Palmball
MB Enthusiast
I've now been back a few days from my trip around Europe including the Mercedes Museum, the Geneva Motorshow and this, the AMG factory. I thought I'd put this post together which I hope will highlight what a fantastic experience this was.
They really did make me feel special with a personalised tour of the engine building facility and the Design Studio, where they modify and carry out any special Designo trimming on customer cars.
The day started with a couple of surprises. Firstly, Affalterbach really is not the sort of place you'd expect a division of a major manufacturer to be located but this really is a small industrial estate in a sleepy village in the middle of nowhere (about 1/2 hour outside Stuttgart)! The buildings have all been built / revamped with a very clean and efficient corporate grey look and it looks like a very new and professional facility.
The second surprise was when I arrived and saw a Union Jack was flying outside; I initially didn't think anything of it but imagine my surprise when I was told it was indeed put out for me.
Apparently, as an English customer was coming for a tour, they put out the flag....silly it may be, but that made me feel like a very valued customer! They even put out a second flag outside the office of AMG's MD as he apparently likes to know where, and I quote...'the person who is paying his wages on that day comes from'!
After a long discussion with my guide in the visitor centre, we went to the engine building facility which was like an operating theatre - very, very clean and surprisingly quiet. The V8's (63) and new TT 5.5's are built 'downstairs' and they make about 60 per day. We saw the engines being built up from nothing and the master engine builders simply 'walk' the engine (on a very sophisticated trolley) through the facility as they add parts to it to make it up. Each part they add has a barcode etched into it and is scanned so they can track back every part of every engine to the person who made it! I was told that they simply don't make mistakes.
They tried to find my engine builder as they like to introduce them to their customers but alas, mine was not there on that day. They do have about 55 master engine builders though!
I was then taken upstairs to the 'holy grail' of engine building; an even quieter area where they make the V12 (65) engines as well as the handful of 55 engines for the SLK AMG.
They also cold-test a percentage of engines at the end of the line but the engine builders apparently hate this job. Hardly anything ever goes wrong meaning it's very boring for them so they rotate that role around all the engine builders at some point.
I was then treated to a visit of their hot-test bench facility which is apparently not always open to customers. They had a Twin Turbo V12 engine on the bench which they fired up to show me what they do. Stood behind a 2 inch-thick bullet-proof glass screen, the noise was still very noticeable but even better, they dimmed the lights and you could see the turbo and exhaust glowing bright orange as it was revved, and held, at it's top speed! An amazing sight and I just wish I could have taken a picture of it!
Following this, I was shown the Design Studio which is where they customise customers' cars. They will do almost anything (except engine power increases) including special bodywork, chassis and interior appointments.
I saw a couple of white C63's in there that were just like the one I'm getting and having their leather dashes fitted (and hand stitched!). I've specified the Designo leather dash in my new C63 and was told that it would have a standard plastic dash fitted at the factory in Bremen and then be transported to Affalterbach to have it removed and a replacement leather dash installed!
An absolutely crazy but interesting process!
Unfortunately I couldn't take any pictures of the engine plant or Design Studio but I have some of the outside of the facility and the visitors reception area....
Coming into Affalterbach
The AMG Factory is down there on the right somewhere!
The outside of the Visitors Reception and the flag put out for me!
Inside the Customer Visitor Reception....
Some nice cars....
An MCT Gearbox split open:
The pearl-white paintjob on this is worth about £30k
And the middle-eastern buyer is apparently the only person who AMG allow to have 6 exhaust pipes.....you can't buy taste huh!
The MD's office with another flag flying outside!
They really did make me feel special with a personalised tour of the engine building facility and the Design Studio, where they modify and carry out any special Designo trimming on customer cars.
The day started with a couple of surprises. Firstly, Affalterbach really is not the sort of place you'd expect a division of a major manufacturer to be located but this really is a small industrial estate in a sleepy village in the middle of nowhere (about 1/2 hour outside Stuttgart)! The buildings have all been built / revamped with a very clean and efficient corporate grey look and it looks like a very new and professional facility.
The second surprise was when I arrived and saw a Union Jack was flying outside; I initially didn't think anything of it but imagine my surprise when I was told it was indeed put out for me.
Apparently, as an English customer was coming for a tour, they put out the flag....silly it may be, but that made me feel like a very valued customer! They even put out a second flag outside the office of AMG's MD as he apparently likes to know where, and I quote...'the person who is paying his wages on that day comes from'! After a long discussion with my guide in the visitor centre, we went to the engine building facility which was like an operating theatre - very, very clean and surprisingly quiet. The V8's (63) and new TT 5.5's are built 'downstairs' and they make about 60 per day. We saw the engines being built up from nothing and the master engine builders simply 'walk' the engine (on a very sophisticated trolley) through the facility as they add parts to it to make it up. Each part they add has a barcode etched into it and is scanned so they can track back every part of every engine to the person who made it! I was told that they simply don't make mistakes.
They tried to find my engine builder as they like to introduce them to their customers but alas, mine was not there on that day. They do have about 55 master engine builders though!
I was then taken upstairs to the 'holy grail' of engine building; an even quieter area where they make the V12 (65) engines as well as the handful of 55 engines for the SLK AMG.
They also cold-test a percentage of engines at the end of the line but the engine builders apparently hate this job. Hardly anything ever goes wrong meaning it's very boring for them so they rotate that role around all the engine builders at some point.
I was then treated to a visit of their hot-test bench facility which is apparently not always open to customers. They had a Twin Turbo V12 engine on the bench which they fired up to show me what they do. Stood behind a 2 inch-thick bullet-proof glass screen, the noise was still very noticeable but even better, they dimmed the lights and you could see the turbo and exhaust glowing bright orange as it was revved, and held, at it's top speed! An amazing sight and I just wish I could have taken a picture of it!
Following this, I was shown the Design Studio which is where they customise customers' cars. They will do almost anything (except engine power increases) including special bodywork, chassis and interior appointments.
I saw a couple of white C63's in there that were just like the one I'm getting and having their leather dashes fitted (and hand stitched!). I've specified the Designo leather dash in my new C63 and was told that it would have a standard plastic dash fitted at the factory in Bremen and then be transported to Affalterbach to have it removed and a replacement leather dash installed!
An absolutely crazy but interesting process!Unfortunately I couldn't take any pictures of the engine plant or Design Studio but I have some of the outside of the facility and the visitors reception area....
Coming into Affalterbach
The AMG Factory is down there on the right somewhere!
The outside of the Visitors Reception and the flag put out for me!
Inside the Customer Visitor Reception....
Some nice cars....
An MCT Gearbox split open:
The pearl-white paintjob on this is worth about £30k
And the middle-eastern buyer is apparently the only person who AMG allow to have 6 exhaust pipes.....you can't buy taste huh!
The MD's office with another flag flying outside!
