History of Mercedes

The German automobile concern Daimler in its modern form was formed back in 1926 as a result of the merger of the two largest automobile companies in Germany – Daimler Motoren and Benz, originally called Daimler-Benz. And the future legend of the entire automotive industry in Europe was headed by another legendary hero – Ferdinand Porsche.

After merging the two main competitors, Porsche took the path of a complete renovation of production facilities and production technologies, as a result of which, it was decided to use ready-made Daimler models, selling them under the new Mercedes-Benz brand. So in 1926, the K series model line was introduced.

By the beginning of the 30s of the 20th century, prestigious cars became the main products of the brand, which combined the most advanced technical developments, such as 7.7-liter power units with a capacity of 200 horsepower, and luxurious interior trim, which made it possible to create maximum comfort for passengers, without damage to vehicle performance. In 1936, the world’s first mass-produced passenger car with a diesel engine was introduced, which was called the Mercedes-Benz 260D. However, after 2 years, the company was transferred by the German government to the production of heavy military trucks and vehicles for the top leadership of the army and the country. However, already in 1944, as a result of a massive bombardment from the Daimler factories, no stone was left unturned.

At the end of the Second World War, it took more than a year to restore part of the production capacities of Germany’s largest automaker, so in 1946 the factories for the production of body elements and power units were completely restored, and by 1947, the main workshop for assembling cars and truck factory. However, the first Daimler cars produced after the restoration of production were modernized models developed before 1937. Initially, the production of a small Mercedes-Benz W136 car equipped with a 38 horsepower engine was launched. But by 1949, it was replaced by the second generation, which was called the W191, and the engine power increased to 80 horsepower.

1951 marked the return of the Mercedes-Benz brand to the leaders of the luxury car segment. Two new models were introduced, the 220 and 300, which were equipped with a new generation of powertrains that allowed them to develop up to 110 horsepower. Due to the fact that these models were assembled by hand, the 300th model became not only the most popular in its class, but also the most expensive car on the planet. In 1957, it was upgraded with an automatic transmission.

In 1954, another risky step was taken – a large-scale return of the company to motorsport. The main priority was Formula 1, where in the same year the Mercedes-Benz factory team was introduced. Despite the fact that the team took part only in the 1954 and 1955 championships, Mercedes touched another legendary figure – Juan Manuel Fangio, who easily won both of these championships driving a Mercedes W196 car. After that, the management of the brand lost interest in the young championship, and the team ceased to exist, limiting itself to supporting W196 cars bought by private drivers.

In 1963, the first generation of the premium full-size car Mercedes-Benz 600 (S-Class) was introduced, equipped with an eight-cylinder 6.3-liter power unit, which worked in conjunction with an automatic transmission. It was at that time that the expression was born: “If you want to see what will be installed on most cars in 10 years, just look at the equipment of the current version of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.” In 1979, by order of the governments of Germany and Austria, the Daimler concern begins to create an off-road vehicle for the needs of the armed forces of these countries, which can fit into a standard helicopter. This is how the Mercedes-Benz Gelendvagen was introduced, which 12 years later went on sale in a civilian version and a five-door body.

In 1983, the company expanded its lineup with the introduction of the compact sedan Mercedes-Benz 190, which was the first luxury car in the world to have the ability to install both diesel and gasoline engines. By 1989, Daimler planned a large-scale update of the entire model range, which was one of the reasons for the transition to the modern designation of models using the letters of relation to a specific class according to the European classification. In the same year, serial production of Mercedes buses begins in Brazil, which allows the company to expand its presence in the emerging South American automotive market.

Between 1990 and 1996, the C, E and S models were released in succession, which marked a new era in the development of the Mercedes-Benz brand. In addition, since that time, each of the models received one sports modification, which were made into separate models, and in 1997 the first subcompact Mercedes-Benz A hatchback was introduced, which became the brand’s most budget car. In the same year, the Mercedes-Benz M full-size parquet luxury SUV was introduced, becoming the brand’s first fully civilian all-wheel drive car.

