Mercedes-Benz

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This article is about the brand and the namesake vehicle manufacturer. For other
uses, see Mercedes-Benz (disambiguation).

Mercedes-Benz (brand)

Product type Automobile

Mercedes-Benz AG (cars and light commercial

Owner
vehicles)
Daimler Truck (heavy commercial vehicles)

Country Germany

Introduced 28 June 1926; 96 years ago

Mercedes-Benz AG

Type Subsidiary (AG)[1]

Industry Automotive

Predecessor Mercedes-Benz division of Daimler AG

Founded November 2019

Headquarters Stuttgart

, 

Germany
 Area served Worldwide

Key people Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of

Management[2]

Automobiles
Products
Light commercial vehicles

Production output 2,164,187 cars worldwide (2020)[3]

Brands Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-EQ
Mercedes-Maybach

Services Financial services

Automobile repair

Parent Mercedes-Benz Group[1]

Divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars[4]

Mercedes-Benz Vans

Subsidiaries Mercedes-AMG[5]
Smart Automobile (50%)
Mercedes-Benz Indonesia

Website mercedes-benz.com

Mercedes-Benz (German pronunciation: [mɛɐ̯ˈtseːdəsˌbɛnts, -dɛs-] ( listen)),[6][7] commonly

referred to as Mercedes, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle
automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz
Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-
Württemberg, Germany.[1] Mercedes-Benz AG produces consumer luxury
vehicles and commercial vehicles badged as Mercedes-Benz. From November 2019
onwards, Mercedes-Benz-badged heavy commercial vehicles (trucks and buses) are
managed by Daimler Truck, a former part of the Mercedes-Benz Group turned into
an independent company in late 2021. In 2018, Mercedes-Benz was the largest
brand of premium vehicles in the world, having sold 2.31 million passenger cars. [8]
The brand's origins lie in Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft's 1901 Mercedes and Karl
Benz's 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which is widely regarded as the first internal
combustion engine in a self-propelled automobile. The slogan for the brand is "the
best or nothing".[9]

Contents

 1History
 2Subsidiaries and alliances
o 2.1Mercedes-AMG
o 2.2Mercedes-Maybach
 o 2.3China
 3Production
o 3.1Factories
o 3.2Quality rankings
 4Models
o 4.1Current model range
 4.1.1Models
 4.1.2Vans
 4.1.3Trucks
 4.1.4Buses
o 4.2Significant models produced
o 4.3Car nomenclature
 4.3.1Pre-1994
 4.3.21994 to 2014
 4.3.32015 and beyond
o 4.4Environmental record
o 4.5Electric cars
 5Motorsport
o 5.1Formula One
o 5.2Formula E
 6Logo history
 7Noted employees
 8Innovations
o 8.1Robot cars
 9Tuners
 10Sponsorships
 11See also
 12References
o 12.1Notes
o 12.2Bibliography
 13External links

History[edit]
See also: List of companies involved in the Holocaust and Diesel emissions scandal

Karl Benz made the 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen, which is widely regarded as the first automobile.

Mercedes-Benz traces its origins to Karl Benz's creation of the first internal
combustion engine in a car, seen in the Benz Patent Motorwagen – financed
by Bertha Benz's dowry[10] and patented in January 1886[11] – and Gottlieb Daimler and
their engineer Wilhelm Maybach's conversion of a stagecoach, with the addition of a
petrol engine, introduced later that year. The Mercedes automobile was first
marketed in 1901 by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG).
Emil Jellinek, a European automobile entrepreneur who worked with Daimler
Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG), registered the trademark in 1902, naming the 1901
Mercedes 35 hp after his daughter Mercedes Jellinek. Jellinek was a businessman
and marketing strategist who promoted "horseless" Daimler automobiles among the
highest circles of society in his adopted home. At the time, it was a meeting place for
the "Haute Volée" of France and Europe, especially in winter. His customers included
the Rothschild family and other well-known people. But Jellinek's plans went further,
and in as early as 1901, he was selling Mercedes cars in the "New World" as well,
including United States billionaires Rockefeller, Astor, Morgan, and Taylor. At the
Nice race he attended in 1899, Jellinek drove under the pseudonym "Monsieur
Mercédès" as a way of concealing his less fancy real name. Many consider that race
the time of birth for Mercedes-Benz as a brand. Later, in 1901, the name "Mercedes"
was re-registered by DMG worldwide as a protected trademark.[12] The first Mercedes-
Benz branded vehicles were produced in 1926, following the merger of Karl Benz's
and Gottlieb Daimler's companies into the Daimler-Benz company on 28 June of the
same year.[11][13]

Gottlieb Daimler, founder of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft

