How do you tell a bogus AMG?

[philharve]

I don't know!

The issue arose when my brother and I found ourselves in a queue behind a black MB which boasted the 'AMG' logo on its boot lid. However, what caught my eye was that the alignment of the chromed 'AMG' logo didn't appear to align with any of the curves or edges on the lid.

Superficially, the rear of the car looked like an AMG with oval exhaust pipe and fat wheels. I figured it was a C-class but there were no other identifying markings. I didn't get to see the front of the car, but when I drew alongside of it at a junction, I gave it the once over but was unable to confirm whether it was an AMG. The wheels looked correct though. However, if you cannot examine the engine bay or inside of the car, how can you tell, always assuming you can?

The registration didn't reveal the age of the mystery car either, but it looked new.

I then got to thinking about the 'AMG' logo. Is it a copyright issue to manufacture it and sell it through retail outlets? I've seen 'M Power', 'Cooper', 'V8', 'V6'. 'Sport' and other stick-on badging in various motor accessory shops, but I cannot ever recall seeing an 'AMG' badge.

It seemed improbable to me that anyone attempting to disguise an ordinary Merc' as an AMG would attach a chrome badge so badly. I hope one day to encounter another example of the same model and maybe then I'll have my answer.

This experience triggered another thought ... is there an AMG version for every MB model? I imagine there are custom AMG conversions? For example, is there such a thing as a C230K AMG? Will I ever encounter a Smart AMG?

I have, of course, encountered examples of the 'classic' C-class AMG models and their badging is uncontraversial. However, I have also encountered examples of 'pimped' cars that are not what they pretend to be.

How do you tell a bogus AMG from a distance?

REGARDS

Phil

 

[hawk20]

How do you tell a bogus AMG from a distance?

REGARDS

Phil

You put your foot down. If you can catch it; it isn't.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

Its a tad difficult if the owner of the car has had the AMG bodywork added. This is usually an option when buying the car, and costs in the region of £2k. Consists of the correct front and rear spoilers, wings, and usually a set of AMG wheels.

In this car it does seem, that the exhaust tail pipes were AMG, and if the car isn't an AMG you can buy these bits and add them yourself to give it a bit futher of the look.

Then, if you know what to look for, the AMG will have AMG logo's on the brake calipers, but I can't remember what year that started, altho it is on at least some 2000year model cars.

The rest is inside. you need to take a peek at the rev counter which will have AMG on it. This is generally the bit that those who decide to make their cars look fully like an AMG dont bother to change. If it doesnt have AMG on the Rev counter, it isnt an AMG.

All of this will be academic if you saw under the bonnet. That would give it away.

I would guess, potentially at least, that this car may have been a used car, even if it was only a few months old, and that the first owner deleted the badge option. This may have provoked the next owner to ask for one to be put on. You can buy and AMG badge in the MB dealerships. He may have fitted it himself, he may have had the latest new boy in MB garage fit it.

The AMG badge is usually on the upper left of the boot back, and will be horizontal, and may not follow the boot lines. If it did it would look a bit wrong.

Normally on the other side it would have something like C55, for any of the C55 range AMG cars. I think they came out around 1998 but I could be wrong with that.

If it was a later C55 if would have 4 tail pipes. this signifies the newer 5.4 ltr engine.

There is a web site somewhere. that if you put in the registration if will tell you what it was. I will have a look to see if I can find it

This has some AMG logo's onnthe boot of some of the Mercedes Range so you can see if its the same badge.
AMG


And this might help for registration search but I don't know how accurate it is. It did find my car tho.
car reg check

 

[television]

Though my car has the AMG body kit it also has the logo, and that is incorrect, I should remove it really, the logo was not fitted with only the body kit and wheels options.

 

[kveysey]

I've seen a Brabus Smart car

Brabus and Amg stickers are all over ebay.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

I've seen a Brabus Smart car

That was an approved type that you could buy in Smart/ Mercedes Dealers!

 

[kveysey]

That was an approved type that you could buy in Smart/ Mercedes Dealers!

Something new every...............

 

[SLinKyjoe]

Here is a link to one that CH4 ran.

baby Brabus

 

[philharve]

Hi All

Thanks for your contributions.

I would like to add, however, that the mystery Mercedes had a single, large oval tailpipe on the lefthandside which, to my mind, suggests an inline engine, 4 or 6 cylinder. A V6 or V8 would surely have twin or quad exhaust pipies.

There was no identifying model badge, e.g. C55, and the 'AMG' badge was on the righthandside when viewed from the rear. The omission of the model badge adds to the mystery. If the badging read 'C230K AMG' then that's a dead giveaway. The AMG badge was misaligned (IMO) which was what first attracted me to this mystery car. Like Poirot, I like order and method and I will straighten hanging pictures; align knives and forks; tidy bookshelves, etc. A misaligned AMG badge would irritate me if I were the owner of that car.

The Merc' was black, not metalic, and had black leather seats and AMG wheels. I never saw the front.

It also had a special registration which I should have written down because another member might own this vehicle. It was obviously a recent model.

I live in Cornwall, fairly close to the A30, and I've seen some quite exotic and unusual vehicles on Cornish roads. I suspect the Lands End route is popular with vehicle testers because it enables them to have a short holiday on the Cornish Riviera at the same time. I saw the mystery Merc' on the 1st August 2007 and headed eastwards along the A30.