In addition, since 1998, the company has been producing ultra-compact city cars under the SMART brand. However, as originally planned, SMART did not compete with the main rivals of Mercedes-Benz – the BMW concern, which also produces compact Mini Cooper cars. Thus, “SMART” stood out in a separate class of cars, which were personalized cars for one or two passengers.

Since 1993, Mercedes-Benz has returned to the DTM racing series as a regular participant, as well as to Formula 1 as an engine supplier for a number of teams. Since 1995, a long-term cooperation with the McLaren company has begun, which was not limited to sporting events. The pinnacle of cooperation between the two elite brands was not only many victories, but also the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, which received the title of best sports car in 2003.

By 1998, the leadership of Daimler was developing a plan to capture the American automobile market, the first step in which was the merger with the Chrysler concern, as a result, Daimler-Chrysler was formed, which for a long time was one of the three largest automakers in the world. In subsequent years, a number of new cars of the concern were introduced, both cars and trucks under the Mercedes-Benz brand, and cars jointly developed with Chrysler, under the Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler brands. Since 2000, the production of an updated line of commercial vehicles from Mercedes-Benz begins. After Dr. Dieter Zetsche came to the post of Chairman of the Board of Directors of Daimler, a large-scale restructuring of the company began, which began with the optimization of the management apparatus and ended with a change in the structure of the entire Daimler concern. So in 2007, the American Chrysler begins to cause serious losses to the combined concern, as a result of which it was sold.

A year later, the global economic crisis begins, hitting the entire automotive industry, including Daimler, which is forced to reduce the cost of its cars worldwide by 10%. Such a decision of the management allowed to maintain the market share of Mercedes-Benz, as well as to start optimizing the technological process.

Since 2009, the production of the updated Mercedes-Benz lineup has begun, and Daimler is also making its first attempts to enter the Chinese automobile market, thanks to successful cooperation with the Canadian concern Magna, the German automaker opens two factories in China, which begin release of Mercedes models for the entire Asian region. In 2010, the company returns to Formula 1 as a permanent participating team, thus trying to advertise its Mercedes-Benz AMG factory tuning studio, as well as strengthen cooperation with Malaysian investors from Petronas, who bought out 2% of the shares Daimler. In the same year, Arab investors from Aabar buy out 30% of all the brand’s racing teams, thus covering their maintenance costs.

A year later, thanks to the success in the Chinese market, the development of a number of models begins, designed exclusively for the automotive markets of the United States of America, Canada and China, where even during the crisis years, demand remained stable. In 2012, the Daimler concern began another modernization of production facilities, which led to another renewal of the company’s model range and the elimination of one of the main drawbacks of Mercedes-Benz cars in the 21st century – the appearance of an unusual design that was warmly received by customers. In addition, the Daimler Group is launching a new road safety company, introducing a range of driver assistance and additional pedestrian safety systems into its vehicles, becoming a true leader in this segment. Also, 2012 brought a major change in the production technology of Daimler cars, thanks to which environmental pollution in the production of German brand models was reduced by 7%, and the use of recycled metals and the use of new alloys contributed to the reduction in the cost of Mercedes-Benz cars.

As part of the Detroit Auto Show 2014, the company declassified some of its modifications. In particular, we are talking about the new executive sedan S-Class. Like all Mercedes cars, he embodied the harmony of power and grace, which was instantly noted by fans. Together with the tuning studio, the tuning studio SR Auto GroupMercedes presented a personalized Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG SUV. The appearance of the car has both modern style notes and classic military elements. First in Munich, and then in Geneva, a presentation of a large V-Class minivan took place. The beauty of this car lies in its functionality – the model can be bought both for family use and for commercial transport. In total, in 2014, the company provided several dozen modifications, concepts, upgrades and production innovations.

This trend continued in 2015. It should be noted that the development of the company takes place in several directions at once, and therefore the Mercedes lineup is regularly replenished with cars of all types, from crossovers to convertibles.