Gottlieb Daimler was born on 17 March 1834 in Schorndorf. After training as a

gunsmith and working in France, he attended the Polytechnic School in Stuttgart
from 1857 to 1859. After completing various technical activities in France as well as
England, he later started working as a draftsman in Geislingen in 1862. At the end of
1863 he was appointed workshop inspector at a machine tool factory in Reutlingen,
where he met Wilhelm Maybach in 1865. [14]
Throughout the 1930s, Mercedes-Benz produced the 770 model, a car that was
notably popular throughout Germany's Nazi period. Adolf Hitler was known to have
driven in a model of this car during his time in power, with modified
custom bulletproof windshields.[15] Most of the currently surviving 770 models were
sold at auctions to private buyers. One of the cars is currently on display at the War
Museum in Ottawa, Ontario. The pontiff's Popemobile has often been sourced from
Mercedes-Benz.[16]
From 1937 onward, Daimler Benz focused increasingly on military products such as
the LG3000 lorry and the DB600 and the DB601 aero engines. To build the latter, in
1936 it built a factory hidden in the forest at Genshagen around 10 kilometres south
of Berlin. By 1942 the company had mostly stopped producing cars, and was now
devoted to war production. According to its statement, in 1944 almost half of its
63,610 employees were forced labourers, prisoners of war or concentration camp
detainees.[17] Another source quotes this figure at 46,000. The company later paid $12
million in reparations to the labourers' families. [18]
In 1958, the two companies began a partnership to sell their cars in the United States
with Studebaker. A few American-based Daimler-Benz dealerships were converted
into Mercedes-Benz dealerships when Daimler's non-Mercedes-partnered company
closed in 1966.
Over the decades, Mercedes-Benz has introduced many electronic and
mechanical innovations and safety features that later became common.[19] Currently,
Mercedes-Benz is one of the best-known and long-standing automotive brands in the
world.
In November 2019, Daimler AG announced that Mercedes-Benz, up until that point a
company marque, would be spun off into a separate wholly-owned subsidiary called
Mercedes-Benz AG. The new subsidiary would manage the Mercedes-Benz car and
van business. Mercedes-Benz-badged trucks and buses would be part of the Daimler
Truck AG subsidiary.[1]
For information relating to the three-pointed star symbol of the brand, see under the
title Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, including the merger into Daimler-Benz.
In May 2022, Mercedes-Benz announced that it has recently sold the most expensive
car at the price of $142 million. The car is a very rare 1955 Mercedes-Benz SLR that
has been kept in the German automakers collection and bought by a private owner.
Mercedes in an announcement said, that the sale will be used to establish the
Mercedes-Benz Fund.[20]
In June 2022, Mercedes-Benz recalled almost one million older vehicles built
between 2004 and 2015, due to potential problems with their braking system, caused
by possible "advanced corrosion".[21]

Subsidiaries and alliances[edit]

As of the Daimler AG company split, the Mercedes-Benz Cars division now handled
the Mercedes-Benz car's and the Smart branded car's production.[22]
Mercedes-AMG[edit]
Mercedes-AMG became a majority owned division of Mercedes-Benz in 1999. [23] The
company was integrated into DaimlerChrysler in 1999, [24] and became Mercedes-Benz
AMG on 1 January 1999.[25]
Mercedes-Maybach[edit]
Daimler's ultra-luxury Maybach brand was under the Mercedes-Benz Cars division
until December 2012, when production was stopped due to decreased sales. [26] It now
exists under the Mercedes-Maybach name, with the models being luxury-focused
enhanced models of Mercedes-Benz cars, such as the 2016 Mercedes-Maybach
S600.[27] The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 SUV debuted in November 2019. [28]
China[edit]
Daimler partnered with BYD Auto to make and sell a battery-electric car
called Denza in China.[29] In 2016, Daimler announced plans to sell Mercedes-Benz-
badged fully-electric battery cars in China. [30] Beijing Benz is a joint venture with
the BAIC Group to produce the Mercedes-Benz branded cars in China. [31] In 2018,
Mercedes-Benz voluntarily apologized for sparking controversy within China by
quoting the Dalai Lama on one of their promotional Instagram post. [32]

Production[edit]
Factories[edit]
Other than in its native birth-place, Germany, Mercedes-Benz vehicles are or have
been partly manufactured or assembled in:

Sovereign
Continent Note
state

Manufactures buses and trucks in cooperation

Algeria Africa
with SNVI (Actros, Zetros, Unimog, and G-Class, Sprinter).

South Manufactures buses, trucks, the Vito and the Sprinter van. This is the
Argentina
America first Mercedes-Benz factory outside of Germany. Built in 1951.[33]

Various models were assembled at the Australian Motor

Australia Australia
Industries facility in Port Melbourne from 1959 to 1965.[34]

Austria Europe G-Class[35]

Bosnia and
Europe
Herzegovina

Manufactures trucks and buses. Established in 1956. The A-Class

South
Brazil (W168) was produced from 1999 to 2005 and the C-Class was produced
America
until 2010 as well.[36]

North
Canada Fuel cell plant in Burnaby, British Columbia, opened 2012.
America

South
Colombia Assembly of buses, Established in Soacha 2012 and Funza 2015
America

China Asia Beijing Benz, manufactures A-Class, C-Class, E-Class, GLA-Class,

Sovereign
Continent Note
state

GLB-Class, GLC-Class and EQC-Class for mainland China market.

Bohnstedt-Petersen A/S assembled the models 130 and W136 between

1935 and 1955, although no production took place during the Second
World War. Between 1955 and 1966 the models W120,
Denmark Europe
W121 and W110, together with the van L319 and a number of trucks
and buses, were assembled by the company in Hillerød. Assembly of
special variants of Mercedes-Benz trucks continued until 1984.[37]

Egypt Africa Via Egyptian German Automotive Company E-Class, C-Class and GLK

Valmet Automotive, New A-series (W176) is manufactured

Finland Europe in Uusikaupunki since late 2013, being the first M-B passenger car ever
built in that country.

Hungary[38] Europe Manufacturing plant in Kecskemét, making B-class and CLA.[39]

Jordan Asia Bus company factory, Elba House, Amman.

Pune (C-Class, E-Class, S-Class/Maybach, GLA/GLE Class/AMG).

