Mercedes-AMG, located in Affalterbach, Germany, is the performance and sports car brand of Mercedes-Benz. Founded in 1967 by Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher as an "engineering, design and testing office for the development of racing engines", the company soon established itself in motor racing: in 1971, the AMG Mercedes 300 SEL 6.8 won its class at the 24-hour race in Spa and took second place overall. In the following years the young company grew and equipped other Mercedes models with performance technology. The cooperation with Mercedes-Benz became even closer in 1990 when a cooperation agreement opened up the global sales network of the brand with the three-pointed star to AMG.