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For other uses of the name Mercedes, see Mercedes.
Mercedes-Benz
Company typeDivision of DaimlerChrysler
IndustryAutomotive
Founded1871
HeadquartersGermany Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Key people
Gottlieb Daimler
Karl Benz
Dieter Zetsche, current CEO
ProductsAutomobiles
Trucks
Buses
Engines
RevenueIncrease/Decrease
Increase/Decrease
Increase/Decrease
ParentDaimlerChrysler AG
Websitewww.mercedes-benz.com

Mercedes-Benz (sometimes shortened to just Mercedes, "Benz" or "Merc") is a German brand name of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks created for Daimler-Benz AG and up until May of 2007, owned by DaimlerChrysler AG. The Daimler-Benz company originated on June 28, 1926 when two companies, Benz & Cie. and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG), the inventors of the automobile, merged. Karl Benz is credited as the inventor of the first 'true' automobile (patented in 1886) since Daimler's was a horse carriage with an engine, whereas Benz' had a chassis designed from scratch.

Established in 1871, Benz & Cie. was the most important of several companies founded by Karl Benz. DMG was founded by Gottlieb Daimler and his partner Wilhelm Maybach in 1890, but Daimler died in 1900 and Maybach left DMG in 1907, by which time the two companies were rivals. In 1924, owing to economic necessity after World War One, they entered into an "Agreement of Mutual Interest" (valid until the year 2000), however, this initial agreement still allowed each company to manufacture and sell their products under their original brand names. It was only after the 1926 official merger, that the brand Mercedes-Benz was created and used.

Mercedes-Benz is the brand name applied to the models of one of the premier automotive manufacturers in the world and, because of its tie to Karl Benz, it is also the name of the world's oldest continuously produced automobile line. In 1926 when the new company, Daimler-Benz was established through merger, a new logo also was created that would include a symbol for each and integrate the names of the two former companies. A three-pointed star had been designed by Gottlieb Daimler, to show the ability of his motors for land, air, and sea use. This star first appeared on a DMG model in 1909, so it was chosen for the new logo. However the brand name Daimler had been licensed for use on other automobiles (in France and the United Kingdom), so the name of its seminal Mercedes model was chosen for the DMG portion of the logo. The traditional laurel symbol of Karl Benz was added along with his name to complete the new logo. The logo with a plain ring, as seen today, was not used until 1937.

Mercedes-Benz automobiles have introduced — both in the past and present — the majority of technological and safety features (see details below). It was in 1998, when Daimler-Benz and Chrysler agreed to combine their businesses — known as the "merger of equals", that a new entity, DaimlerChrysler AG was created. On May 14, 2007, the separation of Daimler and Chrysler was announced.

History

Benz Patent Motorwagen 1886 (Replica). The world's first true automobile.
Benz Velo 1894.
1934 Mercedes-Benz Silver 500K 3D red cyan glasses are recommended to view this image correctly..

The origins of the Daimler-Benz company founded through a merger in 1926 date back to the mid-1880s, when Gottlieb Daimler (1834-1900) working with Wilhelm Maybach (1846-1929), and Karl Benz (1844-1929) independently invented the internal combustion engine-powered automobile, in southwestern Germany. Although they were merely sixty miles apart, these pioneers were unaware of each other's early work.

File:Zzz-BenzMerceBenz.jpg
The first logo of Mercedes-Benz from the 1926 merger of the companies of Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler.

Karl Benz had his shop in Mannheim and invented the world's first true automobile powered by an internal combustion engine in 1885. It had three wheels. He was granted a patent for his automobile, dated January 29, 1886, for what he called the "Benz Patent Motorwagen". Among many inventions, Benz patented his first engine in 1879 and included in his 'integral' design for the Motorwagen patent application, a high-speed single-cylinder four-stroke engine of his own design.

In 1885, Gottlieb Daimler and design partner Wilhelm Maybach, working in Cannstatt, Stuttgart, were granted a patent dated August 29, 1885 for what is generally recognized as the prototype of the modern gas engine, that they named the "grandfather clock engine".

