If you’re a regular reader of eMercedesBenz, you’re no doubt familiar with the origins of the Mercedes-Benz brand and the three-pointed star. But for those of you who are just joining us or those of you who may have missed our past coverage on the subject, Daimler today has published a refresher course detailing briefly the historical milestones that led to the Mercedes-Benz we know and love today.

A few of the topics covered include where the name Mercedes was derived from, what led to the introduction of the three-pointed star and what the star symbolizes. Also shown are the various incarnations of the logo over the years, each of which played an instrumental role in helping shape one of the most recognizable brands in existence.

To view these and a host of other details regarding the history of the Mercedes-Benz brand, you can find more info in the official press release below or for a quicker and more visual way to view the Mercedes-Benz history, skip straight to the photo gallery.

Enjoy.

Gottlieb Daimler and his ingenious colleague Wilhelm Maybach moved to Cannstatt near Stuttgart in 1882. Differences between the fifty-year-old Nikolaus August Otto and Daimler, two years his junior, had led to the latter’s departure from the Gasmotorenfabrik Deutz on the outskirts of Cologne. Now a wealthy man Daimler, could afford to make himself independent.

For 75,000 Goldmarks he bought a villa in Taubenheimstrasse in Cannstatt and moved there with his wife Emma and five children in June 1882. The property was ideal for his purposes: not only was it directly next to the spa facilities Daimler regularly visited for treatment for his weak heart, but it also benefited from a large garden and spacious summer house. He had an extension added to the latter, and installed a gas and water supply – his test workshop was ready.

In early October, Maybach also arrived in Cannstatt. He moved into a nearby property and initially converted one room of his apartment into a design office. Here he kept the drawing board on which he turned Daimler’s ideas into technical drafts: Maybach was skilled at giving them a functional form – and Daimler knew the value of his technician. When the two men agreed a contract even before leaving Deutz, Maybach was guaranteed substantial remuneration.

The goal shared by the two men was to develop a small, lightweight high-speed engine that was above all suitable for powering a vehicle. They were not alone, however. All around the world others were working on the same idea.

Without knowing of each other’s work, Daimler and Benz had by this time already come to a common starting point: they both opted for petrol as the fuel for their engines and they would be the first to realise their efforts. The decision to use this fuel, which had excellent combustion characteristics, was fundamental to their internal combustion engines for vehicles.

Key decisions: fuel and ignition system

A second stumbling block in engine technology was the ignition system. This was so slow in conventional stationary engines of the day that it restricted maximum engine speed and therefore engine output, since the ignition processes could not be repeated quickly enough. Maybach dedicated himself to this problem, working his way through innumerable patent documents until he finally came across the Englishman Watson’s uncontrolled hot-tube ignition system, which proved suitable for the high engine speeds they aspired to. The hot-tube ignition system devised by Maybach guaranteed steady ignition.

Daimler was to apply the hot-tube ignition system to his engines until 1898. They worked on a simple principle: a tube, heated from the outside, protruded into the cylinder at about the position occupied by the spark plug today. When compressed by the piston in the cylinder, the fuel mixture was pushed against the hot tube and ignited spontaneously.

In a legal document, written to counter an invalidity suit lodged against his hot-tube ignition patent, Daimler described the problems associated with this invention: “It was a lengthy process, requiring endless experimentation and the unstinting and dedicated efforts of the practised and experienced engineer. And this despite initially wholly discouraging results in experimenting with free ignition, and with the many and frequent ‘premature igniters’, which during the drive and compression phases, before dead centre was reached, suddenly and unexpectedly kicked the flywheel backwards instead of driving it forwards, wrenching the crank from the hand of the experimenter with the force of an electric shock, and thus making the practicability of uncontrolled self-ignition seem unachievable; but nevertheless by refusing to give in and through stubborn experimentation, as well as modifications to the shape and dimensions of the combustion chamber and changes to the mixture charge etc. I achieved acceptable and ultimately excellent results and thus confirmation of the feasibility of my uncontrolled ignition system.”

Once this hurdle had been overcome, it was time to find the prototype engine’s correct right method of operation. From their work at the Gasmotorenfabrik Deutz, both men were very familiar with the four-stroke principle. They opted for this, presumably knowing that Otto’s four-stroke patent DRP 532 was still valid, even though it was coupled with Otto’s layer-by-layer charging of the cylinder and a slow combustion of the gas mixture. In the patent specification for DRP No. 28022, awarded on 16 December 1883, Daimler therefore justified his application for a “Gas engine with hot-tube ignition” for uncooled and heat-insulated engine with uncontrolled hot-tube ignition by focusing on its explosive and rapid combustion. The patent was a masterpiece in the art of wording, since strictly speaking it was the same as Otto’s four-stroke principle and would subsequently become the object of bitter patent lawsuits. But Daimler’s claim was upheld. On 23 December 1883 he was granted German Patent No.

DRP 28243 for the “Regulation of engine speed by controlling the exhaust valve”, another important invention for the efficient operation of the internal combustion engine.

Birth of the first prototype engine in 1883

In the second half of 1883 Daimler and Maybach then built the first prototype engine, a horizontal four-stroke single-cylinder unit. Thanks to the hot-tube ignition and curved groove control operating the exhaust valve, from a displacement of approximately

100 cubic centimetres it developed an output of around 0.18 kW at 600 rpm, considerably higher than the previous peak engine speeds of 180 rpm achieved by a four-stroke gas engine. The intake valve, known as a “snifting valve” opened and closed automatically with the aid of vacuum pressure . The engine block was specially cast at the Kurz bell foundry in Stuttgart, where it was recorded in the order books as a “small model engine”. The company delivered it on 15 August 1883.

On account of its revolutions per minute the engine was termed “high-speed”. The various inventions that followed over the next few years were aimed at increasing engine speed – the logical way to further improving output. Even then, however, consideration was given to efficiency in order to maximise running time of the engine using available fuel reserves in the tank.

The next version of the prototype engine was unveiled in 1884. This time it was a vertical four-stroke single-cylinder unit, dubbed the “grandfather clock” on account of its appearance. It was registered for patent on 3 April 1885 (DRP No. 34926). It was specifically designed for low weight and compactness to fulfil the condition that it was suitable for installation in vehicles. Initial output was 0.74 kW. The design was innovative also in that the transmission components and flywheel were enclosed in an oil and dust-tight crankcase. The engine also featured for the first time the “floating” carburettor – better known today as the surface carburettor – developed by Maybach, which enabled problem-free combustion of petrol. This floating carburettor ensured a constant volume of fuel; since the air was fed through a constantly high fuel layer it was possible to achieve a constant fuel-air mix – a crucial and fundamental invention for regular engine operation.

The patent specifications included a sub-clause which was remarkable in its foresight: “An atomising pump may be used in the place of the vaporising device” – a concept that later gave rise to the injection pump.

The riding car – first test vehicle

The first test vehicle for the “grandfather clock” was the riding car of 1885. A two-wheeled vehicle, this closely resembled the bicycle – this too was a relatively recent invention and still considered state-of-the-art. But for stability reasons Daimler opted for wood as the material for his frame. The engine was mounted beneath the driving seat in 1885. From a displacement of 265 cubic centimetres it developed an output of 0.4 kW at 600 rpm. Power was transmitted from the engine belt pulley via a drive belt to the rear wheels. Two speeds were possible – 6 or 12 km/h – depending on the belt pulley selected at standstill.