[40]
 Chennai (Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt. Ltd.) Buses,
India Asia
Trucks & Engine Manufacturing unit, Bangalore
(R&D), Jamshedpur with Tata Motors at Tata Motors.[41]

Manufactures Axor trucks, coach buses, A, GLA, C, GLC, E, GLE, S,

Indonesia[42] Asia
GLS, V Class vehicles and select entry level AMG models.

Iran[43] Asia

Malaysia Asia Assembly of C, E and S class vehicles by DRB-HICOM.

Mexico North Mercedes-Benz Mexico fully manufactures some Mercedes and Daimler
America vehicles completely from locally built parts (C-Class, E-Class, M-Class,
International trucks, Axor, Atego, and Mercedes Buses), manufactures
other models in complete knock down kits (CL-Class, CLK-Class, SL-
Class, SLK-Class) and manufactures a select number of models in semi
knockdown kits which use both imported components and locally
Sovereign
Continent Note
state

sourced Mexican components (S-Class, CLS-Class, R-Class, GL-Class,

Sprinter).

Nigeria Africa Assembly of buses, trucks, utility motors and the Sprinter van [44]

Joint venture Mercedes-Benz Car Trucks Vostok in Naberezhnye

Chelny (jointly Kamaz). Available in trucks Actros, Axor, multi-purpose
Russia Eurasia
auto four wheel drive medium trucks Unimog. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
Classic is also produced in Russia.

Serbia Europe FAP produces Mercedes-Benz trucks under license.

Factory at Vitoria-Gasteiz Mercedes-Benz Vito, Viano and V-Class

Spain Europe
have been built there.

South The assembly plant is located in East London, in the Eastern Cape
Africa
Africa[45] province, where both right and left hand versions of the C-class are built.

Mercedes-Benz Musso and MB100; Ssangyong Rexton Mercedes-Benz
South Korea Asia
models manufactured by SsangYong Motor Company.

Taiwan Asia Assembly of Actros by the Shung Ye Group[46]

Completely Knocked Down (CKD) production of A, GLA, C, E, S

Classes and Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) production of C-coupe, GLC,
GLC-coupe, GLE and CLS.[47] Additionally, local production
of Mercedes-AMG such as C43, E53 and CLS53 have been integrated to
Thailand Asia the existing production lines[48] making it unofficially regarded as the
largest Mercedes-Benz factory by number of classes produced under a
single roof. The factory is operated by contract manufacture the
Thonburi Group under supervision of Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing
(Thailand).[49]

Turkey Eurasia Mercedes-Benz Türk A.Ş.[50]

United Europe The SLR sports car was built at the McLaren Technology

Kingdom Centre in Woking. Brackley, Northamptonshire, is home to
 Sovereign
Continent Note
state

the Mercedes Grand Prix factory, and Brixworth, Northamptonshire is

the location of Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines

The Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class Sport Utility, the full-sized GL-Class

Luxury Sport Utility and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class vehicles are all
North
United States built at the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International production facility
America
near Tuscaloosa, Alabama.[51] Trucks (6,000 per year in the early
eighties) were once assembled in Hampton, Virginia.[52]

Assembly of E-Class, C-Class, S-Class, GLK-Class and Sprinter.

Vietnam Asia
Established in 1995.[53]

Quality rankings[edit]

Mercedes-Benz dealer in Munich, Germany

Mercedes-Benz normally has a strong reputation for quality and durability. Their
objective measures looking at passenger vehicles, such as J. D. Power surveys,
demonstrated a downturn in reputation in these criteria in the late 1990s and early
2000s. By mid-2005, Mercedes temporarily returned to the industry average for initial
quality, a measure of problems after the first 90 days of ownership, according to J. D.
Power.[54] In J. D. Power's Initial Quality Study for the first quarter of 2007, Mercedes
showed dramatic improvement by climbing from 25th to 5th place and earning
several awards for its newer models.[55] For 2008, Mercedes-Benz's initial quality
rating improved by yet another mark, to 4th place. [56] On top of this accolade, it also
received the Platinum Plant Quality Award for their Mercedes branded Sindelfingen,
Germany body assembly plant.[56] J. D. Power's 2011 US Initial Quality and Vehicle
Dependability Studies both ranked Mercedes-Benz vehicles above average in build
quality and reliability.[57][58] In J. D. Power's United Kingdom Survey in 2011, Mercedes
cars were rated above average.[59] Additionally, iSeeCars.com study for Reuters in
2014 found Mercedes to have the lowest vehicle recall rate out of competitors. [60]

Models[edit]
See also: List of Mercedes-Benz vehicles
Mercedes-Benz A-Class (Subcompact executive hatchbacks and sedans)

Mercedes-Benz B-Class (Subcompact executive Tourers)

Mercedes-Benz C-Class (Compact executive car)

Mercedes-Benz E-Class (Executive car)

Mercedes-Benz S-Class (full-size luxury sedan)

Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class (Subcompact luxury SUV)

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class (Compact luxury SUV)

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class (Mid-size luxury SUV)

Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class (full-size luxury SUV)

Current model range[edit]

Mercedes-Benz offers a versatile range of consumer-passenger, light commercial
and heavy commercial equipment. These vehicles are manufactured in multiple
countries worldwide. The Smart marque of city cars are also produced by Daimler
AG.
Models[edit]

