Brand histories
The History of Mercedes-Benz
Autopapyrus
Almost a century and a half has passed since humanity invented the automobile, and a lot has changed. Companies that built early self-propelled carriages gave way to others. Plenty of water has gone under the bridge, and many carmakers have faded into history. But not the famous Mercedes-Benz!
Mercedes was conceived from the start as a car with a claim to elegance and luxury, and it has stayed true to that path for decades. That doesn't mean Mercedes was only for buyers with deep pockets. The company built cars for a wide range of customers, but its core principles never changed: a luxurious style, comfort and, of course, reliability. But let's start at the beginning. The founder of this automotive brand can rightfully be considered the German inventor Gottlieb Daimler, who began his experiments with automobile engines back in 1881 in Bad Cannstatt, near Stuttgart.
It was in this very place, a few years later in 1885-1886, that the first four-wheeled automobile in the classic sense, powered by a gasoline engine, appeared. Just four years later, in 1890, an ordinary workshop grew into a full-fledged car manufacturing company. Within 15 years Daimler had become one of the world's leading automakers. In 1926 came the commercially successful merger of Daimler with Benz. Benz was founded in 1886 by Karl Benz, who is credited with inventing the world's first three-wheeled automobile. Another recognized success for the company was the 1909 "Blitzen Benz" racing car, powered by an engine that was massive for its time, producing 200 horsepower.
The origin of the word "Mercedes" in the modern name deserves a special mention. Mercedes was the name of the daughter of Emil Jellinek, an active partner of the company in France who took a direct part in the work of the automaker. After he won the Nice-Magagnone-Nice race, he was seized with a burning desire to create the best car in the world. It's not hard to guess that his daughter's name was used first for a single car, and then for the entire company that makes the luxurious, comfortable cars now known around the world as "Mercedes."
In 1944 the company's plant suffered severe damage. During the war that year it was heavily bombed, and as a result the brand had to rebuild itself from scratch. It succeeded.
In 1953 the Mercedes-Benz 180 and 190 appeared. A year later came the sporty SL-class coupe, remembered the world over for its famous "gullwing" doors, which became both a classic and the height of fashion for all time.
Gradually, Mercedes cars became very popular with celebrities. That effectively gave the company free advertising and put its cars back in the premium segment.
From 1963 to 1965 the company kept reaching new heights, and the first S-Class appeared. The Mercedes-Benz S600 was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
In 1973, during a financial crisis, the company focused on building cars with economical engines. The result was the W123, which, incidentally, can still be seen on the roads today and in private collections of the brand's admirers around the world.
In the 2000s the company got a new boost, which allowed it to create, in a short time, masterpieces such as the C-Class and E-Class, and to bring the S-Class to perfection. But that's far from all. Mercedes-Benz cars today are offered in almost every segment, whether it's the compact A-Class, Formula 1 race cars, rugged off-roaders with a military character, or sporty roadsters. It's all there.
The only thing missing so far is a Mercedes pickup truck. But according to one of the latest press releases, issued this fall, the company's engineers are already working in that direction, so it's quite possible we'll soon see our beloved Mercedes in that form too. After all, the brand's history goes on.
Mercedes was conceived from the start as a car with a claim to elegance and luxury, and it has stayed true to that path for decades. That doesn't mean Mercedes was only for buyers with deep pockets. The company built cars for a wide range of customers, but its core principles never changed: a luxurious style, comfort and, of course, reliability. But let's start at the beginning. The founder of this automotive brand can rightfully be considered the German inventor Gottlieb Daimler, who began his experiments with automobile engines back in 1881 in Bad Cannstatt, near Stuttgart.
It was in this very place, a few years later in 1885-1886, that the first four-wheeled automobile in the classic sense, powered by a gasoline engine, appeared. Just four years later, in 1890, an ordinary workshop grew into a full-fledged car manufacturing company. Within 15 years Daimler had become one of the world's leading automakers. In 1926 came the commercially successful merger of Daimler with Benz. Benz was founded in 1886 by Karl Benz, who is credited with inventing the world's first three-wheeled automobile. Another recognized success for the company was the 1909 "Blitzen Benz" racing car, powered by an engine that was massive for its time, producing 200 horsepower.
The origin of the word "Mercedes" in the modern name deserves a special mention. Mercedes was the name of the daughter of Emil Jellinek, an active partner of the company in France who took a direct part in the work of the automaker. After he won the Nice-Magagnone-Nice race, he was seized with a burning desire to create the best car in the world. It's not hard to guess that his daughter's name was used first for a single car, and then for the entire company that makes the luxurious, comfortable cars now known around the world as "Mercedes."
In 1944 the company's plant suffered severe damage. During the war that year it was heavily bombed, and as a result the brand had to rebuild itself from scratch. It succeeded.
In 1953 the Mercedes-Benz 180 and 190 appeared. A year later came the sporty SL-class coupe, remembered the world over for its famous "gullwing" doors, which became both a classic and the height of fashion for all time.
Gradually, Mercedes cars became very popular with celebrities. That effectively gave the company free advertising and put its cars back in the premium segment.
From 1963 to 1965 the company kept reaching new heights, and the first S-Class appeared. The Mercedes-Benz S600 was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
In 1973, during a financial crisis, the company focused on building cars with economical engines. The result was the W123, which, incidentally, can still be seen on the roads today and in private collections of the brand's admirers around the world.
In the 2000s the company got a new boost, which allowed it to create, in a short time, masterpieces such as the C-Class and E-Class, and to bring the S-Class to perfection. But that's far from all. Mercedes-Benz cars today are offered in almost every segment, whether it's the compact A-Class, Formula 1 race cars, rugged off-roaders with a military character, or sporty roadsters. It's all there.
The only thing missing so far is a Mercedes pickup truck. But according to one of the latest press releases, issued this fall, the company's engineers are already working in that direction, so it's quite possible we'll soon see our beloved Mercedes in that form too. After all, the brand's history goes on.
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