The engine even incorporated a consistent approach to the principles of lightweight design, as one detail in particular demonstrated: Maybach’s cylinder design was not attached by means of a flange, instead the lower part of the cylinder was reinforced slightly and equipped with a fine screw thread. Around fifty years later this design was revisited when engineers were seeking a light and secure method for fitting aero engine cylinders.

A contemporary publication described the operation of the riding car: “To start the engine one must first light the small flame beneath the hot ignition tube and crank the engine once using the crank; these preparations take only a minute. The engine runs smoothly, since a silencer dampens exhaust gases entering the exhaust pipe. To set the vehicle in motion, the driver climbs aboard, takes hold of the steering bar and connects the engine to the bicycle. This is done by means of the lever, cord and tension pulley, which shifts the drive belt onto the pulley. The belt pulleys serve to vary the speed; with the drive belt set in the upper position the vehicle moves slowly, in the lower position one can move more quickly. The brake is pulled by means of a cord which is within easy reach of the driver; to bring the cycle to a standstill, one simply turns off the drive belt by means of a lever located between the seat and the steering wheel and all movement ceases.”

The riding car was the most important precursor to individual mobility achieved through the internal combustion engine. For one thing, it demonstrated the potential of the engine created by Daimler and Maybach to power a vehicle. But it also documented the fact that a human being could maintain full control of this engine for purposes of individual mobility. Subsequent automobiles would then develop this concept to a high level of maturity.

In November 1885 Gottlieb Daimler’s son Adolf successfully drove this unsprung, iron-wheeled “riding car” along the three-kilometre stretch between Cannstatt and Untertürkheim and back. Given the conditions of roads at the time, it could hardly have been a comfortable journey – nevertheless the world’s first “automobile” passed the test. For Daimler and Maybach it was merely a step on the way to inventing the motor car, which followed in 1886 in the form of the motor carriage – along with the Patent Motor Car of Carl Benz. The successes of the two inventors would go down as great moments in history.

Mercedes-Benz landaulets in the post-war period saw a functional transformation of the landaulet, from a versatile body design for city and country motoring to a vehicle used almost solely as a parade car. This led to the landaulet design becoming an extreme rarity: during the second half of the 20th century Mercedes-Benz built only 59 landaulets based on the Mercedes-Benz 600 model (W 100), plus a few exclusive landaulets specially manufactured in the company’s workshops. Most famous of all are the Mercedes-Benz landaulets made as papal cars.

This tradition started in 1960 with a Mercedes-Benz 300 d landaulet. In fact Mercedes-Benz had already given the Vatican an official car for the pope’s use some decades before, in 1930. But in contrast to the earlier “Rome car” – a Mercedes-Benz Nürburg 460 Pullman limousine – this time the vehicle had a folding convertible top at the rear. Pope John XXIII himself had requested a landaulet body for the new automobile from Stuttgart. The meticulously handcrafted W 189 landaulet (only two of which were ever made) was based on a chassis with a wheelbase lengthened by around 45 centimeters to a total of 3.6 meters. The car was also around ten centimeters higher than the production model.

The three-liter six-cylinder in-line engine developing 160 hp/118 kW was the same as in the production version. This gave the papal car a top speed of 160 km/h, but of course it was generally driven at a much more sedate tempo on official outings. At such times, with the roof open, the rear side windows could be completely removed and placed in specially designed brackets in the trunk. The partition between front and rear seats and the front windows were electrically operated and lowered simply by pressing a button.

The locking devices for the roof mechanism were accessible from the driver’s seat, and the convertible top itself was opened and closed in a matter of seconds. Steps automatically opened out from the car floor when the rear doors were opened, making it easier for the pope to enter and alight from the vehicle. The throne-style seat for the pontiff was placed in the middle at the rear, facing in the direction of travel, with two folding seats opposite, attached to the partition, for accompanying staff. Around the papal seat, which was electrically adjustable, were the controls for air conditioning, intercom and other functions. At the presentation of the car in 1960, the pope was clearly delighted with the vehicle equipment.

Landaulet as small-run production series: Mercedes-Benz 600

The 300 d landaulet attracted considerable attention – but the most notable development in the history of this body design in the second half of the 20th century came with the Mercedes-Benz factory-built landaulet versions of the 600 model (W 100). In the book “Mercedes-Benz 600” published in 2001, author Heribert Hofer describes the landaulet from this model series as “a genuine old-style parade car, a unique automotive treasure.” And indeed, heads of state like Queen Elizabeth Elisabeth II, Pope Paul VI and his successors and heads of government all around the world chose this model to greet onlookers as they drove through the streets. The German government also regularly called on a Mercedes-Benz 600 landaulet for ceremonial occasions, although the vehicle was not owned by the state. Instead, the car was kept in the company fleet in Stuttgart and made available on request.

Production of the 600 model, in the “Grand Mercedes” tradition, started in September 1964. The Pullman landaulet, along with a number of limousines, was a production variant of the Pullman body with the long wheelbase of the W 100. Mercedes-Benz offered its customers four different landaulet versions based on this exclusive design: the standard version had four doors, facing rear seats, and a folding top extending as far as the front edges of the rear doors. There was also a special six-door version with a seat bench in the rear and additional fold-out seats facing in the direction of travel. In this variant, as in the six-door Pullman limousine, the middle doors could also be provided without handles. Both the above landaulets – the four-door and six-door design – could also be equipped on request with a long convertible top reaching as far as the partition.

All these versions were based on a long-wheelbase W 100 chassis, but in 1967 a one-off short-wheelbase W 100 landaulet was also produced. The vehicle was commissioned by Count von Berckheim. The ex-racing driver’s Mercedes-Benz 600 combined the handling qualities of a short-wheelbase design with the traditional virtues of the landaulet. The time and effort involved in this one-off project indicates that the 59 Pullman landaulets built hardly represented a “series production” operation in the strict sense – in fact, with such a wide variety of interior equipment options and special features it would be difficult to find two identically-equipped 600 landaulets. But one thing all these vehicles had in common was their exceedingly high price. The exclusive body design with the folding convertible top did not appear on the official price list, but the Mercedes-Benz 600 was regarded as the world’s most expensive production car of its day.

Mercedes-Benz 600 landaulet for the Vatican

In 1965 Mercedes-Benz presented the Vatican with another landaulet based on the W 100 Pullman. The manufacture of the car was a cooperative project of the testing and production departments in Sindelfingen. The four-door landaulet was presented to Pope Paul VI at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo by Hermann Josef Abs, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Daimler-Benz AG, General Manager Walter Hitzinger, and Board of Management members Fritz Nallinger and Arnold Wychodil, along with Karl Wilfert and three employees from the Daimler-Benz plant in Sindelfingen.

The equipment of this landaulet differed from the production version in several details: the rear doors were 25.6 centimeters wider, and came right up to the partition. The rear doors also included new operating controls, designed to be within easy reach from the papal seat located centrally in the back of the passenger compartment. The designers at Sindelfingen made the roof seven centimeters higher to provide ample head room – a modification required because of the flat floor in the rear of the W 100, concealing the propeller shaft tunnel beneath. Special equipment included air conditioning, an intercom for communicating with the driver, and the ability to shift the single armchair-style seat at the rear in several different directions.