On March 8, 1886, Daimler purchased a stagecoach made by Wilhelm Wimpff & Sohn and he and Maybach adapted it to hold this engine, thereby creating a four-wheeled carriage propelled by an engine, as many had before them. The only distinction about this carriage was that it carried an internal combustion engine. None of many similar attempts to adapt carts, boats, or carriages, in many countries, were propelled by this type of engine. On the official history pages of the Mercedes-Benz Internet site it is referred to as "a carriage — without a drawbar but with the conventional drawbar steering. A carriage without horses..." Daimler and Maybach later purposely built, from scratch, the first four-stroke engine powered automobile with four wheels in 1889. They founded DMG in 1890 and sold their first automobile in 1892.

Stationary engines were his major business and he invented many improvements to them and their application, but Karl Benz continued to refine his Motorwagen through several models and sold his first automobile in 1888. He built his first four-wheeled model in 1891. Benz & Cie, the company started by the inventor, became not only the world's first, but also largest manufacturer of automobiles by 1900.

In 1899, DMG automobiles built at Untertürkheim (a city district of Stuttgart) were raced successfully by Emil Jellinek (1853-1918), an automobile enthusiast and dealer. He had the name of his daughter, Mercedes, painted on the automobiles for good luck. Wanting faster race cars, it was Jellinek who spurred the development of the seminal 1900 DMG model that would be the first of the DMG Mercedes series, bearing the name of his daughter.

After suggesting some design specifications, he promised to purchase thirty-six of the new DMG model if Maybach would name the new 35 hp engine contained in it the Daimler-Mercedes engine. A contract of five hundred and fifty thousand marks was made for these new models. Within weeks he contracted for thirty-six of another DMG model with 8 hp engines. He was granted an exclusive concession to sell the new DMG automobiles in Austria-Hungary, France, Belgium, and USA.

That new model later would be named "Mercedes 35 hp" and it was a very important advance in automobile design. The contract called for delivery of the first automobile to Jellinek in the Fall, but it did not reach him until December 22, 1900. He became obsessed with the name Mercedes and even had his name changed to Jellinek-Mercedes. Jellinek was invited to sit on the DMG board of directors, which he did from 1901 until 1909, when he retired from automotive activities in favor of diplomatic appointments.

The name change also was helpful in preventing legal troubles, because after the death of Daimler, DMG had sold exclusive rights to the name, Daimler, and technical concepts to companies abroad. As a result, luxury automobiles branded Daimler were, and still are, built in England. A fire that gutted the old Steinway piano factory in New York, which had been converted to produce the new Mercedes models, cut short the dream of American production.

1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK "Count Trossi" in the Ralph Lauren collection.

The rival companies of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) and Benz & Cie. started to cooperate in 1924, due to necessity arising from a troubled German economy after World War I, and finally merged in 1926 to become Daimler-Benz AG, which produced Mercedes-Benz automobiles and trucks. The merger agreement established that the two companies were required to remain together until 2000. While focusing on land vehicles, Mercedes-Benz also built engines to power boats and airplanes (military and civil), and even Zeppelins. Karl Benz died in 1929.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe from the Ralph Lauren collection.

Although the brand is most famous for limousine models, a significant number of notable sports cars have also been produced. For example, the early supercharged SSK developed by Ferdinand Porsche. Another distinctive model was the iconic 300SL Gullwing of 1954; that was suggested by Max Hoffman, explicitly for the USA market, and introduced at the New York Automobile Show.

Mercedes-Benz has also produced higher volume, less expensive cars. Interestingly, the prototypes of the Volkswagen were built and tested in Stuttgart, in cooperation with Porsche. Before that, Mercedes-Benz had a similar rear-engined, yet rather unsuccessful, small car, the 130 H. In recent years Mercedes have produced the A-Class, relatively inexpensive compared to its other models. Also the Smart brand of small affordable automobiles has been part of the Mercedes-Benz Group since 1994 and are still producing cars today in conjunction with DaimlerChrysler AG.

Quality & Reliability

Since its inception, Mercedes-Benz has had a reputation for uncompromising emphasis on quality and durability.

