Cars are, at their most basic level, hunks of metal on wheels. Throughout history, the majority of them have used boxes of explosions to pull themselves (and their passengers) from Point A to Point B. They roll off assembly lines, do their job, and eventually die.
But what would it take for one to survive? To transcend its definition and become more than just metal and rubber? How big would the box of explosions have to be, how far from Point A to Point B, how much cocaine ferried between the two? What does it take for a car to live forever?
If any car can weather the ages, ride eternal until the Earth’s final sunset, this AMG Hammer is a strong contender. It’s rare, as one of only thirteen Hammers ever sent to the U.S. — and one of a rumored five coupes. It’s fast, with six liters of V8 engine sending 385 horsepower to the wheels, and expensive: It just sold for $761,800 at auction.
Rarity, cost, and speed are surefire ways to preserve a car. But each one can lose its luster over time, as vehicles come along with lower production numbers and higher horsepower and costs. To truly preserve a car forever, it needs a good story. And the Cocaine Hammer has one.
The car’s first owner used it to traffic cocaine to Las Vegas, but the journey was left unfinished — a police stop interrupted the Hammer, redirecting it to an impound lot and to the Drug Enforcement Agency. From there, it lived with cops, sports starts, and collectors, before finally arriving in the modern day.
The Cocaine Hammer has lived a storied life, one that may never truly end. It’s living history, a story that’s already good enough to read but still far from finished. Years from now, we won’t all be driving two-door pre-merger AMGs, gleaming atop their monoblock wheels. But at least one person will.