History
« PreviousThe Mercedes-Benz SL-Class sports cars
Dienstag, 24.Januar 2012In the 1950s, a very special star rose in Stuttgart: the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class was born. It all began with motor racing sports. With its successes in international competitions, in 1952 the 300 SL competition sports car (W 194 series, “SL” stands for “Super-Light”), became the initial spark for the start of two fascinating production sports [...]
Daimler corporate archive: Preserving one’s own history
Mittwoch, 21.Dezember 2011The foundation of a corporate archive in 1936 was a necessary step for the then Daimler-Benz AG. The timing was chosen for its symbolic significance – exactly 50 years after the invention of the automobile. The aim was to preserve this half-century using the documentary records and lay the groundwork for collecting these kinds of [...]
The memory of Daimler AG
Montag, 14.November 2011Building on our heritage, and innovation builds on tradition. Mercedes-Benz Classic embraces these values in a very special way through its Archives and Collection department.
The archive, one of the largest business archives anywhere in Europe and undoubtedly the most complete in the automotive industry, provides a documentary record of the outstanding history of the [...]
New standard work: Mercedes-Benz Racing Cars and Sports Cars since 1894
Samstag, 27.August 2011“Mercedes-Benz Renn- und Sportwagen seit 1894” (Mercedes-Benz Racing Cars and Sports Cars since 1894) is the title of the latest book documenting the vehicle history of the brand with the three-pointed star. Written by automotive historian Günter Engelen, it is the latest in a series of standard works by the author on Mercedes-Benz. Published by [...]
Rolling magnificence: Maybach (W 240 series), since 2002
Dienstag, 16.August 2011Continuing the company’s tradition of the ‘Super Mercedes’, at the 32nd Tokyo Motor Show in October 1997 Daimler-Benz AG presented a foretaste of a future vehicle in the form of a study belonging to tomorrow’s premium class of luxury cars.
At that time it bore the name Mercedes-Benz Maybach. But the time of its market [...]
Rolling magnificence: Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Super Mercedes’ (W 100), 1964 up to 1981
Montag, 15.August 2011The “Super Mercedes” Model 600 – the exclusive vehicle for grand representation.’ That was a Press Information headline presenting the Model 600 in 1963. And so that there would be absolutely no doubt as to how it would position itself, the report continued in the same tone:
‘By unveiling the “Super Mercedes” Model 600, Daimler-Benz [...]
Rolling magnificence: Mercedes-Benz Model ‘Super Mercedes’ (W 150), 1938 up to 1943
Sonntag, 14.August 2011The creation of the new ‘Super Mercedes’ with the internal designation W 150 began at around the end of 1936 and can be attributed to two circumstances: on the one hand the increased demand from industry and government circles for a more modern premium vehicle, and on the other hand the realisation that the existing [...]
Rolling magnificence: Mercedes-Benz 300 to 300 d (W 186 II to W 189), 1951 up to 1962
Samstag, 13.August 2011By the end of the Second World War, the benchmarks had changed in Germany and Western Europe. People were suffering greater hardship, their needs were existential, their standards more modest, the newly elected Federal government in West Germany was closer to the people and democratic.
The Federal President and the Federal Chancellor initially used cars [...]
Rolling magnificence: Mercedes-Benz Typ „Großer Mercedes“ (W 07), 1930 up to 1938
Freitag, 12.August 2011‘With this model Germany’s automotive manufacturing industry regained its place at the forefront of the special segment, which had actually always been Germany’s domain right from the beginnings of automotive engineering – coupled with the name Mercedes-Benz.
One can safely assume that it is precisely those circles which always consider that only the very latest [...]
Rolling magnificence: Mercedes 24/100/140 PS, 1924-1928 – Mercedes-Benz 24/100/140 PS Typ 630, 1928-1930
Mittwoch, 10.August 2011Paul Daimler left DMG in 1922 in disagreement with the Supervisory Board. It had called for easier-to-sell models in the lower price ranges, whilst Daimler wanted a new model with eight cylinders. His successor was Ferdinand Porsche, who had come from Austro Daimler.
He had already taken over from Daimler once before, at Austro Daimler’s [...]
Rolling magnificence: Representative cars up until the First World War
Dienstag, 9.August 2011As early as at the end of 1905, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) delivered five Mercedes-Simplex 45 hp with various bodies to the court of the Tsar in St. Petersburg. Along with other customers of high rank, the Tsar was never satisfied with owning just one vehicle; the tsarist fleet is also said to have included a Benz [...]
Rolling magnificence: Representative vehicles in the history of Daimler AG
Montag, 8.August 2011The representative vehicle boasts a distinguished appearance befitting its status. For an imposing car that makes a big impression does not merely serve as an end in itself as it transports passengers.
Through its very presence it has the effect of reinforcing impressive appearances – whilst it is true to say that appraisals will inevitably [...]
Compact and reasonably-priced: Entering new segments with the ‘Baby Benz’ and the A- and B-Class
Sonntag, 7.August 2011Nallinger pressed on with his plans for a smaller Mercedes-Benz, but things did not progress quickly. The technicians and designers were way ahead of the countdown to the decision – but the road to the W 201 model series, which first appeared in 1982 with the 190 and 190 E models, was to be a [...]
Compact and reasonably-priced: Groundbreaking projects after the Second World War
Samstag, 6.August 2011After the Second World War, passenger car production commenced with the successful 170 V model, initially as an ambulance, police patrol car and delivery van. In July 1947, production of the Saloon variant also recommenced. At the same time a number of completely new vehicles were designed, some of which were very unusual creations. In [...]
Compact and reasonably-priced: Early vehicles and projects at Benz and DMG
Freitag, 5.August 2011In 1886, Carl Benz invented the automobile. His patent motor car was the first step towards individual mobility as we know it today. Following the successful introduction of the ‘Viktoria’ and ‘Vis-à-Vis’ models in 1892, he made a significant contribution to popularising the new type of vehicle with the Benz Velo in 1894: this small [...]
Compact and reasonably-priced: Mercedes-Benz 130 (W 23, 1934 to 1936)
Donnerstag, 4.August 2011Even before the W 15 model series was introduced, the engineers and technicians at Daimler-Benz once again embarked on the task of developing an even more reasonably priced and compact entry-level model.
Board member Wilhelm Kissel, from 1937 to 1942 Chairman of the Board of Daimler-Benz AG, had not forgotten the success which had been achieved [...]
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