Thursday 28th July 2011

Red Gullwing Follows AMG 'Red Pig' To Spa

Hans Heyer's son aims to repeat (or beat!) dad's historic race result

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Red Pig (replica) meets Red Gullwing

40 years ago the famous SEL 6.8 AMG 'Red Pig' finished 2nd on the arduous 24hr race in Spa - a surprise result that catapulted the AMG brand into the headlines.

That car was driven by Hans Heyer and Clemens Schickentanz in 1971, and to mark the 40th anniversary of their success, Heyer's son Kenneth will be teaming up with Thomas Jäger and Stéphane Lémeret to race the latest SLS AMG GT3 in this weekend's race - wearing the 1971 car's livery.

A total of 7 gullwings will be contesting the event - all privately entered because, unlike its rivals, AMG refuses to run a factory team. ("There's no point. We'd end up competing with our customers, winning all the time and just pissing them off," AMG chairman Ola Kallenius told PH on our visit to the AMG factory last week.)

Kenneth and Hans Heyer

The level of trackside support given to customer teams like Black Falcon is pretty much on a par with a factory campaign anyway, but AMG top brass are keen to be seen to be even-handed.

"This project of entering an SLS AMG GT3 in the 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps with the same look as the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG of 1971 deserves a round of applause," says Ola. I wish Kenneth Heyer, his team colleagues and the Black Falcon customer team every success. Naturally we at Mercedes-AMG also have our fingers firmly crossed for the other private teams who are competing in the race with the SLS AMG GT3."

7 Gullwings will contest Spa this year

The SLS is doing well with customer teams, following its introduction last year. There are 35 examples already racing with private teams all over the world, against the target of 20 cars for 2011, and it's a success story that's hitting Porsche and Audi racing car sales, we're told.

The SLS AMG GT3 entered by Black Falcon gets a red paint finish, the start number 35 and the sponsor stickers of the 1971 car to help keep its memory alive. It's photographed here with the 2006 AMG-built replica of the original racer, which has been lost after a career testing aircraft tyres for Matra.

[TheForceV4]

I love that side exit exhaust!!!

[Snoggledog]

SLS or the Red Pig? I'd take the Red Pig every time.

[RenesisEvo]

This seems to have been forgotten about:

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyI...

[don logan]

Snoggledog said:

SLS or the Red Pig? I'd take the Red Pig every time.

EVERY time!

[Chris-R]

RenesisEvo said:

This seems to have been forgotten about:

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyI...

Not by me!

[Fetchez la vache]

RenesisEvo said:

This seems to have been forgotten about:

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyI...

That's marketing for you...

[Twilight1]

This is the racing version of Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3. I believe it is the last one alive of three ever made.







Selling advert in 1972.

[louismchuge]

Look at that bloody camber! That should be in the badly modified thread

[richb77]

Snoggledog said:

SLS or the Red Pig? I'd take the Red Pig every time.

+1

[RenesisEvo]

Chris-R said:

Not by me!

I'm not remotely jealous - nope, not me, not ever...

[rampageturke]

POTW anyone?

[soad]

rampageturke said:

POTW anyone?

Let's hope so! Cracking set of pics!

[jon-]

richb77 said:

Snoggledog said:

SLS or the Red Pig? I'd take the Red Pig every time.

+1

The red pig is awesome, but god damn that SLS is just stunning. I would do so many bad things to get one.

[KIG1971]

"There's no point. We'd end up competing with our customers, winning all the time and just pissing them off,"

Love it, that's a bloke who knows his customers.

Long may they continue.

Red Pig for the weekend, SLS for the company car. Obligatory lottery win required of course!

[M666 EVO]

The Red Pig looks like its eyes have fell out...