 A-Class – Subcompact luxury Hatchback and Sedan

 B-Class – Subcompact luxury Multi Purpose Vehicle
 C-Class – Compact executive luxury Sedan/Saloon, Estate, Coupé and Cabriolet
 CLA – Subcompact luxury 4-Door Coupé and Estate
 CLS – Mid-size luxury 4-Door Coupé
 E-Class – Mid-size executive luxury Sedan/Saloon, Estate, Coupé and Cabriolet
 G-Class – Luxury off-road vehicle
 GLA – Subcompact luxury Crossover
 GLB – Compact luxury Crossover
 GLC – Compact luxury Sport utility vehicle
 GLE – Mid-size luxury Sport utility vehicle
 GLS – Full-size luxury Sport utility vehicle
 S-Class – Full-Size luxury Sedan/Saloon, Coupé and Cabriolet
 V-Class – Luxury Multi Purpose Vehicle
 AMG GT – Luxury sports car
 AMG GT 4-Door – Luxury sports 4-Door Coupé
 AMG SL – Luxury grand tourer roadster
 AMG ONE – Super sports car
 EQA - Luxury electric Crossover
 EQB - Luxury electric Crossover
 EQC - Luxury electric Crossover
 EQE - Luxury electric Sedan/Saloon
 EQS - Luxury electric Sedan/Saloon
 EQV - Luxury electric Multi Purpose Vehicle
Vans[edit]

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Mercedes-Benz currently offers three types of vans; Citan, Vito, and Sprinter. They

are all produced by Daimler AG.
Trucks[edit]
See also: List of Mercedes-Benz trucks

Mercedes-Benz Zetros used for snowplowing

Unimog, a famous allround vehicle by Mercedes-Benz

Since December 2021, the Mercedes-Benz Trucks division is part of the Daimler

Truck company and includes other sub-companies that were part of the
DaimlerChrysler merger. Gottlieb Daimler sold the world's first truck in 1886. [61] Their
first factory to be built outside Germany after World War II was in Argentina. They
originally built trucks, many of which were modified by third parties to be used as
buses, popularly named Colectivo.
Buses[edit]
Main article: Mercedes-Benz buses
Mercedes-Benz has been producing buses since 1895 in Mannheim, Germany.
Since 1995, the brands of Mercedes-Benz's buses and coaches are under the
umbrella of EvoBus GmbH, since December 2021 belonging to Daimler Truck AG.
EvoBus, through its regional subsidiaries, markets them in European countries, while
in other regions of the world marketing and sales duties are passed to regional
subsidiaries of Daimler Truck. Mercedes-Benz produces a wide range of buses and
coaches, mainly for Europe and Asia. The first model was produced by Karl Benz in
1895.[62]

A STRAN Citaro (second generation) in June 2014

Significant models produced[edit]

 1928: SSK racing car
 1930: 770 "Großer Mercedes" state and ceremonial car
 1934: 500 K
 1936: 260 D World's first diesel production car
 1936: 170
 1938: W125 Record-breaking experimental
 1939: 320A
 1951: 300, known as the "Adenauer Mercedes"
 1953: "Ponton" models
 1954: 300SL "Gullwing"
 1956: 190SL
 1959: "Fintail" models
 1960: 220SE Cabriolet
 1963: 600 "Grand Mercedes"
 1963: 230SL "Pagoda"
 1965: S-Class
 1966: 300SEL 6.3
 1968: W114 "new generation" compact cars
 1969: C111 experimental vehicle
 1972: W107 350SL
 1974: 450SEL 6.9
 1977: W123- Mercedes' first station wagon
 1978: 300SD - Mercedes' first turbo diesel
 1979: 500SEL and G-Class
 1983: 190E 2.3–16
 1989: 300SL, 500SL
 1990: 500E
 1991: 600SEL
 1993: C-Class
 1995: C43 AMG
 1995: SL73 AMG, 7.3 V12
 1996: SLK
 1997: A-Class and M-Class
 2004: SLR McLaren and CLS-Class
 2007: BlueTec E320, GL320 Bluetec, ML320 Bluetec, R320 Bluetec
 2010: SLS AMG
 2013: CLA-Class
 2016: AMG GT
 2019: Mercedes-Benz EQ
 2021: Mercedes-Benz EQA
 2022: Mercedes-Benz EQS
The Mercedes-Benz 600 or 600S Pullman Guard limousines offer the option of
armour-plating and have been used by diplomats worldwide.[63]
Car nomenclature[edit]
Pre-1994[edit]
Until 1994, Mercedes-Benz utilized an alphanumeric system for categorizing their
vehicles, consisting of a number sequence approximately equal to the engine's
displacement in liters multiplied by 100, followed by an arrangement of alphabetical
suffixes, indicating body style and engine type.