Increased focus on costs and volume, and the dramatically increased complexity in modern automobile electronics led to plummeting quality in the late 1990s and early 2000s. By 2005, Mercedes temporarily returned to the industry average for initial quality (if the "complexity" variable was ignored), according to J.D. Power.[1]

In 2006, however, Consumer Reports[2] report on new cars for 2007 found Mercedes occupying 3 of the 6 worst quality luxury cars, 3 of the 7 worst quality sports cars, and the single least reliable SUV (as well as the fourth least reliable).[3] Mercedes claimed that the results from both Consumer Reports and J.D. Power were not in keeping with their internal data. Many consumers, however, have complained that the company's responses to customer concerns have not been adequately addressed.[4] In the past 10 years, Mercedes cars show as one of the 3 least reliable brands.[5]

Motorsport

Main Article Mercedes-Benz in motorsport.
A DMG Mercedes Simplex 1906 in the Deutsches Museum
1957 Mercedes-Benz 300Sc Cabriolet
1959 Mercedes-Benz W120 Model 180

The two companies which were merged to form the Mercedes-Benz brand in 1926 had both already enjoyed success in the new sport of motor racing throughout their separate histories- both had entries in the very first automobile race Paris to Rouen 1894. This has continued, and throughout its long history, the company has been involved in a range of motorsport activities, including sportscar racing and rallying. On several occcassions Mercedes-Benz has withdrawn completely from motorsport for a significant period, notably in the late 1930s and after the 1955 Le Mans disaster, where a Mercedes-Benz 300SLR collided with another car and killed more than eighty spectators. Although there was some activity in the inteverning years, it was not until the late 1980s that Mercedes-Benz returned to front line competition, returning to LeMans and sportscar racing with Sauber.

This long absence inspired by the disaster is understandable considering that Mercedes-Benz is viewed by many to be the world's safety leader due to their dominant contribution to automotive safety as well as licensing their safety innovations for use by their competitors, placing family safety above profit and competitive advantage.

The 1990s saw Mercedes-Benz purchase engine builder Ilmor, and campaign cars at the famed Indy 500 race under the USAC/CART rules, eventually winning that race with Al Unser, Jr. at the wheel. The 90's also saw the return of Mercedes-Benz to GT racing, and the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, which took the company to new heights (both figuratively) by dominating the FIA's GT1 class and (literally) by notably taking flight at the end of a long straight at La Sarthe.

Mercedes-Benz is currently active in three forms of motorsport, Formula Three, DTM and Formula One. In Formula One, the company part owns Team McLaren and has supplied the team with engines since 1995. This partnership has brought great success, including back to back Drivers Championships for Mika Häkkinen in 1998 and 1999 and a Constructors championship in 1998. The collaboration with McLaren has been extended into the production of roadgoing cars such as the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

Business alliances

Studebaker-Packard Corporation

In 1958 Mercedes-Benz entered into a distribution agreement with the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana (USA), makers of Studebaker and Packard brand automobiles. Under the deal, Studebaker would allow Mercedes-Benz access to their U.S. dealer network, handle shipments of vehicles to those dealers, and in return receive compensation for each car sold. Studebaker also was permitted to use the German automaker’s name in its advertisements, which stressed Studebaker's quality over quantity.

When Studebaker entered into informal discussions with Franco-American automaker Facel Vega about offering their Facel Vega Excellence model in the United States, Mercedes-Benz objected to the proposal. Studebaker, which needed Mercedes-Benz distribution payments to help stem heavy losses, dropped further action on the plan.

Mercedes-Benz maintained an office within the Studebaker works in South Bend from 1958 to 1963 when Studebaker's U.S. operations ceased. Many U.S. Studebaker dealers converted to Mercedes-Benz dealerships at that time. When Studebaker closed its Canadian operation and left the automobile business in 1966, remaining Studebaker dealers had the option to convert their dealerships to Mercedes-Benz dealership agreements.