The pontiff was delighted with the sophisticated technology in his W 100. “The name of Mercedes has become proverbial all round the world for German diligence and skill – which makes this gift all the more precious,” said Paul VI in his words of appreciation for the automotive engineering achievements of the team in Stuttgart back in 1965. The Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman landaulet bearing the legendary license plate SCV 1 (the abbreviation for “Stato della Città del Vaticano”) is now on display in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.

W 109 and V 140 landaulets built in-house

And the specialists at Mercedes-Benz built another two landaulets for the Vatican in the years after 1965, both based on standard limousines. The first of these papal cars, built as early as 1966 with a single rear seat, was a landaulet based on a

Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL limousine (W 109 series) with standard wheelbase (2.85 meters). The seat could be moved to the right if necessary to create room for a passenger on the fold-out seat fitted on the partition. This car remained in use for many years, in parallel with the W 100 landaulet. The 300 SEL was not equipped with quite the same level of luxury as the Mercedes-Benz 600 – for example there was no air conditioning in the shorter vehicle. The car was however retrofitted with armor plating in 1981.

This was followed in 1997 by a landaulet based on the Mercedes-Benz S 500 with a long wheelbase (V 140). Like its predecessors, this was a “no expense spared” one-off project that combined traditional values with contemporary technology. The car had numerous special equipment features. The electro-hydraulically operated convertible top, when closed, was five centimeters higher than in the limousine, to provide more head room above the papal seat. On taking delivery of the vehicle in person in 1997, Pope John Paul II was given a briefing on the car’s technical features and praised the design.

Heir to a great tradition

The 600 model was the only Mercedes-Benz ever built as a production landaulet over the last 60 years. However, the brand has repeatedly made good use of this type of bodywork with specially designed superstructures as for the papal cars. The sense of a unique driving culture that is epitomized in the landaulet is as strong as ever in Stuttgart. And it is this knowledge and living heritage from the past that provides the basis for the Maybach landaulet in 2007.

Technical details of Mercedes-Benz ceremonial cars

Mercedes-Benz 300 d landaulet with long wheelbase (W 189)

• Two units built, for the Vatican and the Mercedes-Benz factory fleet
• Six-cylinder in-line engine
• Displacement of 2996 cubic centimeters
• 160 hp/118 kW at 5300 rpm
• Wheelbase 3600 millimeters
• Length 5640 millimeters
• Width 1995 millimeters
• Height 1720 millimeters

Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL landaulet (W 109)

• One unit manufactured for the Vatican
• Six-cylinder in-line engine
• Displacement of 2996 cubic centimeters
• 170 hp/125 kW at 5400 rpm
• Wheelbase 2850 millimeters
• Length 5000 millimeters
• Width 1810 millimeters

Mercedes-Benz 600 landaulet with long wheelbase (W 100)

• 26 six-door and 32 four-door units produced
• V8 engine
• Displacement of 6332 cubic centimeters
• 250 hp/184 kW at 4000 rpm
• Wheelbase 3900 millimeters
• Length 6240 millimeters
• Width 1950 millimeters
• Height 1500 millimeters

Mercedes-Benz 600 landaulet with short wheelbase (W 100)

• One unit manufactured for Count von Berckheim
• V8 engine
• Displacement of 6332 cubic centimeters
• 250 hp/184 kW at 4000 rpm
• Wheelbase 3200 millimeters
• Length 5540 millimeters
• Width 1950 millimeters
• Height 1500 millimeters

Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman landaulet (W 100)

• Special version with modified doors, folding convertible top and interior One unit manufactured for the Vatican
• V8 engine
• Displacement of 6332 cubic centimeters
• 250 hp/184 kW at 4000 rpm
• Wheelbase 3900 millimeters
• Length 6240 millimeters
• Width 1950 millimeters
• Height 1570 millimeters

Mercedes-Benz S 500 long-wheelbase landaulet (V 140 E 50)

• One unit manufactured for the Vatican
• V8 engine
• Displacement of 4973 cubic centimeters
• 320 hp/235 kW at 5600 rpm
• Wheelbase 3140 millimeters
• Length 5213 millimeters
• Width 1886 millimeters
• Height 1526 millimeters

The combination of tradition and modernity embodied in the Maybach Landaulet study, makes this a truly unique vehicle of its time. The highly unusual body shape already defines the car as something quite out of the ordinary. But the unique combination of the fold-back roof at the rear and a solid roof section over the front seats also reflects the fine appreciation of tradition and values that is the hallmark of the Mercedes-Benz Cars approach.

The body of the landaulet harks back to the early days of automotive history. Just a few years after the invention of the automobile by Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz in 1886 – working independently of each other – both companies had large numbers of landaulets on the roads. The Mercedes-Benz brand created in 1926 took up the idea, and over the years landaulets based on a range of model were built, both in normal production plants and by prestigious bodybuilders. The last landaulet variant available as a production car was the 600 model (W 100 series) from 1965 until 1981. The company’s in-house special vehicle manufacturing workshops also built three different landaulets for the Vatican in the second half of the 20th century.

Distinctive folding top

The landaulet is one of the true aristocrats among special body designs, and indeed its origins go back to the days of the coachbuilder’s art. Its hallmark is a “rigid, closed passenger compartment with a folding convertible top,” according to the Mercedes-Benz definition. What this means in practice is a folding convertible top over the rear seats, adjacent to a rigid top or solid partition. Depending on the variant, the driver might be out in the open, or – as is usual in today’s bodies of this type – in his own compartment, after the style of a limousine.

In any event, the choice between closed or open-top travel is only available to the passengers in the rear. The qualities of the landaulet as the perfect car for public figures are most evident when the opulent roof is swung back, focusing every eye on the occupants in the rear, and converting the landaulet into a stylish and elegant platform for public appearances. This is why vehicles with this unique body design are used almost exclusively by dignitaries and VIPs. And of course the roof can always be closed again, as protection from the weather or prying glances.

Maybach Landaulet study

The Maybach Landaulet study was created in response to requests from Maybach customers who still feel the thrill of landaulet vehicles from the days of sumptuously equipped coaches driving through the streets. The car is based on the Maybach 62 S. The C-pillars and roof arches remain in place when the top is pushed back, retaining the luxury limousine’s distinctive silhouette, along with the generously-dimensioned doors, stylish interior compartment and seating arrangements.

When the roof is closed, the convertible top is stretched over the roof frame, providing a tight seal against wind and weather. On the instruction to open the passenger compartment, the driver merely has to press a control on the center console, and the structure, together with the rear window, folds gently down onto the parcel shelf, without any significant loss of stowage space. The opening and closing of the convertible top is an efficient but unhurried process, like a smoothly choreographed dance, taking around 20 seconds to complete. The luggage compartment remains easily accessible even with the roof open. And the driver can cover the retracted top with a stylish leather tarpaulin, concealing the mechanism and restoring the smooth and elegant contours of the vehicle.

Historical Maybach landaulets

In the 1930s there were landaulet versions of several Maybach luxury limousines. In line with normal practice at the time, the body fitted to the chassis could be designed according to the owner’s individual requirements. The most popular models with landaulet customers were the twelve-cylinder Maybach 12, Maybach Zeppelin DS7 and Maybach Zeppelin DS8. The combination of letters and numerals used for the Zeppelin models stood for the V12 engine (double-six, = DS) and the displacement. The Zeppelin DS7, built in 1930 and 1931, had a 150 hp (110 kW) engine with displacement of 6922 cubic centimeters, while its successor, produced from 1931 to 1939, generated 200 hp (147 kW) from a 7922 cubic centimeter engine.

