at Spa. But it wouldn’t exist as we know it today without the Red Pig.
For racing fans, the Total 24 Hours of Spa is one of the most exciting endurance races of the year. Started in 1923, the Belgian race had a few rocky decades (races were skipped in the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s). But those gaps made 2018 an important milestone year. This was the 70th edition of the endurance race. And… BMW won it. But for Mercedes-Benz fans, Spa is legendary regardless of who wins it. Icons like the SSK roadster and W111 sedans have won it over the years. But in 1972, a small tuning company from Affalterbach entered a massive Mercedes SEL 6.3 in the race, bored and stroked to 6.8 liters. Competing against smaller, more nimble Alfa Romeos, Ford Capris, and BMWs, it finished second.
With that, it became the fastest sedan in the world. And the company, AMG, would go on to become one of the most successful tuners in automotive history. And with a big milestone at Spa, you might expect a few legends from the past to show up. According to Mercedes-AMG’s Instagram account, the company didn’t disappoint. The 24 Hours of Spa Facebook page posted a video showing a the Pig in full glory during the Historical Trackwalk before the race. And it looks exactly as it did in the summer of 1971. Dubbed “Die Rote Sou,” or Red Pig, thanks to its massive 1.7-ton weight and fire-breathing V8, the car still looks menacing.
In fact, the car looks far tougher than any executive-class sedan has the right to. Other than the traditionally formal Mercedes grille, all other brightwork (including bumpers) is gone. Its fenders are aggressively flared, and house incredibly wide AMG Penta wheels. And thanks to that big V8, it set the benchmark that AMG still uses to this day.
AMG may have been around before the ’71 race at Spa. But it wouldn’t exist as we know it today without the Red Pig. Without it, there’s no W124 Hammer, no ’90s merger, no CLK-GTR, no SLS AMG and no Black Series cars. We’re glad that Mercedes is so proud of its heritage. And we hope it keeps showing the Red Pig as often as possible.
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