Benzcollector.museum YouTube Add Jalopnik on Google: Google Discover Aufrecht, Melcher, and Großaspach — or, as we all know it as, AMG — is known for its rich history in hot-rodding a good chunk of the Mercedes catalogue, but one might be surprised by how far its metric-wrench-adorned hands have extended in the past. Long before it was absorbed by Mercedes-Benz and officially entitled Mercedes-AMG, the company was truly left to its own devices, ready to upfit anything. Especially if it had a big motor under its hood, ready for its "one man, one engine" plan-of-action. However, it took a weird turn at one point and applied its tuning formula to either a diesel inline-4 or inline-5. Suffice to say, it's wilder to behold than the brand's latest CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung or GT 4-Door Coupe EV. Which means we're not talking about that question mark of a Mitsubishi Galant from '89, but rather the tuning shop's other activities that very same year. That's right: we've got the Mercedes-Benz 100 D AMG on the brain, which was a souped/plushed-up version of MB's boxy van, built in Spain between 1988 and 1995. These cats have done a myriad of wacky things since the company's inception, but this may be the rarest (and weirdest) Mercedes-AMG model ever made, particularly due to its size, engines, and overall vibe. More so than the Mitsubishi, even. What in the Sam Hill Benzcollector.museum YouTube From factory, power came from either a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter inline-4 (that it came with from the factory) or 2.9-liter inline-5. The four-cylinder engine made 71 horsepower and 103 pound-feet of torque stock, whereas the five-pot was rated at 95 and 142, respectively. But AMG utilized the good ol' turbocharging to bump those up to 95 hp and 142 lb-ft on the four, whereas the five jumped up to 125 hp and, we assume, significantly more torque. It's hard to find a conclusive figure on the latter. Then, the 100 D's exterior got a good freshening up with a redesigned front bumper, side skirts, flares, and bespoke dual-headlight grille. It was available with a two-tone metallic blue and pearlescent gray paint job, and unique 15-inch wheels adorned its arches. Inside, the driver got a three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel and nicer dashboard. Then, rather than a spartan cloth interior, AMG gave the MB 100 D a thorough makeover in soft Alcantara, with its own branding stitched into its nicer seats (nine of them!), plus the ability to add a phone, premium audio system, TV, and VCR. Conversion van Millennials can only dream of such opulence. Besides the one Mercedes keeps in its collection, one would be hard-pressed to find one on the road, as only around 50 were ever made. Luckily, a few early '90s Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) teams running 190E Evo I/II AMGs used them as team vans. Which may be one of the best paddock flexes, ever. AMG would go on to tune the W203 C30 CDI many years later, but the MB 100 D AMG was its first foray into selling spark-plug-less internal combustion vehicles, and perhaps its most badass.