December 1968 saw the production launch of the first O 305 standard regular service buses at Mannheim. This represented the beginning of a new era of bus design at Mercedes-Benz, since touring coaches and service buses were now built in separate model series. Other new buses included the O 307 standard regular-service interurban bus (STÜLB), which was built in Mannheim from February 1973, and the new O 303 touring coach. This expansion of the product portfolio was possible largely thanks to the increase of production capacity in 1970. By this time the Mannheim plant was producing 240 complete buses and the same number of bus chassis per month...
Mannheim was the first plant of Daimler-Benz AG to be occupied by the Allies at the end of the Second World War. The plant, one quarter of which was destroyed, was taken by the Americans on March 23, 1945. The US Army commandeered a part of the southern end of the plant for their own needs, and only gave up their occupation of the area in 1955.
Production of the three-ton L 701 truck started again at the Mannheim plant in June 1945, making Mannheim the first plant belonging to Daimler-Benz AG to resume activities after the war. At the same time as building this version of the Opel Blitz under license, work began on reconstructing the plant. One measure introduced to help employees during this period was to grow vegetables on the premises to feed the workforce. But the war had taken its toll: “The core of the plant is still functioning. It may be badly damaged, but the engineering department and assembly shops are still intact,” reported Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung in 1946...
The merger between DMG and Benz & Cie. was completed on June 28/29, 1926. To mark the occasion, publicity material highlighted the combined power of the new brand that had been forged out of the two historic firms: “Germany’s two oldest and largest automotive companies have merged with a view to pooling over 40 years of experience in automotive design, the purchase of raw materials and production equipment and an extensive field organization, and to offering customers all over the world an unbeatable range of passenger cars and commercial vehicles.”
Once the economic circumstances had stabilized, the company was at last able to consider the construction of a new plant. In 1906, Benz & Cie. bought a plot of land on the slopes of the Luzenberg in Mannheim-Waldhof measuring 311,180 square meters. Here building work on the new Benz plant got under way in 1907 based on plans by the architect Albert Speer. At this time Benz was turning out an average of 520 engines and 400 cars annually, with a workforce of around 1,000 employees. The new premises were adjacent to the Mannheim-Luzenberg railway station, so it was conveniently situated for links to the rail network. The railway not only helped with material logistics, it also brought in workers living in more outlying communities...
Born the son of a locomotive driver in Karlsruhe in 1844, Carl Benz began studying at the city’s polytechnic in 1860 and made his first visit to Mannheim in 1866. Here, he was employed as a draftsman and designer by a scales manufacturer, before moving in 1868 to the firm of Gebrüder Benckiser in Pforzheim. If Benz was already forming ideas about the automobile during this period, they were unlikely to have been inspired by his work, for “Benckiser, Eisenwerke und Maschinenfabrik” was involved above all in bridge construction. But Benz had shown great interest in the bicycle even during his time in Mannheim. He bought his first “velocipede” – as the two-wheeler was known at the time – in 1867, and this precursor to individual mobility on the road would later shape many of the design details of his patent motor car. After two years at Benckiser, Benz moved from Pforzheim, where he had met his future wife Bertha Ringer, back to Mannheim. Here, in 1871, the young engineer teamed up with a talented mechanic, August Ritter, and established the small company “Carl Benz und August Ritter, Mechanische Werkstätte” on a plot of land known as T 6, 11.
This year marks a historic milestone for Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz Manheim plant, for it was 100 years ago that this location kicked off production under the joint stock company Benz & Cie., Rheinische Gasmotoren-Fabrik. To celebrate the milestone, Mercedes today has published a fantastic look back at the history of the plant, detailing both its origins and its evolution over the past century. For those of you unfamiliar with the plant or the history of Mercedes in general, I think you'll find both intriguing and informative...
Welcome back ladies and gentlemen; I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. Kicking things off this morning we have a quick recap of the F1 race that transpired in Istanbul over the weekend. If you have the race TIVO'd and plan on catching it later, then read no further. Otherwise, click through for the full details of what transpired...
To celebrate the European launch of the new GLK this fall, Mercedes has announced today they'll be holding a special design competition centered around the SUV's groundbreaking styling. Titled "The design:project", the rules are simple. Six universities located in six European design capitals have been asked to put together an interdisciplinary team, who then have until the end of July to create various objects in different design areas, such as furniture, everyday objects and technical equipment. The designs must all be in line with an overarching theme, and they can be submitted in any form, including sketches, graphics, animations and models. The condition is that all objects and creations must be presentable in a surface area measuring 10 x 15 meters...