Nor was the circle of Maybach landaulet aficionados restricted to statesmen and captains of industry. There were others for whom maintaining a high public profile was a business necessity, and an automobile that could put its occupants on show like jewels in a display case simply by folding the roof back was clearly ideal for the purpose. For example, in 1930 the Sembach-Krone family commissioned the Erdmann & Rossi bodybuilders’ firm to build a Zeppelin DS7, specifying a burgundy-colored landaulet body, as a management vehicle for the legendary Krone circus. This elegant car with its long folding top is now on show at the Sinsheim Auto and Technology Museum.

Also featured in the Sinsheim collection is a 1938 landaulet version of the Zeppelin DS8 with a top speed of 160 km/h. This body, with a short folding top, was made by Hermann Spohn in Ravensburg. Spohn was the regular bodybuilder for Maybach, located just twenty kilometers away in Friedrichshafen.

Origins in coach-building

The body form of the landaulet, or “half-landau” as it is sometimes known, owes much to the construction of horse-drawn coaches. The landau (or sometimes “Landauer” in German) was an open coach, probably named after the town of Landau in the Palatinate region of Germany. The passengers sat facing each other, and could be protected by two half-roof sections, pulled over them from either end of the vehicle when required. The coachman sat on a box seat, well away from the passenger compartment. The landaulet structure differed in that it only had the rear half-roof covering. And depending on the design, the driver’s compartment in front of the passenger seats could have a rigid roof, a glass top or a front windshield.

At the end of the 19th century the customary distinction in coach construction between the landau and landaulet was carried over into automotive design, with Daimler and Benz both initially making cars with landaulet and landau bodies.

Glory days of the landaulet

But events were to prove that only the landaulet had a viable future in the age of the automobile. One of the reasons was clearly that as speeds increased, passengers became more reluctant to sit with their backs to the direction of travel. The landaulet design emerged as the accepted form, and became increasingly popular with customers. But during the heyday of landaulet bodywork in the first half of the 20th century there was still no consistent or standard design.

One of the major points of difference was in the area of the driver’s seat. The box-seat of the Daimler belt-driven landaulet of 1896 for use as a taxi left the driver completely unprotected. In comparison, a 25/45 hp Benz landaulet from 1910 offered the driver a windshield and a rigid roof, but no doors or side windows. Side doors – but still no windows – were added in the 8/20 hp Benz of 1912.

Subsequent landaulet models reversed the principle of leaving the chauffeur out in the open – the driver was now protected by a windshield on all sides, as in a limousine, but the folding convertible top over the rear seats continued to offer flexibility for the passengers. This more contemporary form of the landaulet was used in luxury models such as the 15/70/100 hp Mercedes-Benz 400 Pullman landaulet from the late 1920s, and also in the landaulet taxicabs based on the Mercedes-Benz 260 D from 1936.

Landaulet as a taxicab

Al fresco motoring proved particularly attractive to taxicab customers – as indicated by the large numbers of taxicabs supplied with a landaulet body. In fact a landaulet became the world’s very first taxi when a Stuttgart-based haulage and taxicab operator, Friedrich August Greiner, ordered a Victoria landaulet with a taximeter from Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) under order no. 1329. The vehicle was duly delivered in May 1897, and the world’s first motorized taxi went into service in June, once the required permit had been obtained from the police. The vehicle cost its owner the small fortune of 5530 Mark. Included in that price were the landaulet half-convertible top, two dash leather coverings, reverse gear and solid rubber tires.

In the following decades both Daimler and Benz, and from 1926 Mercedes-Benz, supplied taxis based on this distinctive body design. The 12/30 hp Benz was actually marketed from 1913 to 1914 solely as a taxicab landaulet. In this period the landaulet became just as popular with taxi passengers as with VIPs. However the design was never in high demand for private automobiles for everyday use. In his reference work entitled “The modern automobile and its maintenance and repair” and published in 1921, Max Peter wrote: “The advantages of open-top and closed-top vehicles are to some extent combined in the landaulet which can be driven as either. Because of the ability to adapt the body structure according to the season, this body design is associated above all with taxi automobiles, and probably for this reason it is less popular for private cars, notwithstanding its undeniable advantages.” This quote is taken from the section dealing mainly with taxis and private cars of the traditional kind. The “elegant landaulet”, in contrast, is classified under a separate category specifically for parade cars.

Evolution of an elite body design

The folding convertible top design as a luxury variation on the automobile was discussed by authors Ernst Misol and Hermann Klaiber in 1913 in their book entitled “What do I need to know about my car, and how should I drive it to comply with the authorities’ regulations?” Misol and Klaiber emphasized the advantages of different body styles for different purposes: “A luxury car used only in city traffic should always have a fully enclosed body, i.e. the limousine design. But for shorter journeys outside city limits, preference is to be given to the landaulet with its retractable top at the rear.”

Owners of luxury landaulet cars in the pre-World War I period included Emperor Wilhelm II. The emperor’s first vehicle of this type was a 39/75 hp Mercedes chain-driven landaulet, which he used as a traveling car. This was followed in 1911 by a 38/70 hp Mercedes landaulet for the same purpose. The emperor then chose a 28/60 hp Mercedes landaulet as a city car in 1913. And during a visit by the heir to the Romanian throne in 1913, the monarch and his guest were driven through the streets in a 26/65 hp Mercedes-Knight landaulet.

Following the end of the imperial era, in 1938 Mercedes-Benz presented Paul von Hindenburg with a 12/55 hp Mercedes-Benz 300 six-seater landaulet: Hindenburg had been elected as President of the Weimar Republic in 1925, as the successor to Friedrich Ebert.

New technology always has its critics, and not surprisingly, the automobile was no different.  What did Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last German Emperor, think of the new technology of his day?  “I believe in the horse – the automobile is a temporary appearance.”  I have a feeling Wilhelm II would like to recant his prior statements.

A new video from Mercedes-Benz TV shows these kind of statements throughout 125 years of automotive history, none of which managed to deter the drive of Mercedes-Benz.  That, of course, is why they’re Mercedes-Benz.

It was on 29 January 1886 that Carl Benz filed an application in Berlin for a patent on his three-wheeled motor car. Ever since, that day has been considered the official birthday of the motor car, which, in 2011, celebrates its 125th anniversary. At the same time as Benz, Gottlieb Daimler was developing the first four-wheeled motor car. In this way, working independently of each other, the founding fathers of today’s Daimler AG and its globally successful Mercedes-Benz core brand laid the foundation stone for all present-day passenger cars, commercial vehicles and buses. The company that invented the motor car has since that time gone on to shape its development more diversely and enduringly than any other motor vehicle manufacturer – in all relevant areas, from drive technology to comfort and safety through to design.

Innovation has always been the key to success for a car manufacturer and is set to become even more important in future. Without the courage to go in search of new ideas, there would be no motor car; and without innovation, there would be no progress. Mercedes-Benz, the inventor of the motor car, has always pressed ahead vigorously with the development of that mode of transport. For instance, the company has repeatedly underpinned its claim to technological leadership with over 80,000 patent applications since 1886, the year in which Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler, respectively, unveiled their “Patent-Motorwagen” and “motorised carriage”. As the world’s first car, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen is the symbol of pioneering spirit par excellence. In its day, the exquisitely engineered three-wheeler made it clear at first sight that a new age of mobility had dawned. Daimler’s motorised carriage was the first motor car with four wheels.