Production

Besides its native Germany, Mercedes-Benz are also manufactured or assembled in:

  • South Africa [1]
  • Thailand [2]
  • Malaysia [3]
  • United States of America [4]
  • Argentina [5] (Buses, Trucks and the van Sprinter. the first factory of Mercedes-Benz outside of Germany)
  • Brazil [6]
  • India [7]
  • Nigeria [8]
  • United Kingdom (The SLR supercar is built here at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking).
  • Egypt [9]
  • Austria (G-Class) [10]
  • China
  • Turkey [11]

Purchasing

Mercedes-Benz automobiles are available at dealerships in over 130 countries and their work fleet (trucks and commercial vehicles) are available from a select group of dealers worldwide as well as the factory-direct. As with several European brand automobiles, Mercedes has offered a European delivery option for purchasing of a Mercedes Benz automobile. Mercedes’ European delivery program (begun by Mercedes in 1963) varies depending upon where the purchase is finalized. For example, if arranged for on the eastern seaboard of the United States, the program may offer two transatlantic coach tickets on Lufthansa to Frankfurt, Germany with ground transportation to the designated European delivery factory in Sindelfingen, Germany. If European delivery is arranged for on the west coast of the United States, the program will offer a free companion ticket with the purchase of a business class ticket on Lufthansa, arranged for by Mercedes Benz’s travel agent. Once in Germany, purchasers utilizing European delivery are given one night in a Sindelfingen hotel. Purchasers get a free, optional factory tour and lunch and then are given possession of their automobile. The automobile may stay within Germany for 6 months without registering within the European Union, but only includes 15 days worth of no-deductible insurance courtesy of Mercedes Benz. North American consumers can then drop off their Mercedes Benz in fourteen designated drop-off locations located in Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom at no extra charge. Drop-off locations in Italy are offered but for an additional fee.

Certain car types are not eligible for Mercedes’ European Delivery program and any car purchased through this program must be destined for export to the purchaser’s country of origin and must comply with the regulations of the destination country. Fortunately, taking possession of the car in Germany and utilizing the European Delivery does not expose the purchaser to the currency fluctuations of the euro since the purchase is really deemed finalized in the country of origin. Additionally, purchasers may experience savings as great as 7% of what they would have paid without European delivery (i.e.: a standard sale through their North American dealer).

Cars

Current Mercedes-Benz (passenger vehicle) lineup

A-Class 5-Door)

A-Class

The A-Class is a small family car. Although the first generation W168 was controversial; it was very expensive and featured styling that was heavily critiscised and poor safety, the second generation W169 was still critiscised as a car with not-so-good styling, it was commented on its new safety features, standard features and all new models.

File:800px-Mercedes Benz B 170 silver vl.jpg
2007 B-Class 170

B-Class

The Mercedes-Benz B-Class is a compact MPV that is based off the A-Class. Mercedes-Benz call it a 'Sports Tourer'. It was released in Europe in the late spring of 2005 and in Canada since the fall of 2005. Plans to import the car to the US were put on hold due to a strong euro, that would price the vehicle uncompetitively in the US market. The B-Class was released with the R-Class, that is also a 'Sports Tourer'.

File:2007 W204 C-Class 200 Kompressor Avantgarde.jpg
2007 Mercedes-Benz C200 Kompressor Avantgarde (current generation)

C-Class

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is an entry level luxury sedan that mainly competes with the BMW 3 Series. The C-Class' best seller is the C200 Kompressor, a supercharged 2.0l I4 that is a more powerful version of the C180 Kompressor; it also features some additional standard features. The C-Class has recently been redesigned as the previous version has been around since 2000. The new C-Class for the first time in a Mercedes-Benz has a sedan that has the Mercedes-Benz star emblem on a 3-chrome bar grille, similar to an option on the B-Class (except the B-Class does have the star emblem as standard). The C-Class estate (wagon) and sports coupe (hatchback) versions will be redesigned and available by the beginning of 2009 worldwide.

  • C-Class Estate (pre-update, current generation for W203 Estate generation)
    C-Class Estate (pre-update, current generation for W203 Estate generation)
  • C-Class Sports Coupe (pre-update, current generation for W203 Sports Coupe Generation)
    C-Class Sports Coupe (pre-update, current generation for W203 Sports Coupe Generation)
2007 CL-Class

CL-Class

The Mercedes-Benz CL-Class is a grand tourer coupe that is based on a the saloon/sedan S-Class. The CL-Class features nearly the exact same interior as the S-Class and vice versa. However, the recently redesigned version does not look more different than the S-Class than the previous generation did.

CLK-Class

The Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class is a car that consists of a coupe and convertible. It is based inbetween the C-Class and E-Class. It shares the E-Class engine-types but shares a lot of the C-Class features. It is also minorly related to the CL-Class. It competes against the BMW 3 Series E92 and E93 coupe & convertible.

  • Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM C209 version convertible
    Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM C209 version convertible
  • Mercedes-Benz CLK 55 AMG C209 version coupe (pre-update)
    Mercedes-Benz CLK 55 AMG C209 version coupe (pre-update)
2007 CLS 550

CLS-Class

The Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class is a 4-door coupe that is based on the E-Class. It competes against the Lexus GS and the Cadillac CTS along with other fastback sedans.

2007 Mercedes-Benz E350 (update)

E-Class

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a luxury sedan. It competes mainly against the BMW 5-Series. The E-Class ties in with the 5-Series updates; the E-Class update/redesign is only a year before the next 5-Series update/redesign will commence. The E-Class will be redesigned in 2011 like the 5-Series and will feature similarity to the C-Class and the S-Class plus other models with the all new redesign style and COMMAND that is similair to BMW's iDrive.

  • E-Class Estate
    E-Class Estate
Mercedes-Benz G-Class 55 AMG variant

G-Class

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a cross country vehicle and luxury SUV. It is one of the longest running production models of Mercedes-Benz. It however does not look like any other Mercedes-Benz car, because it retains its 1970s body design. The G-class was originaly developed for the German military, and is built under contract in Austria. It has an extremely rugged exterior.

At the time of its conception, Mercedes-Benz thought about developing a cross country vehicle not only addressed to the army (capable of substituting the old models then in use) but also foreseeing the possibility of being present in the new AWD niche. It was then decided to give more importance to practicality rather than to aesthetics. The result should be a range of cross-country vehicles that satisfy the widely differing tasks that a 4WD vehicle has to perform. Around this range, Mercedes even derived the motto: the right vehicle for every purpose and claimed to be able to offer a tailor-made vehicle to suit a particular requirement.

A joint company, the Geländefahrzeuggesellschaft mbH or GFG, in which both DB and SDP had a 50% each holding, designed the G. The chief designer was Erich Lewinka. It was decided from the beginning, for efficiency reasons, that the new design would use as much components as possible from both partners and therefore body panels, engines, gearbox, axles and steering come from MB and SDP is responsible for the chassis and the transfer box.

The project’s name was H2, which stood for Haflinger 2, but Mercedes was reluctant to use this latter as the trade name in view of its great association to Steyr-Daimler-Puch. During the development and testing periods, names like Explorer and Ascari were also considered, but this latter was rejected by the Executive Board of Mercedes-Benz in view of the negative connotations that it might have because of the German colonial past in German East Africa.

Finally, the neutral name G, a short for the German word for all-terrain vehicle or Geländewagen was chosen.

Mercedes-Benz GL 450

GL-Class

The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is a luxury seven seater SUV. It was thought originally to be replacing the G-Class, however the G-Class has not been discontinued; yet. The GL-Class is a bigger M-Class, sharing a lot of features and styling. The rear of the GL-Class slightly resembles the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van.

Mercedes-Benz ML 55 AMG (previous generation)

ML-Class

The Mercedes-Benz M-Class is a luxury five (optional 7) seater SUV. It has been redesigned only once, and competes mainly against the BMW X5. The M-Class' is officially called the "M-Class", however a lot of other places call it the "ML-Class". It is a shorter version of the GL-Class, but was released before the GL-Class.

Mercedes-Benz R-Class

R-Class

The Mercedes-Benz R-Class is a luxury MPV (Sports Tourer as Mercedes-Benz calls it) initial launched with six seats in a 2-2-2 configuration. The 2007 face-lift provides seating configurations of 2-2-2 or 2-3-2 or 2-3 seats. The R-Class was released with the B-Class and is the only Mercedes-Benz Sports Tourer to go to the US, because the B-Class would not have a competitor because of the price transfer. The R-Class may have a BMW competitor, rumoured the V5. Mercedes-Benz W221

S-Class

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a large luxury sedan that competes mainly with the BMW 7-Series. The S-Class is considered as probably the safest car ever built, with amazing PRE-SAFE technology system. The recently redesigned version features an all new COMMAND system, that also changes most of the instrument panel in the interior. The system is like BMW's iDrive system, and has been critiscised for 'stealing' BMW's idea.