 "C" indicates a coupe or cabriolet body style (for example, the CL and CLK
models, though the C-Class is an exception, since it is also available as a sedan
or station wagon).
 "D" indicates the vehicle is equipped with a diesel engine.
 "E" (for "Einspritzung") indicates the vehicle's engine is equipped with petrol fuel
injection. Also used for electric models and plug-in hybrids.
 "G" was originally used for the Geländewagen off-road vehicle, but is now applied
to Mercedes SUVs in general (G, GLA, GLC, GLE, GLK, and GLS).
 "K" was used in the 1930s, indicating a supercharger ("Kompressor") equipped
engine. Three exceptions : the SLK, SSK and CLK, where K indicates "Kurz"
(short-wheelbase) (though the SLK[64] and SSK had a supercharger).
 "L" indicates "Leicht" (lightweight) for sporting models and "Lang" (long-
wheelbase) for sedan models.
 "R" indicates "Rennen" (racing), used for racing cars (for example, the 300SLR).
 "S" Sonderklasse "Special class" for flagship models, including the S-Class, and
SL-Class, SLR McLaren, and SLS sports cars.
 "T" indicates "Touring" and an estate (or station wagon) body style.
Some models in the 1950s also had lower-case letters (b, c, and d) to indicate
specific trim levels. For other models, the numeric part of the designation does not
match the engine displacement. This was done to show the model's position in the
model range independent of displacement or in the price matrix. For these vehicles,
the actual displacement in litres is suffixed to the model designation. An exception
was the 190-class with the numeric designation of "190" as to denote its entry-level in
the model along with the displacement label on the right side of the boot (190E 2.3
for 2.3-litre 4-cylinder petrol motor, 190D 2.5 for 2.5-litre 5-cylinder diesel motor, and
so forth). Some older models (such as the SS and SSK) did not have a number as
part of the designation at all.
1994 to 2014[edit]
For the 1994 model year, Mercedes-Benz revised the naming system. Models were
divided into "classes" denoted by an arrangement of up to three letters (see "Current
model range" above), followed by a three-digit (or two-digit for AMG models, with the
number approximately equal to the displacement in litres multiplied by 10) number
related to the engine displacement as before. Variants of the same model such as an
estate version or a vehicle with a diesel engine are no longer given a separate letter.
The SLR and SLS supercars do not carry a numerical designation.
Today, many numerical designations no longer reflect the engine's actual
displacement, but more of the relative performance and marketing position. Despite
its engine displacement in two litres, the powerplant in the A45 AMG produces 355
brake horsepower so the designation is higher as to indicate the greater
performance. Another example is the E250 CGI having greater performance than the
E200 CGI due to the different engine tuning even though both have 1.8-litre engines.
From the marketing perspective, E200 seems more "upscale" than E180. Recent
AMG models use the "63" designation (in honor of the 1960s 6.3-litre M100 engine)
despite being equipped with either a 6.2-litre (M156), a 5.5-litre (M157) or even a 4.0-
litre engine.
Some models carry further designations indicating special features:

 "4MATIC" indicates the vehicle is equipped with all-wheel-drive.

 "BlueTEC" indicates a diesel engine with selective catalytic reduction exhaust
aftertreatment.
 "BlueEFFICIENCY" indicates special fuel economy features (direct
injection, start-stop system, aerodynamic modifications, etc.)
 "CGI" (Charged Gasoline Injection) indicates direct gasoline injection.
 "CDI" (Common-rail Direct Injection) indicates a common-rail diesel engine.
 "Hybrid" indicates a petrol- or diesel-electric hybrid.
 "NGT" indicates a natural gas-fueled engine.
 "Kompressor" indicates a supercharged engine.
 "Turbo" indicates a turbocharged engine, only used on A-, B-, E- and GLK-Class
models.
 "AMG Line" indicates the interior or engine, depending which car, has been fitted
with the luxuries of their AMG sports cars.
Model designation badges can be removed at the request of the customer.
2015 and beyond[edit]
Rationalisation of the model nomenclature was announced in November 2014 for
future models.[65][66] The changes consolidate many confusing nomenclature and their
placements in the model range such as CL-Class is now called the S-Class Coupé.
The naming structure is divided into four categories: core, off-road vehicle/SUV, 4-
door coupé, and roadster. AMG GT and V-Class are unaffected by the change. In
October 2016, Mercedes unveiled the X-Class; a pickup truck built on the Nissan
Navara.[67][68] At the 2016 Paris Motor Show, the company announced the EQ, a family
of upcoming battery electric vehicles based on a modular platform, expected to
represent up to 25% of its global sales by 2025.[69]

Core Off-Road Vehicles/SUV 4-Door Coupé Roadster

A GLA
CLA
B GLB

C GLC SLC

E GLE
CLS
S GLS SL

— G — —

Note: The CLA is positioned between the A- and B-Class models, while the CLS sits
between the E- and S-Classes.
In addition to the revised nomenclature, Mercedes-Benz has new suffix nomenclature
for the drive systems.