These two vehicles represented the start of a unique success story – a story that has continuously had new chapters added to it by Mercedes-Benz. For, time and time again, it has been trendsetting inventions from the Stuttgart-based car manufacturer that have resulted in the “horseless carriage”, which was initially said by critics to have “no future”, evolving not only into an icon of personal freedom, but also into a significant factor within the economy. Alongside the first bus and the first motor truck, the company’s most important innovations also include the first modern passenger car, the Mercedes 35 hp, which was presented in February 1900.

Mercedes 35 hp: the prototype of all modern passenger cars

At the turn of the century, the Mercedes 35 hp, the prototype of all modern passenger cars, was the definition of a fundamentally new and ever since prevailing vehicle architecture: it marked the transition from the long-legged “motor carriage” to the motor car as we know it today. The decisive technical innovations were its long wheelbase, wide track, low centre of gravity and angled steering column. These improvements created the basis for comfortable and safe driving, something that was first turned into reality in a Mercedes.

There are also some characteristic features such as the elongated form and the honeycomb radiator, which, organically integrated into the front end, was to finally solve the hitherto omnipresent problem of how to cool the engine, quite apart from emerging as a distinguishing mark of the brand. With its light-alloy crankcase, the powerful four-cylinder engine served as a model for today’s still current lightweight design and was, furthermore, installed low in the frame. Its exhaust valves were controlled by a camshaft, this significantly improving the smoothness of operation, stability at idle and acceleration. The construction principle of “engine at the front, final drive to the rear wheels” was to establish itself in the long term as the conventional drive layout.

The first Mercedes – the first modern-day motor car

The “35 hp” was the first vehicle to sport the Mercedes brand name and went down in history as the first modern-day motor car. Many other manufacturers were to copy this innovative concept, which proved to be superior in every respect. Mercedes-Benz thus from an early date established its claim to be the leader in technology and design.

Spirit of innovation as a driving force behind car development

Thanks to its design creativity, Mercedes-Benz has been successful in driving ahead automotive progress with a succession of new ideas aimed at constantly reinventing the concept of personal mobility and opening up new areas of application. Its power of innovation has allowed Mercedes-Benz to evolve into an automotive manufacturer with a unique and diverse product offering. Today, the brand with the star encompasses a range of vehicles that includes compact passenger cars, such as the A-Class, and luxury saloons, such as the S-Class; vans like the Sprinter; buses like the Citaro; and heavy-duty trucks such as the Actros. The smart brand adds to the product portfolio with a vehicle that is for many the perfect city runabout. Today’s smart fortwo dates back to a Mercedes-Benz study, presented in the early 1980s, into a “short-distance transport vehicle”. The two-seater concept vehicle was the starting point of a twin-track development that gave rise in the 1990s to the company’s first compact car: the

A-Class and the smart city coupé, the predecessor of today’s smart fortwo.

Time and time again, Mercedes-Benz has been at the forefront of new concepts of personal mobility and has also opened up entirely new market segments. For example, the SLK, which was unveiled in 1996, was the first compact premium roadster. This was followed one year later by the M-Class, the first premium SUV, which owed its development to experience gained by Mercedes engineers in connection with all-wheel drive technology for the legendary G-Class and the Unimog. The most recent example is the CLS, which in 2004 established the

segment of the four-door coupé. What is more, the sheer breadth of technical innovations to have first entered the marketplace in Mercedes models is proof that the inventor of the motor car has consistently played a leading role in all key aspects of the further development of this means of transport – from drive technology to safety and comfort through to design.

Mercedes-Benz engine technology: a driving force in all areas

Mercedes-Benz has been a pioneer in engine technology for 125 years. The high-speed petrol engine was, in the truest sense of the word, the “driving force” behind the invention of the motor car. The Daimler 8 hp “Phaeton”, unveiled in 1898, was the first road-going vehicle to feature a four-cylinder engine. In 1923 Benz launched the first diesel-engined truck. Another trendsetting Mercedes innovation was a diesel engine suitable for use in passenger cars, which was introduced in 1936: in the world’s first volume-produced diesel passenger car, the Mercedes-Benz 260 D.

In the years that have since followed, Mercedes-Benz has continued to set a succession of further milestones in the development of the compression-ignition engine. Numerous technological innovations, such as the common rail diesel (CDI) with turbocharger, have resulted in greater power and torque allied to better fuel economy and reduced exhaust emissions. Today, the brand with the star is present in all segments of the market with a range of models powered by quiet-running, high-torque and high-efficiency CDI engines which – based on their power output – consume up to ten times less fuel than the diesel pioneer of 1936.

BlueTEC: making the diesel as clean as the modern petrol engine

With BlueTEC, Mercedes-Benz has additionally developed a technology for effective reduction of diesel emissions, especially the emissions of nitrogen oxides. Up to 90 percent of NOx emissions in the exhaust gas are broken down into harmless nitrogen and water, making the diesel engine as clean as the modern petrol engine. Passenger cars with BlueTEC have been available from Mercedes-Benz since 2006, currently both in the E- and S-Class and also in the SUVs of the GL-, R- and M-Class.

Developed originally for Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles, BlueTEC made its debut in a Mercedes truck in 2005, after which it was adapted for application in passenger cars. This example illustrates one of the company’s particular strengths: in-house cross-sector technology transfer, which helps to ensure that innovations with great benefits for the customer are able to be implemented quickly and systematically across the entire product range.

Modern Mercedes-Benz engines with great future potential

The future potential of the internal-combustion engine is underscored by Mercedes-Benz with the 2010 launch of its new S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY, the first five-litre car in the luxury class. The first four-cylinder engine in the over 60-year successful history of the S-Class – a highly efficient twin-turbocharged diesel – achieves a fuel consumption of just 5.7 litres per 100 kilometres in the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle). With CO2 emissions of 149 g/km, the S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY is the first vehicle in its class to better the 150 gram mark.

From the first compressor engine to the modern direct-injection petrol engine

The inventor of the motor car has also played a key role in the development of the spark-ignition engine. Back in the early 1920s, the then Daimler Motor Company adapted mechanical supercharging, which had originally been developed for aircraft engines, for use in motor cars. Thanks to the compressor technology they embodied, the Mercedes 6/25 hp and 10/40 hp models offered greater power and higher efficiency than comparable naturally aspirated vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz installed the first series-produced four-stroke direct-injection petrol engine in its legendary 300 SL sports car of 1954. What served at that time above all to boost the power output is today used by Mercedes engineers, in combination with other measures, to increase the efficiency, i.e. to achieve a significant reduction in consumption while at the same time raising the power output.

The Mercedes-Benz strategy for the internal-combustion engine of today and tomorrow is: consistent use of direct injection in both petrol and diesel engines, downsizing, turbocharging, variable valve timing . And, with the introduction in autumn 2009 of the new four-cylinder turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine in the E-Class,

Mercedes-Benz set about putting this strategy into practice – from the four-cylinder through to the eight-cylinder engine and in all relevant model series. The result: high power output with good fuel economy and correspondingly low CO2 emissions.

