Executives and guests of Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd unveil the new model C 63 AMG at the Shanghai Expo. Photos Provided to China Daily

Luxury carmaker celebrates 45th anniversary in style with F1 team win in Shanghai

On April 15, 2012, F1 fans were thrilled as young racing sensation Nico Rosberg took the first pole position and made his debut victory at the Formula One China Grand Prix in Shanghai.

Rosberg's outstanding win was a triumph for the Mercedes-Benz F1 racing team, which has from this year officially adopted the new name of Mercedes AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, fusing the proud traditions of AMG and the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows at the peak of motorsports. The victory also marked the first pole win for Mercedes-Benz since 1955.

"Nico Rosberg and the Mercedes AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team gave the perfect present to AMG to celebrate their 45th anniversary this year with a convincing win in the Shanghai Formula 1 race on Sunday," said Klaus Maier, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd.

"Starting from pole position, with flawless driving, a perfect race strategy, and the most powerful engine on the F1 circuit, the Silver Arrows are now the team to beat this season," Maier said.

"Since its entry into the China market in 2007, Mercedes-AMG has won acclamation from enthusiasts of high-performance vehicles as well as social elites."

In 2011, sales of AMG in the China market witnessed a year-on-year increase of 48 percent, making China AMG's third largest market worldwide.

The comprehensive and diverse AMG lineup further cements its leadership position in the high-performance luxury car market.

Night of celebration

As a prelude to the 2012 Formula One China Grand Prix, the city of Shanghai on the night of April 14 held celebrations for Mercedes-AMG as a tribute to the brand's history in world motorsport and the waves it has made to the auto industry.

At the Case Joint Pavilion of Shanghai Expo, the spotlight was on the launch of the new C 63 AMG and C 63 AMG Coup, presented to China for the first time and each underscoring the AMG brand's engineering excellence.

During the "AMG Speed Factory" presentation, guests traveled back in time to relive AMG's legacy and experience the high performance brand's passion and untiring sports spirit.

At the event, special recognition was given to the new F1 W03 - the new Silver Arrow racing car this year, the newly named Mercedes-Benz F1 racing team, as well as the "Gullwing" SLS AMG for demonstrating its reliability and performance for the 17th time on the F1 racetrack as the appointed Official Safety Car.

Today, AMG's legacy and brand philosophy continues to be shared with audiences in China and the rest of the world. Its extensive portfolio, together with an expanding sales and service network and an unchanging dedication to precision and quality, crowns the AMG as the world's leading high-performance luxury vehicle brand.