Current New Example

Natural Gas Drive c for "compressed natural gas" B 200 c

BlueTec E 350 d
d for "diesel"
GLA 200 d
CDI

PLUG-IN HYBRID S 500 e

e for "electric"
Electric Drive B 250 e

Fuel Cell f for "fuel cell" B 200 f

HYBRID S 400 h
h for "hybrid"
BlueTEC HYBRID E 300 h

4MATIC 4MATIC (all-wheel drive) E 400 4MATIC

The revised A45 AMG for 2016 model year on has shifted the model designation to
the right side while AMG is on the left side. [70] This trend commenced with Mercedes-
Maybach with MAYBACH on the left and S500/S600 on the right. [71]
Environmental record[edit]
See also: Diesel emissions scandal
Mercedes-Benz has developed multi-concept cars with alternative propulsion, such
as hybrid-electric, fully electric, and fuel-cell powertrains. At the 2007 Frankfurt motor
show, Mercedes-Benz showed seven hybrid models, including the F700 concept car,
powered by a hybrid-electric drivetrain featuring the DiesOtto engine.[72] In 2009,
Mercedes-Benz displayed three BlueZERO concepts at the North American
International Auto Show. Each car features a different powertrain - battery-electric,
fuel-cell electric, and gasoline-electric hybrid.[73][74] In the same year, Mercedes also
showed the Vision S500 PHEV concept with a 19 miles (31 km) all-electric
range and CO2 emissions of 74 grams/km in the New European Driving Cycle.[75]
Since 2002, Mercedes-Benz has developed the F-Cell fuel cell vehicle. The current
version, based on the B-Class, has a 250-mile range and is available for lease, with
volume production scheduled to begin in 2014. Mercedes has also announced
the SLS AMG E-Cell, a fully electric version of the SLS sports car, with deliveries
expected in 2013.[76] The Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHYBRID[77] was launched in 2009,
and is the first production automotive hybrid in the world to use a lithium-ion battery.[78]
[79][80]
 In mid-2010, production commenced on the Vito E-Cell all-electric van.
In 2008, Mercedes-Benz announced that it would have a demonstration fleet of small
electric cars in two to three years.[81] Mercedes-Benz and Smart are preparing for the
widespread uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK by beginning the installation
of recharging points across their dealer networks. So far 20 Elektrobay recharging
units, produced in the UK by Brighton-based Elektromotive, have been installed at
seven locations as part of a pilot project, and further expansion of the initiative is
planned later in 2010.[82]
In the United States, Mercedes-Benz was assessed a record US$30.66 million fine
for their decision to not meet the federal corporate average fuel economy standard in
2009.[83] Certain Mercedes-Benz cars, including the S550 and all AMG models sold in
the United States, also face an additional gas guzzler tax.[84] However, newer AMG
models fitted with the M157 engine will not be subject to the gas-guzzler tax, due to
improved fuel economy,[85] and newer models powered by
the M276 and M278 engines will have better fuel economy. In 2008, Mercedes also
had the worst CO2 average of all major European manufacturers, ranking 14th out of
14 manufacturers.[86] Mercedes was also the worst manufacturer in 2007 and 2006 in
terms of average CO2 levels, with 181 g and 188 g of CO2 emitted per km,
respectively.[87]
Mercedes-Benz paid an additional US$38 million for failing to meet its CAFE
standards for model years 2008–2011. [88]
In May 2017, Mercedes partnered with Vivint Solar to develop a solar-energy home
storage battery.[89]
In February 2018, it was announced that Mercedes cabin air filters earned
the Asthma and Allergy Friendly Certification.[90]
Electric cars[edit]
Mercedes opened its sixth battery factory in 2018. Critics deemed the marque's EQS
sedan a tough competitor to Tesla, Inc.[91][92] The six factories are established across
three continents.

Mercedes-Benz EQC

The brand has also launched its electric EQ brand with the EQC SUV which was set
for production in the year 2019. In September 2018, Mercedes unveiled the EQC, its
first fully electric car, at an event in Stockholm. [93][94]
2022 will be the year in which Daimler has said that the company will have invested
$11 billion to ensure that every Mercedes-Benz has a fully electric or hybrid version
available on the market.[95]
While releasing details of the project, Markus Schäfer said,
"Our electric vehicles will be built in six plants on three continents. We address every
market segment: from the smart fortwo seater to the large SUV. The battery is the
key component of e-mobility. As batteries are the heart of our electric vehicles we put
a great emphasis on building them in our own factories. With our global battery
network, we are in an excellent position: As we are close to our vehicle plants we can
ensure the optimal supply of production. In case of a short-term high demand in
another part of the world our battery factories are also well prepared for export. The
electric initiative of Mercedes-Benz Cars is right on track. Our global production
network is ready for e-mobility. We are electrifying the future." [96] After Audi declared
that it would cut more than 9,000 jobs by 2025, the owner of Mercedes-
Benz announced that the company will shed around 10,000 jobs worldwide to focus
on electric cars.[97]
In January 2021, Mercedes-Benz revealed its new electric SUV, the EQA, which will
have a range of 426 kilometres and will be on sale in Europe starting 4 February. [98]

Motorsport[edit]
Main article: Mercedes-Benz in motorsport
A DMG Mercedes Simplex 1906 in the Deutsches Museum

The two companies which were merged to form the Mercedes-Benz brand in 1926

had both already enjoyed success in the new sport of motor racing throughout their
separate histories. A single Benz competed in the world's first motor race, the 1894
Paris–Rouen, where Émile Roger finished 14th in 10 hours 1 minute. Throughout its
long history, the company has been involved in a range of motorsport activities,
including sports car racing and rallying. On several occasions, Mercedes-Benz has
withdrawn completely from motorsport for a significant period, notably in the late
1930s, and after the 1955 Le Mans disaster, where a Mercedes-Benz 300
SLR rammed another car (an Austin-Healey), took off into the stands, and killed more
than 80 spectators. Stirling Moss and co-driver Denis Jenkinson won the 1955 Mille
Miglia road race in Italy during a record-breaking drive with an average speed of
almost 98 mph in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR.[99]
Although there was some activity in the intervening years, it was not until 1987 that
Mercedes-Benz returned to front line competition, returning to Le Mans, Deutsche
Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM), and Formula One with Sauber. The 1990s saw
Mercedes-Benz partner with British engine builder Ilmor (now Mercedes-Benz High
Performance Engines), and campaign IndyCars under the USAC/CART rules,
eventually winning the 1994 Indianapolis 500 and 1994 CART IndyCar World
Series Championship with Al Unser Jr. at the wheel. The 1990s also saw the return
of Mercedes-Benz to GT racing with the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, which took the
company to two titles in FIA's GT1 class.
Mercedes-Benz is currently active in three motorsport categories, Formula
E, Formula One and GT racing.
Formula One[edit]
Main article: Mercedes-Benz in Formula One

Both Mercedes-AMG Formula One cars at the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix

Mercedes-Benz took part in the world championship in 1954 and 1955, but despite
being successful with two championship titles for Juan-Manuel Fangio,[100] the
company left the sport after just two seasons.
Mercedes-Benz returned as an engine manufacturer in 1994, with the engines being
designed and manufactured by Ilmor in Brixworth.[101] It initially partnered with Sauber,
before switching to McLaren in 1995. Although the Mercedes engines were not
successful at first, they later won drivers' championships for Mika Häkkinen in 1998
and 1999, and for Lewis Hamilton in 2008, as well as a constructors' championship in
1998. Mercedes part-owned McLaren, and the collaboration had been extended into
the production of road-going cars such as the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.
In 2007, McLaren-Mercedes was fined a record US$100 million for stealing
confidential Ferrari technical data.[102]
In 2009, Ross Brawn's newly conceived Formula One team, Brawn GP used
Mercedes engines to win the titles. At the end of the season, Mercedes-Benz sold its
40% stake in McLaren to the McLaren Group and bought 70% of the Brawn GP team
jointly with an Abu Dhabi-based investment consortium. Brawn GP was
renamed Mercedes GP for the 2010 season and became the main team for
Mercedes-Benz. The company continued providing engines to other teams under
customer relationships.[103]
After major rule changes in 2014, Mercedes clinched the drivers' and constructors'
titles with drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, after dominating much of the
season. Mercedes repeated the feat in 2015, winning 16 out of 19 races, and again
in 2016, winning 19 of the 21 races. In the following years, Mercedes continued their
success by winning the drivers' championships from 2017 to 2020 and the
constructors' championships from 2017 to 2021, becoming the first team to win seven
consecutive "double-championships".[104][105][106] In these years, Hamilton was the
champion in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, while Rosberg won in 2016.
[104]
 Their unbeaten streak was broken in 2021, when Max Verstappen of Red Bull-
Honda won the drivers' championship.
Formula E[edit]
Main article: Mercedes EQ Formula E Team
Prior to pre-season testing of the 2019–20 Formula E Championship, it was
announced that Mercedes, through its EQ branch, would join the championship with
drivers Stoffel Vandoorne and 2019 FIA Formula 2 champion Nyck De Vries. The
team named their Spark Gen2 challenger the Mercedes EQ Silver Arrow 01.

Logo history[edit]
In June 1909, Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG) registered both a three-pointed
and a four-pointed star as trademarks, but only the three-pointed star was used. To
DMG, the star symbolized Gottlieb Daimler's aims for universal motorization: on land,
water and in the air.[107]

1902–1909 [note2 1]


1909–1916 [note2 1]

1909–1916 [note2 1]

1916–1926 [note2 1]

1926–present

1930–1989

1989–2008
  

2010–present
Notes

1. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Logo of the Mercedes automobile brand by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft.

Noted employees[edit]
 Paul Bracq – major designer of automobiles in the 20th century
 Adolf Daimler – chief engineer, COO and member of the board of directors 1899–
1913. Son of Gottlieb Daimler and developer of the brand logo. [108]
 Béla Barényi – car safety pioneer (rigid passenger safety shell), joined Daimler-
Benz in 1937[109]
 Wilhelm Maybach – automotive pioneer, first met Gottlieb Daimler in 1865 [110]
 Ferdinand Porsche – founder of Porsche, joined Mercedes in 1923 and
developed the Kompressor[111]
 Bruno Sacco – joined Daimler-Benz as a designer in 1958. Head of Design in
1975, retired in 1999[112]
 Rudolf Uhlenhaut – joined Daimler-Benz in 1931, his designs included the Silver
Arrows, the 300 SL and 300SLR[113]
 Adolf Eichmann – former Nazi criminal. Worked in Argentina's factory after
WWII[114]
 Rudolf Caracciola – one of the greatest GP drivers in history drove MB Silver
Arrows in competition.
 Josef Ganz - Technical consultant and "Godfather" of the *Mercedes-Benz W136,
with the revolutionary Independent suspension, Swing axle layout.
 Juan Manuel Fangio - Five-time Formula 1 World Champion, honorary president
of Mercedes-Benz Argentina from 1987 until his death in 1995.
 Michael Schumacher - Seven-time Formula 1 World Champion, drove for
Mercedes in the World Endurance Championship in the 80s and then in
their Formula One Team from 2010 till 2012.
 Lewis Hamilton - Seven-time Formula 1 World Champion, current driver for
their Formula One Team since 2013 who holds the all-time record for most pole
positions (103) and race victories (103).[115] Despite being a Mercedes driver since
2013, Hamilton has competed his entire career using Mercedes engines since
2007 and has been affiliated with Mercedes since he was 13 years old.
 Nico Rosberg - 2016 Formula 1 World Champion, drove for Mercedes in
their Formula One Team from 2010 till 2016. Rosberg won all his races and
achieved all his pole positions with Mercedes and is currently a brand
ambassador for Mercedes.