BlueDIRECT: making the petrol engine as economical as the diesel

Efficiency at the highest level is the common hallmark of a generation of six- and eight-cylinder power units that were launched in 2010 in the S-Class, CL-Class and the new CLS. While each of the engines offers increased power and torque in comparison with its predecessor, fuel consumption – in the new CLS, for example – has been lowered by up to 25 percent. This means that, where fuel efficiency is concerned, the modern BlueDIRECT direct-injection petrol engines from Mercedes-Benz have moved a further step closer to their diesel counterparts. The increase in efficiency is due in part to a series of targeted BlueEFFICIENCY measures, especially the ECO start/stop function, which is already standard equipment in many models and which by mid-2011 will be made available by Mercedes-Benz across its entire product range in over 50 models.

Pioneer in alternative drive technologies

Mercedes-Benz was also quick off the mark in the field of alternative drive technologies. As early as 1906, Mercedes for the first time equipped passenger cars, trucks, buses and fire-fighting vehicles with battery-electric or hybrid drives. In the 1970s, development of the electric and hybrid drive was revived and intensively promoted.

Building on this unique wealth of experience, Mercedes-Benz has introduced a series of modern vehicles with alternative drives that point the way to an ultimately emission-free mode of mobility.

These include the S 400 HYBRID luxury saloon, unveiled in 2009, which was the first European-manufactured hybrid passenger car and also the first series-produced hybrid to feature advanced lithium-ion battery technology. Soon after that, Mercedes-Benz brought out three state-of-the-art electric cars in rapid succession: the A-Class E-CELL and the Vito E-CELL van with battery-electric drive as well as the fuel-cell-powered B-Class F-CELL. The company’s line-up of electric cars is rounded off by the smart fortwo electric drive, which has been heralded as a revolutionary new development in urban mobility with zero local emissions.

Safety: there’s a bit of Mercedes in every modern-day motor car

Nowhere in the world is there a manufacturer that has invested more in the development of automotive safety than Mercedes-Benz. For 70 years now, the safety experts at Mercedes have been systematically at work studying the causes of accidents, lessening their consequences and helping to avoid accidents. Mercedes’s comprehensive commitment is demonstrated by no fewer than three anniversaries in 2009: “70 years of safety development”, “50 years of the rigid passenger compartment” and “40 years of accident research”.

As far as passive safety is concerned, the focus is on affording the vehicle occupants the best possible protection in the event of an accident. An example of this is the rigid passenger compartment with crumple zones, which was patented by Mercedes-Benz in 1951 and went into series production for the first time in 1959 in the 220 S and 220 SE “Fintail models”. Seat belt and airbag are further examples of innovations that were introduced into series production by Mercedes-Benz as original solutions to real-world problems. Today, they are a self-evident part of the automotive experience of every motorist. That explains why it can be said that there’s a bit of Mercedes-Benz in every modern-day motor car.

Lessening the consequences of accidents – avoiding accidents entirely

Active safety is at the centre of efforts to reach the goal of accident-free driving. In pursuit of this goal, Mercedes-Benz has developed a number of innovations that are capable of lessening the severity of accidents or of preventing them entirely. The electronically controlled ABS and ESP® are Mercedes developments that have demonstrably contributed to a significant reduction in the frequency of accidents. Once again, these safety systems are today standard equipment in virtually all cars. The ABS anti-lock braking system was introduced in 1978 in the Series 116 S-Class, while the airbag was launched in 1981 in the Series 126 S-Class. Mercedes-Benz brought out the ESP® electronic stability program in 1995 in the Series 140 S-Class Coupé, before then gradually extending it to all model series.

Mercedes-Benz was the first car manufacturer in the world to unite active and passive safety features within this system, thereby further enhancing the degree of protection afforded to vehicle occupants. The launch of PRE-SAFE® in 2002 opened another new chapter in the history of automotive safety. Mercedes-Benz systematically bases its safety technology developments on what actually happens in accidents and also on the findings from its own in-house accident research activities. Innovative systems such as the Active Blind Spot Assist or ATTENTION ASSIST address typical causes of accidents such as lane-changing and driver fatigue.

Selected milestones in the history of Mercedes-Benz safety technology:

• 1939 – Inception of passenger-car safety development
• 1959 – World’s first safety body
• 1969 – Establishment of Mercedes-Benz accident research
• 1978 – Electronically controlled anti-lock braking system (ABS)
• 1980 – Pyrotechnic airbag, seat belt tensioner
• 1989 – Automatically raised roll-over bar
• 1995 – Electronic Stability Program (ESP®)
• 1996 – Brake Assist (BAS)
• 1998 – DISTRONIC adaptive cruise control
• 1999 – Active Body Control (ABC), tyre pressure monitor
• 2002 – PRE-SAFE® preventive occupant protection system
• 2003 – Active light function
• 2005 – DISTRONIC PLUS, Brake Assist PLUS, Night View Assist
• 2006 – PRE-SAFE® Brake, Intelligent Light System
• 2009 – Speed Limit Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Blind Spot Assist, ATTENTION ASSIST drowsiness detection
• 2010 – Active Lane Keeping Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist ; LED high-performance headlamps

Ride comfort: a traditional Mercedes-Benz strength

Ride comfort is a traditional Mercedes strength. Wide track, long wheelbase and tailor-made chassis systems – this is the basis on which Mercedes-Benz has for over a century ensured a standard of comfort on long journeys that is typical of the brand. As early as 1931, Mercedes-Benz set an important milestone in terms of chassis technology with its 170 model, which was the first volume-produced passenger car to feature independent suspension on all four wheels (“swing axles”). This design made for an entirely new driving experience, which was significantly better at compensating for irregularities in the road surface, thereby reducing not only road roar but also tyre vibration.

Time and time again, Mercedes-Benz has been a trailblazer with trendsetting new designs, such as the single-joint swing axle, which was launched in 1954, and the diagonal swing axle, which was unveiled in 1968. Both designs combined improved driving safety with additionally enhanced ride comfort. Then, in 1961, new standards were set with the first air suspension system in the 300 SE luxury saloon. In late 1982, the multi-link rear suspension system in the new compact class caused a technological sensation. This revolutionary system allowed for optimal movement of the independently suspended rear wheels by means of five three-dimensionally arranged links on each wheel. The multi-link rear suspension system was subsequently extended to all Mercedes-Benz saloons, coupés, cabriolets and sports cars with rear-wheel drive and has been emulated by many other manufacturers.

AIRMATIC: air suspension for even greater driving pleasure

In 1998 a further technological innovation was to make its debut in the S-Class, with the traditional spring and damper system with coil springs and gas-pressurised shock absorbers being superseded by the electronically controlled AIRMATIC (Adaptive Intelligent Ride Control) with air suspension and ADS Adaptive Damping System. Automatic independent level control of each wheel, which is also part of the AIRMATIC, takes account of the road surface, driving style and laden state, thereby ensuring excellent ride comfort.

The most important recent innovations have included ABC Active Body Control, the world’s first actively controlled suspension system, which was unveiled by

Mercedes-Benz in 1991 in its C112 research vehicle and was introduced in the CL coupé in 1999. The system reduces body vibrations caused by bouncing and rolling movements when cornering or by pitching movements when braking. The ADVANCED AGILITY package made its debut in 2007, when it appeared first in the new C-Class. The package offers two shifting modes: Sport and Comfort. As part of these shifting programs, there is infinitely variable electronic control of the shock absorbers on each wheel.