2007 SL-Class (update))

SL-Class

The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is a grand tourer roadster. It is unknown which sedan of the Mercedes-Benz range it is based on, however some of the car is based on the CLK-Class convertible. The SL-Class should be redesigned by 2008, with an update on the SL-Class happening just in late 2005/early 2006. The car is unknown to have a BMW competitor, though the BMW 6 Series convertible does minorly rival the SL-Class.

Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG

SLK-Class

The Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class is a roadster that competes against the BMW Z4. It shares some minor styling with the SL-Class. The SLK may also have a coupe version that people are speculating.


Significant car models produced

2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR 722 Edition

See also: List of Mercedes-Benz Cars

McLaren cars

Mercedes-Benz has also produced a supercar with McLaren Cars, an extension of the collaboration by which Mercedes engines are used by the Team McLaren-Mercedes Formula One racing team, which is part owned by Mercedes. Many anticipate there to be a range of McLaren--Mercedes supercars produced in Woking (McLaren’s manufacturing headquarters). The 2003 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren has a carbon-fiber body with a 5.5l V8 supercharged engine. This is the same block as featured in other Mercedes-Benz automobiles, such as the SL55 AMG and the CLS55 AMG, it has however been tweaked to give 454kw and 780nm of torque. The SLR has a maximum speed of 334km/h and costs approximately US$500,000.

The most recent new joint-venture model, expected to reach production, is the mid-engine P8 supercar. Based around a unique carbon fiber monocoque, manufactured by McLaren, the P8 was originally predicted to receive the new naturally aspirated 6.3L V8 from Mercedes-AMG, but insiders now say that the engine will be modified for the car and will probably be twin- turbocharged to produce in excess of 600 bhp. The car is still in development, but likely to reach production to go on sale in early 2008, and have a price tag less than that of the SLR.

Car nomenclature

In 1994 (starting with the 1994 models), the traditional nomenclature of Mercedes-Benz vehicles changed. Since the early days of the company the name would be in the form of 500E where the engine displacement made up the first three numbers and the last letter(s) represented the type of engine and/or chassis; for example: "E" for fuel injection ("Einspritzung" in German), "D" for Diesel, "L" for long wheelbase etc.

In 1994, this was altered so that the prefix reflected the model ("class", German "Klasse", in Mercedes-Benz terminology) and a number the displacement. The suffix was retained in some cases, for example "L" for long wheelbase, and "CDI" for Diesel (CDI = Common rail Direct Injection). Thus, the 500E in the example above became the E500 ("E-Klasse", 5 liters displacement). It should also be noted that while in the past the model number generally accurately reflected the actual engine displacement, this is currently not always the case - for example the E200 CDI and E220 CDI actually both have a 2.2 liter displacement, and the C240 actually has a 2.6 litre engine. Also, there is a huge difference in power (and price) between some cars with the same engine number, such as C55 and SL55.

Concept Models

Buses

Main article: Mercedes-Benz buses

Mercedes-Benz also produces buses, mainly for Europe and Asia. The first factory to be built outside of Germany after WWII was in Argentina. It originally built Truck-Buses, named Colectivo in Buenos Aires, Argentina (1950-1987), but now builds buses.

Vans

Mercedes-Benz produce a range of vans. The current range consists of

Trucks

Mercedes-Benz is the world's largest manufacturer of trucks

The current range consists of

Tuners

Mercedes-Benz automobiles are very popular among performance-oriented buyers, and many companies have become tuners/modifiers of these cars, adding even more performance and luxury to the brand.

  • AMG is Mercedes-Benz's performance-tuning division specializing in high performance versions of most Mercedes-Benz cars. AMG engines are hand-built and the completed engine received a tag with the signature of the engineer who built it. AMG has been fully-owned by Mercedes-Benz since 1999.

Other Tuners

Robot Cars

In the 1980s Mercedes built the world's first robot car, together with the team of Professor Ernst Dickmanns at Bundeswehr Universität München. Partially encouraged by Dickmanns' success, in 1987 the European Union's EUREKA programme initiated the Prometheus project on autonomous vehicles, funded to the tune of nearly 800 million Euros. A culmination point was achieved in 1995, when Dickmanns´ re-engineered autonomous S-Class Mercedes took a long trip from Munich in Bavaria to Copenhagen in Denmark and back. On highways the robot achieved speeds exceeding 175 kilometres per hour (roughly 110 miles per hour; there is no general speed limit on the German Autobahn). The car's abilities left a big impression on many observers, and heavily influenced robot car research and funding decisions world-wide.