A little more than a week ago we brought you the first details and images of the new BRABUS tuning package for the updated Mercedes-Benz SL-Class. Today, the company has released a more complete list of specs and additional high resolution photos of what tuning products are available for the forthcoming models, starting with the BRABUS 4.0 displacement package for the SL280 and 350 models (332hp / 244kW and 420Nm torque) all the way up to the awe-inspiring SV12 S Biturbo package for the SL600 (730hp / 537kW and 1,320Nm torque)...
As if the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG isn't desirable enough, Mercedes today has unveiled the latest in their long line of limited-edition models: the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG Edition IWC. Limited to a mere 200 units, the SL63 Edition IWC boasts the full plethora of features found in the standard SL63 AMG, and in addition, also features an all-new exterior paint color; an AMG Performance package and a number of exclusive interior appointments...
For those of you gearing up for Germany's first Euro 2008 game on June 8th, Mercedes-Benz Accessories has unveiled the Mercedes-Benz European Championship Collection 2008 to help you celebrate your favorite team in style. Based closely on the actual team shirts, the Mercedes collection features a white and black or silver gray main color scheme accented by the black, red and gold of the German flag in a "Mexican Wave" design...
Daimler is reporting today that for the month of April, combined sales of the Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and smart brands have reached a total of 119,000 units, up 22 percent over April of 2007. This figure brings Mercedes-Benz Cars year-to-date total to 437,700 vehicles, a 14 percent increase over 2006's four month ytd total of 384,600 new units.
Individually, sales of Mercedes-Benz were up 16 percent in April to 105,400 units (compared to 90,600 units in April 2007). This in turn has helped the Mercedes brand note a total of 395,100 vehicles delivered through the first four months of the year, an impressive eight percent increase over the same period last year (365,000 new units)...
Mercedes has announced today that since its launch in 1996, 500,000 units of the SLK-Class have been delivered to customers. Breaking this figure down by generation, roughly 310,000 first generation vehicles were sold, while its successor has sold some 190,000 units since its market launch in March 2004.
According to Dr. Klaus Maier, Executive Vice President Mercedes-Benz Cars and the man responsible for sales and marketing: "With the launch of the SLK in 1996, Mercedes-Benz successfully established the premium segment for compact roadsters. Thanks to innovative technology such as the vario-roof and the neck-level heating system AIRSCARF, the SLK has long been recognized as a cult car of modern times. The new-generation SLK models, which we are delivering to customers since April 2008, are sportier than ever. I’m confident that the dynamic looks and performance of the new SLK will again set pulses racing among sports cars enthusiasts around the world...”
In our second and final Review Roundup of the day, we have a total of five articles analyzing the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG, C63 AMG and SLK200 Kompressor for your reading entertainment. As always, you can find excerpts from the first article below as well as the full collection of reviews immediately after the jump.
"Moving off, the SL63 feels more like an automated manual than a torque-converter auto, the bite of the clutch varying with the throttle input. However, once you’ve shifted into second there’s little to suggest that there’s anything but a regular auto ’box shuffling the gears. Meanwhile the steering is meatily weighted and the ABC suspension, firmed up over the cooking versions, feels less absorbent than the SL55’s, no question, but there’s an edge, a directness, that suggests a quite different experience to the out-going model..."
Welcome back ladies and gentlemen; I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. Kicking things off this balmy Monday afternoon comes the first of two Mercedes Review Roundup installments, starting with one that looks at the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG, the S450 4MATIC, the CLC 200K and the Maybach 62 S. As is the case with all our Review Roundups, you can find a portion of the first review below as well the complete collection of articles immediately after the jump.
"Delivery of the car to our office was delayed as a previous loan put in 'bad fuel'. I'm not sure if this meant bad quality or low octane but all was sorted and it showed up at our office. During the first 200 miles or so, the S65 didn't feel as crazy fast or powerful as I remembered. Sure, it is blistering on the highway but it didn't feel much faster than the S63. I ran the car until the reserve light came on and then filled it up at a Sunoco station with 94 octane. Wow, did it make a difference. The freight train pull was back and I felt the full power of that mega V-12. It looks like the S65 wants to drink the good stuff. And does it drink. On a lengthy highway journey running just over 80 mph, it averaged 17 mpg. I guess that's better than many full size SUVs..."
On August 5, 1888, Bertha Benz made automotive history, taking the world's first long-distance journey in the patent motor car designed by her husband, Carl Benz. Bertha completed the trip with her two sons, traveling 106 kilometers from Manheim to Pforzheim, the town of her birth, and returning a few days later. With the exception of a few minor incidents, the patent motor car functioned perfectly.
