The Importance of Building Up Loyalty: Long-Term Passion Whenever manufacturers build million-dollar, rare, exclusive and world-changing hypercars, traditionally they are sold to customers who have shown loyalty to the brand. See Ferrari for instance, who only sell their “Halo Cars” to customers of their choosing, ones they believe are worthy. And Mercedes, as it turns out, are no different. Even if you were a billionaire with 200 companies and 18 superyachts, that didn’t guarantee you a place to purchase a ONE. The select few had to prove that they were a loyal customer of AMG Mercedes. They had to provide an in-detailed history of their ownership when it started, and what cars they owned. Also, they were continued customers of AMG, still buying the latest products built. And most importantly that the ONEs delivered weren’t just stored away in storage, hidden in garages away from the living world. They were driven, used, and raced, putting preference on customers who had a racing background and actively used their cars. The Long-Term Development: Putting Patience to the Test The AMG ONE is the closest thing to an F1 car for the road, so of course there were challenges to overcome before the car could reach its customers. The AMG ONE was unveiled at the International Motor Show in Germany in 2017 in a promo via Lewis Hamilton. However, between then and 2022, the car disappeared from the press. As a result, rumours and questions began being asked about whether the AMG ONE would see the light of day. Whether this ambitious project was just too much for Mercedes and that they would be better off cancelling it. Most of the challenges, I suspect, had to do with the fact it had an F1 engine that they had to tailor back for road use.Nevertheless, AMG pressed on, promising that this F1 car for the road would eventually reach their dedicated customers. Despite the fact there were budget overruns and Mercedes made a loss on every AMG ONE that left the factory, their dedication to getting their masterpiece out shows the dedication and spirit of Mercedes’ persistence. Customer’s First Impressions: Truly Blown Away Such was the heavy development that owners were told last minute that the pre-production AMG ONEs were ready for testing. Many had to change their schedules just to experience what this $3 million passion project was like. Needless to say, their minds were blown away. If one could sum up the AMG One in one word, it would be visceral. From the moment customers sat in the driving seat and noticed the F1-inspired steering wheel and simple but focused interior, they knew they were in something unbelievably special. Only further enhanced when the car was fitted into Race+ and that incredible 1.6l e-Turbo V6 roared into life. Read More Aston Martin Valkyrie Production Concludes in 2024: Though Aston’s Hypercar Goal Continues Customers' reactions to this monster’s performance could be summed up in three words; surprise, satisfaction, and shock. Not just from this car’s 1,049 horsepower but from its immense stopping power as well as its “stick to the road handling”. But what was most astonishing, was despite this car’s ferocious performance, owners found driving it easy. The AMG ONE’s performance isn’t there to test the limits of its driver. Its all-wheel drive, system, e-turbo F1 engine and enhanced aerodynamics are all there to assist its driver in reaching limits they didn’t think were possible. That’s the ONE’s greatest achievement, taking this unbelievable performance and making it exploitable for anyone. The Varied Range of Customers: Proof the ONE has no preference However, the biggest standout was the varied customer profile of AMG ONE. Unsurprisingly this F1 car for the road has reached the collections of many high-profile F1 drivers such as David Coulthard, Valtteri Bottas, Nico Rosberg and of course, Lewis Hamilton, who purchased two. But also lesser-known racers like Susie Wolff, managing director of the F1 Academy is also an AMG ONE customer. But it’s not just racing drivers who were lucky enough to own an AMG ONE. Many other celebrities like Lindsay Fox and Austrian Pop Singer Victoria Swarvorksi are also proud owners. Even unknown businessmen like Wasim Khan, Faraz Khan, or CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz are proud owners of the ONE. That is truly the beauty of the ONE's ownership experience. Even though criteria must be met, your background truly doesn’t matter. But that’s always been Mercedes-Benz’s mantra: It’s the brand for everyone. Be it a learner in an A-Class, an accountant in a C43, a tech engineer in an E63 AMG S or a US-based tax dodger in a G63, this brand is welcoming to all. The AMG ONE may be a rare and technical masterpiece that has certain criteria that must be met, but its ease of use in exploiting and appealing to all backgrounds proves that at heart, it is inherently a Mercedes-Benz. That’s undoubtedly its greatest achievement. No wonder it’s called the ONE, it’s the ONE incredible hypercar for anyONE. Source: Mercedes-AMG Youtube Channel