Could the black Merc' be a new model undergoing testing - an unclothed mule - or is it more likely a standard model with an AMG body kit? I guess I shall never know but I think the clues are there.

I looked up AMG on the Internet and they list those MB models that are currently being given the race-bread treatment. The list doesn't include the small capacity models.

It doesn't surprise me to learn that there is a Smart Brabus (or is it Brabus Smart) because they are an independent company, unlike AMG which is MB-owned.

So, you can buy AMG bits on eBay, including the badging! This answers one of my original questions ... AMG badges do exist and you can obtain the real thing on eBay. Forget about cheap imitations. But if you go to all the trouble to obtain such a badge, would you mount it on the boot lid so that it attracts the wrong kind of attention?

I take SLinKyjoe's point ... the mark of a true AMG model is more than skin deep.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[SLinKyjoe]

Ahah more info.


The exhaust gives it away. It is almost definately not an AMG.

That also explains the Model deletion but the AMG badge. I would guess they gave him the badge and he stuck it on himself, or he bought it and did the same. Its on the correct side, but I doubt whether a dealer would de-badge a non AMG model and add an AMG badge. They might leave one in the glovebox for you to do as you please with!

I think AMG's come in Mettalic paint. I would be surpised if they didnt!

The C Class AMG is not listed at the mo, as they have just changed to the latest model and the AMG's generally come along 1 to 2 years later. The last model was a C55, before that I think it was an AMG C36, and they did a SLK32.


They did stumble about with an A-Class AMG but that soon got finished!


The Brabus was an official MB product. It just had Brabus sourced wheels and such like. Brabus also did a Version of the Smart Roadster, but that came with 2 engines and was in excess of £100K.

You can still get the Smart fourtwo Brabus. Costs about £16k. Not bad for a plastic bodied Mitsubishi Colt.

 

[kveysey]

Here is a link to one that CH4 ran.

baby Brabus

Does it grow into this?

 

[philharve]

"The exhaust gives it away. It is almost definately not an AMG!"


Hi SLinKyjoe

My thoughts exactly.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[hawk20]

So, you can buy AMG bits on eBay, including the badging! This answers one of my original questions ... AMG badges do exist and you can obtain the real thing on eBay. Forget about cheap imitations.
Phil

How do you know they are genuine? I am trying hard to think why AMG would sell spares via e-bay rather than through Mercedes dealers?

 

[television]

How do you know they are genuine? I am trying hard to think why AMG would sell spares via e-bay rather than through Mercedes dealers?

There are at least 6 different firms selling AMG badges, they all say that they are original, but they are not

 

[philharve]

How do you know they are genuine? I am trying hard to think why AMG would sell spares via e-bay rather than through Mercedes dealers?

Hi hawk20

I guess that if they are original AMG badges they will not be made of cheap plastic but instead made of metal and chrome plated.

If original badges can be found on eBay then maybe they have been lost then found or stolen or recovered from scrapped cars. I'm not suggesting they are brand new OEM badges but I don't see why they shouldn't be.

Maybe there are far eastern companies producing quality copies that are indistinguishable from the real thing. Copying is something they are particularly good at.

I have no idea whether AMG badges can be bought from franchised dealers without questions being asked. However, if they are not easily obtainable through dealers, I can see eBay being used to satisfy demand.

If they are cheap from legitimate sources then I don't see the point of selling imitations.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[philharve]

AMG badges can be found on eBay

Hi All

I've just had a quick look on eBay and using the buying search criteria of 'Mercedes AMG badges', 17 examples immediately presented themselves.

The Hong Kong ones look like cheap plastic and are priced accordingly.

However, there are 'stick-on' genuine badges for sale too for about GBP10.00 to GBP15.00. Somehow the terms 'stick-on' and 'genuine' don't gel with me.

And yes, there are even genuine badges from scrapped Mercedes. I don't suppose these are stick-on!

I wonder what the genuine article costs?

REGARDS

Phil

 

[television]

Hi All

I've just had a quick look on eBay and using the buying search criteria of 'Mercedes AMG badges', 17 examples immediately presented themselves.

The Hong Kong ones look like cheap plastic and are priced accordingly.

However, there are 'stick-on' genuine badges for sale too for about GBP10.00 to GBP15.00. Somehow the terms 'stick-on' and 'genuine' don't gel with me.

And yes, there are even genuine badges from scrapped Mercedes. I don't suppose these are stick-on!

I wonder what the genuine article costs?

REGARDS

Phil

Genuine badges cant be re stuck once they have been taken off, I can guarantee the all of the sellers are not telling the truth when they say genuine, genuine plastic yes, thats where it sops

 

[stats007]

The OEM badges are just plastic and self-adhesive anyway.

 

[philharve]

The OEM badges are just plastic and self-adhesive anyway.

Hi Malcolm, Hi stats007

I thought Mercedes badges were made from metal? Now it has been suggested they are plastic. I'll write to a couple eBay sellers offering genuine AMG badges to inquire what their items are made from. Some look like plastic but others, the expensive ones, look like metal.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[stats007]

They are plastic - you can buy them from MB for around £15.