To commemorate the 120th anniversary of this remarkable journey, the town of Pforzheim will unveil a monument in honor of Bertha Benz, designed by local artist René Dantes. In recognition of Bertha's birthday, May 3, 1849, the monument will be also be unveiled May 3rd, with the celebrations to be attended by her great-granddaughter Jutta Benz...
Mercedes-Benz USA is reporting today that for the month of April, sales at the company dropped three percent to 20,271 new units (compared to 20,895 units in 2007). Despite the decrease, sales at the division remained positive for the first four months of the year, with MBUSA's YTD total up 1.4 percent over 2007 (77,918 vs. 76,880).
As for the models making headlines, the new C-Class was once again the company's volume leader, with sales of the sedan up 33.5 percent in April to 6,850 new units (compared to 5,131 units in April 2007). This figure brings YTD sales of the C up to 23,991 units, a 37.8 percent increase over 2007. Two members of Mercedes' SUV family also managed to stay in the black, with sales of the M-Class increasing 8.4 percent in April to 2,582 new units and sales of the GL jumping 3.9 percent to 1,938 units...
For those of you pondering whether or not the Mercedes C63 AMG or C 220 CDI SE are worth you hard-earned wealth, our latest Review Roundup installment may help shed some light on your dilemma. In this episode, a total of three reviews are dedicated to analyzing the aforementioned models, with a portion of the first immediately below and the full collection of articles after the jump...
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG (via Business Week)
Reviewer's rating: Unspecified
"My stints in the M3 and RS4 were filled with brilliant maneuvers - or so I like to think. I wouldn't have guessed the C63 would be the most satisfying. Its handling is easily the equal of the other two, with a touch sharper steering. At this rarified space, it's tough to quibble unless you have a decided preference for Audi's all-wheel drive, but it's clear that the C63 turns in as sharply as the BMW, rides better than the RS4 and accelerates faster than either of them.
It's no secret that we here at eMercedesBenz are fans of the fine work perpetually turned out by German tuning powerhouse BRABUS, and the latest addition to their tuning portfolio - a styling package for the new-generation Mercedes SL - is no exception to the rule. With a range of upgrades including a new front apron, side skirts, rear apron and 20-inch wheels, BRABUS has managed to successfully infuse a slightly more assertive character into the redesigned model without sacrificing its original, overall feel...
If you're looking for a way to fill the few remaining gigs on your shiny new iPod (or any other MP3 player), Mercedes has launched the latest in a long line of Mixed Tapes. Available from now until June 26th, the Mercedes-Benz Mixed Tape 20 features 10 handpicked new tracks from various up-and-coming international artists, all procurable via free download. Highlights include Malinn's "Stars," Aless' "Tru Luv," Reggie B's "Like a Dream" and Notic Nastic's "Party Lights..."
If the name Zhang Ziyi is unfamiliar to you, it shouldn't be. She's one of world's best-known Chinese film actresses, with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Rush Hour 2; House of Flying Daggers; Hero; and Memoirs of a Geisha just some of the movies that make up her exemplary résumé.
As for why I'm telling you this, the alluring star recently took a break from her film roles to lend her acting ability to Mercedes and creative agency Ogilvy & Mather Beijing, appearing in an ad for the limited-edition SLK Passion 08. In the commercial (aptly-titled "The Contract"), Zhang demonstrates her driving ability and the model's handling prowess, all with the intent of convincing her prospective employers she's suited to be their driver.
To see the commercial for yourself, hit play above, sit back and enjoy...
Last but not least, in our third and final Review Roundup installment of the day, two more Mercedes models - the CLC and the C180 Kompressor Estate - are put under the microscope, giving those of you considering the purchase of either some idea of what to expect from each. As was the case with both our prior Review Roundups, you can find a portion of the first article scutinizing the CLC immediately below and the full collection of reviews after the jump...
"The engine is more than adequate and the sub $50,000 price point [in Australia] adds value for money to the equation. The 1.8 litre is perky rather than a firecracker but the classy coupe more than makes up for it with better than expected road manners, impresive fuel economy, comfy cabin and good boot space. This is one of those cars which you feel very much at home right from the go thanks to its well tailored cabin and comfortable seats. So if first impressions count, then the CLC is, even as a C-Class pretender, a winner, especially for the price.
If you've yet to grow tired of Mercedes reviews, don't worry - we've got more. Featuring a distinctly SUV fare, this Review Roundup installment boasts a total of three articles, with testers weighing in on the new Mercedes GLK350 and the GL320 CDI. As I'm sure you've already guessed, you can find a sampling of the first review below as well as the full collection immediately after the jump.
"The biggest surprise is the ride comfort, which is soft and cosseting, despite the GLK having impeccable body control. Thank Mercedes’ Agility Control system (think fancy shock absorbers) which know when to smoothe and soothe, and when to tighten and firm. Combine the clever shocks with decent mechanical grip, the 4Matic’s four-wheel drive traction and 45:55 rear-bias, and the GLK is surprisingly entertaining to drive.
Welcome back ladies and gentlemen; I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. To kick things off this morning we're going to get back to our Mercedes review coverage, starting with a total of four articles analyzing the Mercedes-Benz E500, the E300 BLUETEC by BRABUS, the E320 BLUETEC and the CLS320 CDI.
First up: a comparison review pitting the E500 against the BMW 550i, the Jaguar XF SV8 and the Lexus GS450h, with the full collection of reviews after the jump.
Mercedes-Benz E500(via Autospies)
Reviewer's rating: 1st place (out of four)
"The Mercedes V8 is refined, torquey and always eager to perform. At high speeds the Mercedes V8 is quieter than the screaming Lexus V6. The E-Class has outstanding comfort ratings and performs well in driving dynamics and has top ratings in having the car drive straight without the driver touching the steering wheel (like the Lexus). The seats don't offer enough side support though. The fuel consumption of 13.3 liters per 100 km is acceptable given the sporty driving style the car was exposed to. Inside the E-Class offers a lot of space for both front and rear passengers and the trunk is enormous with 540 liters of space. The trunk can be expanded by having the rear seats fold down giving the E-Class excellent markings in versatility. Overall the E500 is a very versatile car offering great performance, cabin- and luggage space, acceptable fuel economy and the best comfort in the group."
Taking a break from our Review Roundup segments, Mercedes today has published a behind-the-scenes look at their contributions to the upcoming Sex and the City movie. Although as a male I can't say the movie's at the top of my must-see list this summer - despite the fact my significant other will most likely have something to say about the matter - the press release still provides a unique look at the various challenges the company faced when providing a vehicle for the shoot...
The next Mercedes Class to be put through its paces is none other than the CLS, with a total of four reviews dedicated to the model being published. As I'm sure you're quickly growing accustomed to, you can view a portion of the first review below, along with the complete set of reviews immediately after the jump.
"Everyone wants it all nowadays. They want the best of both worlds, the happy medium and the cake you can have and eat... The CLS is
cake you can gorge on. It's a bit of everything: a bit of sportiness here, a bit of practicality there. Throw in a bit of style to go with the substance and you've got that pot at the end of the rainbow: four-door practicality with coupe-like looks.
Next in our new-and-improved Review Roundup segment comes a total of three reviews looking at both the new Mercedes-Benz CLC as well as the CL65 AMG. You can view a portion of the first review below, along with the complete set of reviews immediately after the jump.
"For the enthusiast, the CLC has all the ingredients in place for a drive to savour, especially when fitted with the powerful 268bhp 3.5-litre V6 and a quick shifting six-speed. This arrangement recently left us almost breathless with enthusiasm in the SLK350 but how does it fare with the CLC?
On paper it certainly seems the business sprinting to 62mph in 6.3 seconds and only running out of steam when the limiter halts action at 155mph. It feels a completely different beast to the SLK and it should, because, despite sharing the same capacity as the sporty little roadster, the CLC misses out on the extra 32bhp the SLK's lump boasts. It's not just the extra power the CLC misses. Gone is the addictive howl, appetite for revs and general enthusiasm the small roadster's SLK V6 dished up...
Although we may have fallen a little behind in our Mercedes review coverage as of late (all right, so maybe that's a bit of an understatement), not to worry, because we're making up for it today. Even as you read this, we're hard at work catching up on the numerous MB reviews published over the past couple weeks, including the many sent to us by you, our beloved readers.
But that's not all. As you'll notice, we're also introducing a new format for our "Review Roundup" segment - one that we believe will make it far easier to see what other reviewers thought of the Mercedes they were charged with testing. Unlike before, where a concise one or two sentence snapshot of each review was all that our Review Roundup offered, you'll now have a much clearer view of the how the model in question scored; a better perspective of who published the review; and longer, more informative excerpts from each of the actual articles. We think it's a substantial improvement over the prior format; hopefully you'll agree...