Bicycles

Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH introduced 3 new bicycles in 2005, named Automatic Bike, Fitness Bike, Mountain Bike.[13] The bikes are sold in Australia[14], Germany, Russia.[15]

List of vehicles

Trivia

  • Mercedes-Benz is the only car manufacturer called out by European authorities to the scene of an accident to perform research.
  • The "Safety cage" or "Safety cell" construction with front and rear crumple zones —considered by many as the most important innovation in automobile construction from a safety standpoint—was first developed by Mercedes-Benz in 1951.[16]. Crumple zones are now used on all prestige cars including those of BMW, Audi and Rolls Royce.
  • Anti-lock brakes (ABS) was pioneered by and first used in Mercedes-Benz cars in 1978. They have been standard equipment on all Mercedes-Benz cars since model year 1989. ABS is now used on virtually all cars (including those manufactured by BMW, Audi and Rolls Royce).
  • Mercedes-Benz pioneered and were the first to use traction control. It was introduced in 1986 to maintain car stability and driver control by reducing wheelslip on pulloff or in slippery conditions.
  • The first airbags offered in the European market were in Mercedes-Benz automobiles in 1980. Also the first manufacture to include airbags as standard safety equipment on its cars.
  • Mercedes-Benz pioneered and was the first to introduce pre-tensioners to seat belts on the 1981 S-Class. In the event of a crash, a pre-tensioner will tighten the belt almost instantaneously, preventing the impact of the passenger against the seatbelt- caused by the jerking around in a crash.
  • Stability control, brake assist, collapsible steering collumn, automatic fuel shut-off in an accident, and a large variety of other safety equipment and features were all pioneered, tested, and implemented into passenger cars first by Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-Benz is not known for making a large fuss about its innovations and is the only car manufacturer with the exceptional distinction of licensing their safety innovations for use by competitors in the name of improving automobile and family safety, thus placing family safety at a higher priority than profit and competitive advantage. Mercedes-Benz research indicates that stability control has prevented 42% of accidents that would have otherwise been unavoidable. Toyota has estimated 50%. According to Mercedes Benz research, Brake Assist has helped prevent 8% of rear-end collisions, and 13% of pedestrian accidents. [17]
  • PRE-SAFE is another Mercedes Benz innovation. The system uses radar to detect an immanent crash and prepares the car's safety systems to respond optimally. Occupants are also prepared by tightening the seatbelt, closing the sunroof and windows, and moving the seats into the optimal position.
  • Mercedes Benz pioneered and were the first to use supercharging.
  • Mercedes Benz pioneered and were the first to use the double-pivot steering system used in cars today.
  • Mercedes Benz pioneered and were the first to use the starter motor, so that you don't have to start your car with a lever.
  • Mercedes Benz pioneered and were the first to use fuel injection
  • Mercedes Benz is in the process of pioneering a fatigue-detection system that warns the driver when they are displaying signs of micro-sleep (when the eyes stay closed for slightly longer than a natural blinking action). The system will use a variety of data including the individual driving style, the duration of the journey, the time of day and the current traffic situation. Fatigue mostly sets in gradually. [18]
  • The fastest (production) automatic road car in the world is the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren at 334 km/h (208 mph). The car was co-developed by DaimlerChrysler and McLaren Cars. It is assembled at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. Although some consider the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 as the fastest automatic, the transmission used in that car is an automated manual and not a traditional automatic with a torque converter.
  • The fastest street-legal saloon car in the world is the Mercedes-Benz BRABUS (tuned) W211 'E V12' - based on the E-Class saloon. The car uses a tuned version of the M275 AMG biturbo V12 engine which now produces 640 bhp (471 kW) and over 1000 Nm (757 lb-ft) of torque, the top speed was recorded as 350.2 km/h (217.6 mph) in Nardo, Italy. In 2006, Brabus once again beat the world record again with a twin-turbo CLS sedan named "The Rocket" by achieving a speed of 365.7 km/h (227.2 mph).