PRE-SCAN: flying carpet on four wheels

Likewise in 2007, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the revolutionary PRE-SCAN chassis, which it presented in the F 700 research vehicle. The system can register road conditions in advance, react very sensitively to bumps and potholes and compensate for them more effectively than other chassis. The F 700 thus (almost) attains the comfort level of the proverbial “flying carpet”. The PRE-SCAN chassis uses two laser sensors in the headlights as “eyes”.

The MAGIC BODY CONTROL chassis that Mercedes-Benz presented in the autumn of 2010 is an advanced system that literally looks ahead – a highly sensitive stereo camera mounted on the windscreen, above the rear-view mirror, “observes” the road in front of the vehicle from two different perspectives, enabling the system to recognise uneven road surfaces in even greater detail. Fast on-board computers process all of the data in real-time and control the active ABC chassis, which can adjust the forces at each wheel separately. This allows the vehicle body’s movements to be largely compensated for, compared to today’s standard chassis.

Operating comfort: intelligent systems improve the driver’s physiological well-being

The principle of maximum possible simplicity and intuitiveness with regard to vehicle control dates back to the early days of the brand. Already in 1902, under the model designation “Mercedes Simplex”, new Mercedes models boasted the advances that had been made in terms of easier vehicle operation. For, at Mercedes-Benz, maximum comfort means much more than pleasant driving and high-quality features. All of our comfort solutions are intended to improve the driver’s condition and to consistently relieve driving strain by means of many individual measures that are painstakingly coordinated with one another. Operating comfort, ergonomics, air conditioning, low noise levels, handling properties and many other factors affect a driver’s condition behind the wheel, and thus also his or her ability to keep an overview of the traffic situation. After all, only a relaxed driver is also a safe driver.

Mercedes-Benz researchers have been investigating this complex topic, called “physiological well-being”, for many years, and Mercedes-Benz has consistently applied their findings to improve its series-production vehicles. As a result, it has been demonstrated that Mercedes drivers stay fit and focused for a longer time. Prime examples of the progress achieved in this field are the carefully designed, intuitive control and display concepts and the intelligent driving assistance systems, which turn the motor car into a partner that thinks along with the person behind the wheel.

Mercedes-Benz design: Design idiom developing through the interplay between tradition and a future-oriented approach

At Mercedes-Benz, design develops as a result of the interplay between the brand’s consciousness of tradition and its orientation towards the future. The aesthetic design of the motor car was decisively influenced by the “Lightning Benz”, which was unveiled in 1909, for the innovative design idiom of this record-breaking racing car was for the first time based on aerodynamic findings while at the same time radiating an air of supreme dynamism.

While masculine, powerfully modelled lines characterised the Mercedes-Benz models of the 1920s, from the beginning of the 1930s the design idiom switched gradually to gentler, flowing lines and rounded form elements. Highlights of this evolution were the 500 K from 1934 and its outwardly largely identical successor, the 540 K, which was launched in 1936. With their tailored forms and elegant, flowing lines, they were considered objects of perfect beauty.

1953: dawn of modern car design

In 1953 Mercedes-Benz stepped into the age of modernity with its 180 model. This saloon was characterised by its so-called three-box design – the third “box”, after front end and passenger compartment, being the luggage compartment. The self-supporting “unitary structure” not only impressed because of its increased stability and greater crashworthiness, but it was also significantly more modern in appearance. Compared with the traditional vehicle form with its pronounced wings, separate headlamps, side running boards and short rear overhang, the unitary-structure models also offered a number of practical advantages: a roomier interior, better visibility, a lower drag coefficient, reduced wind noise and a considerably larger luggage compartment.

Many outstanding Mercedes-Benz models have significantly influenced the design evolution of the motor car. Often described as a design icon, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “gull-wing” embodied pedigree and class like no other car of its age. It remains to this day a highly sought-after dream car and in 1999 was voted “sports car of the century” by an international jury of car experts. The 300 SL was the first Mercedes-Benz road vehicle to sport a horizontal air inlet opening with the star in the middle. This new front section was to become the hallmark of all future SL touring sports cars.

Launched in 1959, the so-called 220, 220 S and 220 SE “Fintail models” also set new standards with their inimitable form, which united function with elegance. Known officially as “markers”, the tail fins were at once beautiful and also useful for parking and, in combination with the ample all-round visibility, anticipated the transformation in customer expectations.

Proven stylistic elements combined with new ideas

As model-specific characteristics of unmistakable brand identity, present-day Mercedes-Benz vehicles frequently exhibit stylistic details from the brand’s past. These include, for example, the curving lines of the current E-Class family, which are reminiscent of the unitary-structure models of the 1950s; or the fins and lateral ventilation openings on the SL, the basic form of which likewise dates back to the 1950s. These classic elements, however, are in all cases reinterpreted with a contemporary look. In this way, Mercedes-Benz consistently steers clear of fashionable, often short-lived retro trends. Rather, the designers at Mercedes-Benz seek to emphasize the rich heritage of the company’s car models by combining proven stylistic elements of the brand with new ideas, thereby continuously evolving the design.

Mercedes-Benz pursues a long-term design strategy, which guarantees that a Mercedes is always recognisable as a Mercedes. In this endeavour, the designers at Mercedes employ a sophisticated design idiom in which elements that make a vehicle recognisable at first sight as a Mercedes-Benz are combined with a distinct design philosophy typical of each particular model series, which leads to each vehicle having its own unique character. For example, the SUV models are clearly different from the saloons, coupés and sports cars.

The final outcome is an attractive blend of visual distinctiveness and unmistakable brand identity, the Mercedes-Benz design idiom remaining alive in every detail – modern, but never ‘trendy’.

The same principle applies to interior design and is systematically put into practice at Mercedes-Benz. Depending on the character of the vehicle, material qualities, forms and stylistic elements are developed and executed in a manner specific to the model series and each particular model, with, once again, individuality and overall harmony being given clear priority over overarching uniformity. Interior design, which is becoming an increasingly important part of overall vehicle design, today contributes more than ever to keeping alive the fascination of beauty for years to come. A car’s interior is seen as a living space in which the owner spends a lot of time.

Typical design idiom of the Mercedes-Benz brand – given a new interpretation

A preview of Mercedes-Benz’s future design idiom is afforded by the F 800 Style research vehicle, which is technology vehicle and design statement in one. The vehicle’s external appearance is characterized by its long wheelbase, short body overhangs and sensually flowing roof line. The exciting coupé-like side view, allied to the balanced proportions, results in a stylishly sporty appearance which further develops the Mercedes-Benz design idiom.

Room for creative thinking

Creativity has been written large for 125 years at the inventor of the motor car. German engineering and Swabian inventiveness have created a brand icon of world standing. The company promotes creativity by making room for free thinking and working, thereby guaranteeing that the source of innovation will never run dry.

In order to maintain its innovative edge, the company has established a global knowledge network to which employees from research and development contribute their know-how from a wide range of different disciplines. Last year, the company was able to retain its position as the premium car manufacturer with the most patent applications. Over half the total of 2070 filed applications relate to “green” technologies, as many as 720 of which concern the drive system (35 percent). Significant progress has been achieved above all in the fields of energy efficiency and exhaust-gas aftertreatment as well as fuel-cell and battery technology. By continuing to invest heavily in research and development, the company is laying the foundations for further maintaining its high standard of innovation over the long term.

