HWA AG was founded in 1999, taking its name from Hans-Werner Aufrecht, who had established AMG in 1967. In late 1998, Aufrecht sold a majority interest in AMG to DaimlerChrysler AG. As part of this process, the motor racing department and portions of the customized vehicle construction business were spun off and transferred to the newly formed HWA AG. HWA was responsible for managing the AMG Mercedes team in the DTM and, until Mercedes-Benz Motorsport's DTM exit in 2018, collected numerous titles and victories, making it the most successful team in DTM history. Between 1998 and 1999, HWA produced 20 road versions of the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR, with an additional six roadster models built from spare parts in 2002.
On May 9, 2018, it was announced that HWA would join Formula E for the 2018–19 season. Their drivers included Gary Paffett, the reigning DTM champion, and former McLaren Formula One driver Stoffel Vandoorne. For the 2019–20 season, Mercedes officially entered Formula E by taking over the HWA entry and renaming it the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team. HWA Racelab concluded its independent Formula E participation as the best rookie team at the end of 2019.
In October 2018, HWA was named one of ten teams for the inaugural season of the rebranded FIA Formula 3 Championship. In January 2019, the team partnered with Arden International for the FIA Formula 2 Championship. On October 16, 2019, HWA announced it would fully take over Arden's entry for the 2020 season following Arden's withdrawal. The following month, Artem Markelov, an incumbent Arden driver, was named as HWA's first driver for that campaign. In October 2021, HWA announced its departure from the FIA Formula 3 Championship after three seasons, during which the team achieved four wins and ten podiums. HWA's Formula 3 assets were subsequently purchased by Van Amersfoort Racing.
For the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship, HWA provided research and development for the Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 LMH-C's 3.0-liter single-turbo V6 engine. The car made its debut in the season-opening 2024 Qatar 1812 km.
Beyond racing, HWA AG has engaged in various engineering and manufacturing projects. From 2002, HWA designed and manufactured the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster super sports car in a small series of five units. The company also developed and manufactured the Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG in 2004 and the Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series from 2008. HWA has been involved in the development and support of Mercedes-AMG customer racing cars such as the SLS AMG GT3 and Mercedes-AMG GT3. Other projects include developing a prototype for the Fittipaldi EF7 super sports car, a technical partnership with Apollo Automobil for the Apollo IE, and collaboration with DeTomaso on the P72. HWA also engineered the Pagani-R V12 engine for the Pagani Huayra R and developed the Bussink GT R Speedlegend.
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