  • The (W211) E320 CDI which has a (VNT) turbocharged, 3.0L V6 common rail diesel engine, set new world endurance records. It covered 100,000 miles (the equivalent of four times round the Earth, which has a circumference of approximately 24,900 miles) in record time with an astonishing average speed of 224.823 km/h (140 mph). Three identical cars did the endurance run (one set above record) and the other two cars set world records for time taken to cover 100,000 km and 50,000 miles respectively. After all three cars had completed the run their combined distance of 300,000 miles is one-and-a-quarter times the distance from Earth to the moon (all records were FIA approved).
  • The most powerful naturally aspirated eight cylinder engine in the world is the Mercedes-AMG, 6208cc M156 V8 engine. It is the first engine in the world to combine large displacement with the high-revving concept, allowing it to produce around 20 percent more torque than comparable naturally aspirated engines in this performance class. The V8 engine is badged '63 AMG' and will replace the '55 AMG' M113 engine in most applicable models (exceptions include the SL55 and G55 AMG which will retain the M113 engine). The M156 engine can produce up to 518bhp, and although some models using this engine do have this output (like the S63 and CL63 AMGs) specific output varies slightly across other models in the range.[19]. In the future Mercedes-Benz AMG plan to tweak and add twin turbochargers to this engine for use in some of their cars.
  • "Mercedes Benz", a song by Janis Joplin, Michael McClure and Bob Neuwirth, famously sung a cappella by Janis Joplin, was intended as a gentle satire on materialism, but, ironically, has since been used in the automobile brand's advertising and later was used in a BMW advertisement on German TV; the driver of a BMW Z3 convertible raised his eyebrows after the first "buy me a Mercedes-Benz" and threw out the tape after "my friends all drive Porsches". Some Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts jokingly remarked that he had poor taste in music AND cars.
  • Since 1948, Mercedes-Benz has built the Unimog, or "Universal Motor-Gerät", a 4WD truck. It features extreme offroad capability due to offset axles and elastic frame, drive shafts for numerous additional machines, hydraulic and pneumatic connections, etc. Despite its high price, the Unimog is popular as an allround work horse, as snow plow, expedition vehicle in desert, jungle, and mountains, and it has won the truck class at high speed desert races such as Paris-Dakar[citation needed], and is used in some countries by their armed forces.
  • Mercedes-Benz claims all of the wood used in its modern automobiles is raised on tree farms. This claim has not been confirmed.[citation needed]
  • The first Daimler-Benz factory to be built outside of Germany after World War II was in Argentina. It originally built a massive number of trucks, some of which were slightly modified (by Mercedes-Benz) to Truck-Busses, popularly named Colectivo (in Buenos Aires).
  • In September 2003, Mercedes-Benz introduced the world's first 7-speed automatic transmission called '7G-TRONIC'.
  • Jeremy Clarkson said in a Top Gear episode that the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has always contained technology that will make its way down to other cars in the future. Clarkson states, "If you want to know what toys are going to be fitted in your ordinary family saloon in like 10 years time, there is only one place to look..." "It's more than just a car, it's a glimpse into the future, it's a showcase of everything that can be done and everything that everyone else will be doing very soon."
  • The Mercedes SSK appears in the movie LUPIN III.
  • Due to a period (late 1990's - early 2000's) of poor reliability, Mercedes-Benz suffered by having none of its eleven models available for sale in North America recommended by Consumer Reports due to poor reliability. [20]
  • Due to a period (late 1990's - early 2000's) of poor reliability, the old Mercedes-Benz W163 M-Class ranked as the least reliable mid-size SUV for sale in North America according to research by Consumer Reports. [21]

References

  1. ^ Business Week, November 2006
  2. ^ CNN Money, Nov. 11 2006
  3. ^ CNN Money, 2006 Auto Reliability
  4. ^ Mercedes Problems Web site
  5. ^ "Most & least reliable brands - 950,000 readers tell which products really last", Consumer Reports, May 2007, p. 12
  • Mercedes-Benz U.S.A. Mercedes-Benz. Retrieved December 21, 2003 from [22]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mercedes-Benz.
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