Mercedes-Benz: the most valuable luxury brand in the world

Thanks to its systematic innovation strategy, Mercedes-Benz occupies a leading position in the league table of the world’s most valuable brands. This is backed up by the latest 2010 international studies, which confirm the special position held by the brand with the star in no fewer than three categories: “most valuable German brand”, “most valuable global premium car brand” and “most valuable global luxury brand”.

“Nothing but the best” – yesterday, today and in future

It was Carl Benz who said: “The love of inventing never dies”. And it was Gottlieb Daimler who came up with the famous maxim “The best or nothing”. Mercedes-Benz has remained true to these guiding principles for almost 125 years. The spirit of innovation, one of the key driving forces, is firmly rooted in our corporate culture – forever with the goal of guaranteeing personal mobility also for future generations and providing each individual customer with the optimal vehicle for their individual needs. This innovation is founded on Mercedes-Benz’s systematic research activities, which led at the beginning of the 1970s to the official establishment of a separate research department. Today, Mercedes-Benz has at its disposal a global knowledge network with some 19,000 researchers and developers around the world – an interdisciplinary think tank, full of pioneering spirit, expertise and motivation, for continuing in future to make the best cars in the world.

The first modern car was designed by Wilhelm Maybach, chief designer of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, in 1900. The state-of-the-art 1000-kilogram car with a characteristic low centre of gravity was made for Emil Jellinek, as the first vehicle to bear the “Mercedes” name. Standout features of the new car included the visionary contours, marking the final break from coach construction, and the powerful drivetrain. The Mercedes was propelled by a completely new 27-kW light-alloy engine, cooled by Maybach’s new honeycomb radiator. These ingredients combined to make the 35 hp the first super-sports car in the history of our brand, at least when fitted out as such, since the car was supplied in a range of body styles according to customer preference, as was normal practice at the time.

The car’s top speed was 75 km/h, or just under 90 km/h with the light sports body. These figures were superior to any other vehicle of the day – and the DMG 35 hp Mercedes proceeded to dominate the Racing Week event in Nice, winning the hill climb, street race and one-mile sprint titles.

Wilhelm Maybach’s design also created the culture of Mercedes-Benz super-sports cars, since as well as being a highly successful racing car, the vehicle was also sold as an exclusive car for customers looking for a superior sports car. Emil Jellinek clearly had such ambitions when he commissioned this outstanding car from DMG. He had been operating in Nice on the Côte d’Azur as an independent car dealer since 1897, selling Daimler automobiles to the rich and famous. His customers included members of the Rothschild family and other VIPs of the day. By the time of Gottlieb Daimler’s death in 1900, Jellinek had sold 34 cars in this way – a respectable figure in an age of very low production runs.

Jellinek finally convinced Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach to build him a powerful car. The new DMG vehicle was to enter the Nice races under the name of “Mercedes”. Jellinek and his team had entered races under this pseudonym since 1899. Even then, he realised that, as well as being powerful advertising tools for their manufacturer, high-performance sports cars also provided a foretaste of series-production cars of the future: “I want the car of tomorrow!”, he told the DMG engineers. He placed a bulk order for 36 cars for a total price of 550,000 Mark.

The first new 35-hp car was delivered to Jellinek on 22 December 1900, and already on 4 January 1901 there was a report in the Côte d’Azur car magazine “L’Automobile-Revue du Littoral” reading as follows: “The place to see the latest trends at the moment is not Paris, but Nice. The first Mercedes car built in the workshops at Cannstadt has just arrived in Nice, and thanks to the kindness of its owner, Mr Jellinek, all our motorists have been able to try it out. We make no bones about it: the Mercedes appears to be a very, very good car. This remarkable vehicle will be a fearsome competitor in the 1901 racing season.”

These words were borne out in no uncertain terms during the Nice Racing Week in March 1901. The new Mercedes returned home with four first places and five second places to their credit, in such diverse events as the endurance race, the hill climb and the one-mile race. After watching these successes, Paul Meyan, General Secretary of the Automobile Club de France, coined the phrase “Nous sommes entrés dans l’ère Mercédès” (“We have just entered the Mercedes era”).

Maybach’s conviction that there would soon be customers for the exclusive high-performance sports car was proved right, with a list of buyers for the DMG Mercedes during 1901 including a string of American billionaires: Rockefeller, Astor, Morgan and Taylor.

The Mercedes 35 hp marks the beginning of a creative process that led to the production of numerous powerful and exclusive cars over the next few years, particularly the the models in the Simplex family. These were the fruit of Wilhelm Maybach’s tireless efforts to produce an even better successor for the first generation of Mercedes models. This project started in autumn 1901 and resulted in the top model of the 1902 year: the Mercedes-Simplex 40 hp. This car dominated the Nice Racing Week in April 1902 just as the first Mercedes had done one year before.

The next development stage of the race-winning super-sports car was the Mercedes-Simplex 60 hp of 1903. This vehicle enjoyed its hour of stardom as a racing car, but only as the result of a disastrous accident. In 1903, the Daimler factory in Cannstatt was largely destroyed in a fire. The casualties included the three Mercedes 90 hp cars to be raced in the Gordon Bennett race. So DMG decided to replace its factory racing vehicles with Mercedes-Simplex 60 hp cars, which the manufacturer borrowed back for the race from customers who had already received cars. One of these cars was driven to victory against very strong international competition by the Belgian racing driver Camille Jenatzy. So it was that the Mercedes-Simplex 60 hp came to stand for one of the most legendary motorsport successes of the Mercedes brand.

Other outstanding DMG models that can be regarded as forerunners preparing the way for contemporary super-sports cars include the six-cylinder Mercedes 75 hp (1906), the Mercedes 37/90 hp featuring three-valve technology, double ignition and encapsulated drive chains (1911), and the Mercedes 28/95 hp, powered by a six-cylinder engine inspired by aircraft technology, with overhead camshaft, V-shaped overhead valves and steel turned cylinders (1914).

Benz & Cie., a competitor of DMG up until the merger of the two companies in 1926, also made a little piece of super-sports car history in 1909 with a very famous car: the Benz 200 hp, which as the “Blitzen-Benz“ (or “Lightning Benz”) set numerous records and entered the technology history books as the fastest car of its time. It had a 21.5-litre engine developing an output of 147 kW, and definitely belongs in the ranks of the super-sports cars. In contrast with the experimental cars and “record-breaking cars” of later years, the Benz 200 hp was both sold to customers and entered in motorsport events.

Mercedes 35 hp

In production: from 1900 to 1902

Engine: 4-cylinder, in-line

Displacement: 5913 cc

Output: 26 kW at 1000 rpm

Top speed: 75 km/h

Mercedes-Simplex 40 hp

In production: from 1902 to 1903

Engine: 4-cylinder, in-line

Displacement: 6785 cc

Output: 29 kW at 1100 rpm

Top speed: 80 km/h

Mercedes 75 hp

In production: from 1906 to 1911 (including successor models)

Engine: 6-cylinder, in-line

Displacement: 10,180 cc

Output: 55 kW at 1300 rpm

Top speed: 95 km/h

Mercedes 37/90 hp

In production: from1911 to 1915 (including successor types)

Engine: 4-cylinder, in-line

Displacement: 9,530 cc

Output: 66 kW at 1300 rpm

Top speed: 115 km/h

Mercedes 28/95 hp

In production: 1914 to 1924 (all models)

Engine: 6-cylinder, in-line

Displacement: 7280 cc

Output: 69 kW at 1800 rpm

Top speed: 130 km/h