Mercedes-Benz (
German pronunciation: [mɛɐ̯ˈtseːdəs ˈbɛnts]) is a
German automobile manufacturer, a multinational division of the German manufacturer
Daimler AG. The brand is known for luxury vehicles, buses, coaches, and trucks. The headquarters of Mercedes-Benz is in
Stuttgart,
Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
The name first appeared in 1926 under Daimler-Benz, but traces its origins to Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft's
1901 Mercedes and to
Karl Benz's 1886
Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which is widely regarded as the
first gasoline powered automobile. Mercedes-Benz's slogan is "
The Best or
Nothing". Mercedes-Benz is one of the most recognized automotive brands worldwide.[1]
History[edit]
Karl Benz.
Benz made the 1886
Benz Patent Motorwagen, which is widely regarded as the first automobile.
Gottlieb Daimler,
Founder of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft.
Mercedes-Benz traces its origins to Karl Benz's creation of the first petrol-powered car, the Benz Patent Motorwagen, financed by
Bertha Benz[2] and patented in January 1886,[3] and Gottlieb Daimler and engineer
Wilhelm Maybach's conversion of a stagecoach by the addition of a petrol engine later that year. The Mercedes automobile was first marketed in 1901 by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft. The first Mercedes-Benz brand name vehicles were produced in 1926, following the merger of Karl Benz's and Gottlieb Daimler's companies into the Daimler-Benz company.[
3][4] Throughout the
1930s, Mercedes-Benz produced the 770 model, a car that was popular during
Germany's
Nazi period.
Adolf Hitler was known to have driven these cars during his time in power, with bulletproof windshields.[5] Most of the surviving models have been sold at auctions to private buyers.
One of them is currently on display at the
War Museum in
Ottawa, Ontario. The pontiff's Popemobile has often been sourced from Mercedes-Benz.[6] Mercedes-Benz has introduced many technological and safety innovations that later became common in other vehicles.[7] Mercedes-Benz is one of the best-known and established automotive brands in the world, and is also one of the world's oldest automotive brand still in existence today in
2015, having produced the first petrol-powered car.[8]
For information relating to the famous three-pointed star, see under the title Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft including the merger into Daimler-Benz.
Subsidiaries and alliances[edit]
As part of the Daimler AG company, the Mercedes-Benz
Cars division includes Mercedes-Benz and
Smart car production.[9]
Mercedes-AMG[edit]
Mercedes-AMG became a majority owned division of Mercedes-Benz in
1999.[10]
The company was integrated into DaimlerChrysler in 1999,[11] and became
Mercedes-Benz AMG beginning on 1
January 1999.[12]
McLaren Group[edit]
Motorsport[edit]
Mercedes-AMG was the official engine supplier for the second oldest and most successful F1 team by
Grand Prix wins,
McLaren Racing from 1995-2014. In
2013 it was announced that after the last year with Mercedes contract with
McLaren, Mercedes would be dropped and be replaced by
Honda, with whom McLaren had world championship wins in the past together.
Mercedes have since gone on to buy their own
Formula 1 team, buying the former
Honda Racing F1 team,
Brawn GP, and turning it into
Mercedes F1 in
2010.
Despite a slow start, in
2012 the team began to show progress and rise to the front of the
Grid with their first win coming from driver
Nico Rosberg at the
2012 Chinese Grand Prix, before showing further progress again in 2013, when the team signed
Lewis Hamilton from McLaren to replace the retiring
Michael Schumacher.
Hamilton's first win for the team came at the
2013 Hungarian Grand Prix.
In 2014 the team won the
Formula One World Constructors
Title, with
Driver Lewis Hamilton going on to win the Drivers Title. In 2015 the team won their second successive World Constructors Title and drivers title with Lewis Hamilton once
- published: 07 Mar 2016
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