Mercedes Benz is German Automobile manufacturer with their head office located in Stuttgart. The brand is known for all kinds of vehicles from luxury cars to buses and they have a well-established history, the history of this famous vehicle manufacturer goes all the way back to the very beginning of the automotive history. To fully appreciate any luxury brand it is useful know about its manufacturer, its origin and the story behind product design and creation.
Throughout history, the Mercedes Benz brand has held a strong reputation for consistent delivery of excellence, luxury and refinement. In 1897 Austrian businessman, Emil Jellinek paid a visit to the Daimler Factory in Germany where he bought his first car. In 1897, Daimler had a reputation of making the best vehicles and the company lead the automotive industry, Jellinek was so pleased with his first car that he purchased another two within the year.
Racing History
Emil Jellinek developed an interest in motorsport and racing, Emil Jellinek commissioned Wilhelm Maybach to produce a limited number of cars for him to race. Mercedes was the name of Jellinek’s daughter so he began to race under the name in honour of his her. Jellinek also sold Daimler cars.
Daimler and Jellinek began working together to create the new model in 1900, Daimler created a new engine under the name of Daimler-Mercedes. The Daimler-Mercedes engine delivered 35 bhp and it was coupled with a race car design that offered a low centre of gravity, lightweight steel frame, a honeycomb radiator and the car is widely regarded as the ‘first’ modern car.
In 1902, Jellinek registered Mercedes as a trade name for his vehicles. Jellinek now had a full car production facility but he struggled to sell his cars at first. Emil Jellinek moved to the French Riviera and died in January 1918, the children of Daimler’s founder, Paul and Adolf Daimler continued the Mercedes brand. In Spanish, the word Mercedes translates as mercy, the famous three-point star which can be found on the badge of every Mercedes car represents land, air and water. It also represents the three regions that Daimler aimed to motorize.
The Birth of Daimler-Benz
After world war I, there was a great plunge in the World economy and few Germans could afford to buy cars, only manufacturers that were well-established managed to survive the difficult post-war era. In 1924 one-time rivals, Benz & Cie and the Daimler brand were both struggling and so forced to merge, Daimler-Benz AG was born. In 1926 a new logo was created to represent the new logo was created it incorporated star together of Mercedes with the laurel wreath of Benz, the company adopted the name Mercedes-Benz as its trademark. In 1998 Daimler acquired Chrysler and the company name was changed to DaimlerChrysler, in 2007 Chrysler was sold and the company became Daimler AG. More can be learned about Daimler-Benz here.
The modern Mercedes Benz comes with a wide array of technology and security features as standard, the company is considered a leader in the automotive industry and to be at the pinnacle of German Engineering. Mercedes Benz is a popular brand of vehicle for doctors, executives, chauffeur and luxury car hire companies, many older cars can still be seen on the road. Providing they are adequately maintained Mercedes Benz vehicles will not knock, clatter or squeak no matter what their age. Earlier cars from the Mercedes Benz brand are very desirable and popular with celebrities, they fetch steep prices at auction.
This post was written and supplied on behalf of Oxfordshire Executive Chauffeurs, the company have a selection of Mercedes vehicles available for corporate travel, airport transfers, weddings and other special occasions.