Innovations[edit]
Numerous technological innovations have been introduced on Mercedes-Benz
automobiles throughout the many years of their production, including:
 The internal combustion engine automobile was developed independently by
Benz and Daimler & Maybach in 1886.
 Daimler invented the honeycomb radiator of the type still used on all water-cooled
vehicles today.
 Daimler invented the float carburetor which was used until replaced by fuel
injection.
 The "drop chassis" – the car originally designated the "Mercedes" by Daimler was
also the first car with a modern configuration, having the carriage lowered and set
between the front and rear wheels, with a front engine and powered rear wheels.
All earlier cars were "horseless carriages", which had high centres of gravity and
various engine/drive-train configurations.
 The first passenger road car to have brakes on all four wheels (1924).[116]
 In 1936, the Mercedes-Benz 260 D was the first diesel-powered passenger car.
 Mercedes-Benz were the first to offer direct fuel injection on the Mercedes-Benz
300SL Gullwing.
 The "safety cage" or "safety cell" construction with front and rear crumple
zones was first developed by Mercedes-Benz in 1951. This is considered by
many as the most important innovation in automobile construction from a safety
standpoint.[19][verification needed]
 In 1959, Mercedes-Benz patented a device that prevents drive wheels from
spinning by intervening at the engine, transmission, or brakes. In 1987,
Mercedes-Benz applied for its patent by introducing a traction control system that
worked under both braking and acceleration.
 An anti-lock braking system (ABS) was first offered on the W116 450SEL 6.9.
They became standard on the W126 S-Class starting production in 1979 and first
sold in most markets in 1980.
 Airbags were first introduced in the European market, beginning with the model
year 1981 S-Class.
 Mercedes-Benz was the first to introduce pre-tensioners to seat belts on the 1981
S-Class. In the event of a crash, a pre-tensioner will tighten the belt
instantaneously, removing any 'slack' in the belt, which prevents the occupant
from jerking forward in a crash.
 In September 2003, Mercedes-Benz introduced the world's first seven-
speed automatic transmission called '7G-Tronic'.
 Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), brake assist,[117] and many other types of
safety equipment were all developed, tested, and implemented into passenger
cars – first – by Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-Benz has licensed some of its
innovations for use by competitors. As a result, crumple zones and ABS are now
standard on all modern vehicles.[19][verification needed]
Mercedes M156 engine

 The (W211) E320 CDI which has a variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) 3.0-

litre V6 common rail diesel engine (producing 224 hp or 167 kW), set three
world endurance records. It covered 100,000 miles (160,000 km) in a record time,
with an average speed of 224.823 km/h (139.70 mph). Three identical cars did
the endurance run (one set above record) and the other two cars set world
records for time taken to cover 100,000 kilometres (62,137 mi) and 50,000 miles
(80,000 km) respectively. After all three cars had completed the run, their
combined distance was 300,000 miles (480,000 km) (all records were FIA
approved).[118][clarification needed]
 Mercedes-Benz pioneered a system called Pre-Safe to detect an imminent crash
– and prepares the car's safety systems to respond optimally. It also calculates
the optimal braking force required to avoid an accident in emergency situations
and makes it immediately available for when the driver depresses the brake
pedal. Occupants are also prepared by tightening the seat belt, closing the
sunroof and windows, and moving the seats into the optimal position.
 At 181 horsepower per litre, the M133 engine installed in Mercedes-Benz A45
AMG was (as of June 2013) the most powerful series-production four-cylinder
turbocharged motor, and has one of the highest power densities of a passenger
vehicle.[119]
Mercedes-Benz won the Safety Award at the 2007 What Car? Awards.[116]
Robot cars[edit]
Main article: Driverless car
In the 1980s Mercedes built the world's first robot car, together with the team of
Professor Ernst Dickmanns at Bundeswehr University Munich.[120] Encouraged in part
by Dickmanns' success, in 1987 the European Union's EUREKA programme initiated
the Prometheus Project on autonomous vehicles, funded to the tune of nearly
€800 million. In 1995 Dickmanns' re-engineered autonomous S-Class Mercedes took
a long trip from Munich in Bavaria to Copenhagen in Denmark, and back. On
highways, the robot achieved speeds exceeding 175 km/h (109 mph) (permissible in
some areas of the German Autobahn).
In October 2015, the company introduced the Vision Tokyo, a five-seat self-driving
electric van powered by a hybrid hydrogen fuel-cell system. The super-sleek van is
touted as "a chill-out zone in the midst of megacity traffic mayhem." [121]

Tuners[edit]
Several companies have become car tuners (or modifiers) of Mercedes Benz, in
order to increase performance and/or luxury to a given model. AMG is Mercedes-
Benz's in-house performance-tuning division, specialising in high-performance
versions of most Mercedes-Benz cars. AMG engines are all hand-built, [122] and each
completed engine receives a tag with the signature of the engineer who built it. AMG
has been wholly owned by Mercedes-Benz since 1999. [123] The 2009 SLS AMG, a
revival of the 300SL Gullwing, is the first car to be entirely developed by AMG.

Sponsorships[edit]
Mercedes-Benz sponsors the German national football team.

In football (soccer), Mercedes-Benz sponsored the Germany national team until

2018. Mercedes-Benz sponsors Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart and provides the
naming rights for their stadium, the Mercedes-Benz Arena. The company formerly
held a ten-year naming rights contract to the Caesars Superdome, an American
football stadium in New Orleans, from 2011 to 2021.[124] On 24 August 2015,
Mercedes-Benz was announced as the naming rights sponsor for the Atlanta
Falcons' new home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, (Mercedes-Benz's US headquarters
are in Greater Atlanta) which opened in August 2017.[125]
Mercedes-Benz worked with English magician Steven Frayne, also known
as Dynamo, to create a video called Dynamo vs Coulthard.[126] Formula
One driver David Coulthard drove Dynamo around a track at race-speed in
a Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG, before Dynamo successfully drove around the same
track in the same car whilst blindfolded and surrounded by pyrotechnics. [127] The stunt
was part of the finale for Series 3 of Dynamo: Magician Impossible, screened on UK
television channel Watch.
To promote the release of Mario Kart 8, Nintendo and Mercedes-Benz partnered up
to have 3 of their cars in their history, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLA, the 1957 SL
300 Roadster, and the 1934 W25 Silver Arrow as karts in the game. As part of the
partnership, Mario, Luigi, and Peach appeared in Japanese commercials to promote
the 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLA.