The fascinating history of Mercedes-Benz
Another interesting story surrounding this brand is how the logo came
into being. The logo for the Mercedes brand was a three pointed star
and had been chosen because Gottlieb Daimler had often used a star as
a symbol and was fond of saying that this star would one day shine
over his own factory to symbolise prosperity. The three points of the
star were symbolic of the three means of transportation -on road, air
and water. In 1909, the star was registered as a trademark.
The story of great brands is often the story of great people. This
definitely stands true for Mercedes – Benz. This brand which has come
to symbolise luxury, class and excellence is the result of the life
work of two great inventors – Karl Benz & Gottlieb Daimler.
The beginning reaches as far back as 1871 when Karl Benz along with a
partner started the "Iron Foundry & Machine shop" but the partnership
soon dissolved and Benz started to work on his own. The firm Benz &
Cie was founded in
developed his first automobile, a single cylinder four stroke engine.
In 1889 Daimler and his Chief Engineer William Maybach came up with
their model, a steel wheel car with a two cylinder V engine. This was
followed by the establishment of Daimler – Motoren – Gesellschaft
(DMG) and thus concluded the initial steps of the brand that millions
now adore.
One of the most fascinating stories about the brand involves the
creation of its name and logo. The name Mercedes was to come into
being only as late as 1898 and the credit goes to a businessman named
Emil Jellinek. The story is as follows -Mercedes, meaning grace, was
the name of Emil Jellinek's daughter. A progressive thinker as well as
a sports enthusiast, Jellinek ordered his first Daimler in the year
1897. This was followed by repeated orders with requests for increased
speed. From 1899, Jellinek entered his vehicles in car races, foremost
of which was the Nice week, under the pseudonym 'Mercedes'.
The cars and the team gained immense popularity through these races.
The following year Jellinek entered into an agreement with DMG
concerning the sales of cars and engines and the decision was taken to
use Jellinek's pseudonym as a brand name. It was also agreed to design
an engine bearing the name Daimler – Mercedes. Two weeks later,
Jellinek ordered 36 vehicles at a price of 550,000 marks. A whopping
price by any standards, today it roughly converts to 2.3 million Euros
and thus began the journey of the 'Mercedes'.
The first Mercedes, developed by William Maybach was delivered on
December, 1900 and caused a revolution in the automobile industry.
With unique features such as low centre of gravity, pressed-steel
frame, lightweight high-performance engine and honeycomb radiator, the
car boasted of numerous innovations and is often regarded as the first
modern automobile. This year while marking the start of the Mercedes
brand also saw the end of an era when Gottlieb Daimler passed away at
the age of 66.
The Mercedes vehicles once again entered the Nice Week and were found
to be unbeatable in virtually every discipline. Orders started pouring
in and the DMG plant was soon working in full capacity. On June 23,
1902, 'Mercedes' was lodged as the trade name and this was legally
registered on September 26.
While Daimler had managed to acquire greater reputation and worldwide
fame, Benz was just behind them and in 1908, both manufacturers shared
the podium with winnings in the French Grand Prix. The beginning of
the First World War saw both manufacturers converting their factories
to suit the needs of the army and production of automobiles was
temporarily relegated to the backseat. The period after the first war
was marked by rising inflation and the market for goods, especially
luxury ones, was lean. The impossibility of staying afloat alone was
what bought the two former rivals Benz and DMG together. In June 1926,
the two oldest motor manufacturers merged to form Daimler-Benz AG.
Another interesting story surrounding this brand is how the logo came
into being. The logo for the Mercedes brand was a three pointed star
and had been chosen because Gottlieb Daimler had often used a star as
a symbol and was fond of saying that this star would one day shine
over his own factory to symbolise prosperity. The three points of the
star were symbolic of the three means of transportation -on road, air
and water. In 1909, the star was registered as a trademark.
Benz meanwhile had initially used a cog wheel symbol which he later
replaced with a laurel wreath surrounding the name Benz. After the
merger, a new trademark was designed, which brought together the main
characteristics of both the existing emblems – the three-pointed star
belonging to DMG was surrounded with its trade name 'Mercedes' as well
as that of the equally famous name 'Benz', whose laurel wreath
entwined the two names together and thus the brand finally came into
being.
Ever since, Mercedes - Benz has produced some of the best cars in the
world and their engineers have been responsible for cutting edge
innovations covering almost every square inch of the car. They have
become particularly famous for their limousines, which even today
stands as a symbol of wealth and exclusivity.
The 260 D, the world's first diesel driven car was launched by
Mercedes Benz in the year 1936. This was followed, post war by the
release of the improved 170 V model. During the 50′s, Mercedes – Benz
produced some of their best looking cars ever such as the 190 and 300
SL. The first was a compact roadster that garnered acclaim after
setting a new world diesel record in 1959. The latter is the famous
gull-winged model that has come to symbolise the brand. Mercedes –
Benz was among the first to deal with pollution concerns through the
introduction of the catalytic converter in 1985.
By the early 1990′s, their diesel car range had completely switched to
four-valve intake/exhaust systems and carburettors were dropped in
favour of fuel injection systems. A few years later, Mercedes - Benz
moved into developing superchargers which it did through the release
of the C 230 Kompressor. The latest and most ground breaking
innovation by this technology driven brand is the DiesOtto engine
which delivers the advantages of both petrol and diesel engines.
Currently the brand is moving from strength to strength with improved
quality ratings in J D Power quality surveys, surpassing even
awards for several of its models and plants. The way forward for Benz
is clear and shining.
Interesting facts surrounding the brand –
<!--[if !supportLists]-->Ø <!--[endif]-->From 1903, Emil Jellinek officially changed his name to
Jellinek-Mercedes, commenting that "this is probably the first time a
father has taken his daughter's name."
<!--[if !supportLists]-->Ø <!--[endif]-->In 1896, transport operator Friedrich Greiner ordered a Daimler
car equipped with a taximeter to start a motorcar transport service in
motorized taxi business.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->Ø <!--[endif]-->In 1897, DMG introduced the first motor vehicle with a
front-mounted engine.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->Ø <!--[endif]-->The Mercedes Mixte, released in the 1900′s was one of the
world's earliest hybrids.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->Ø <!--[endif]-->The world's first diesel truck was OB2 by Benz.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->Ø <!--[endif]-->The 200 km/h speed barrier was broken in 1909 by Benz's lightning.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->Ø <!--[endif]-->The Mercedes Benz museum has a collection of around 550 cars,
comprising of their own vehicles as well as cars from both parent
brands.
-- With Regards and Prayers (D. Bhanudas) 9443150490 Visit: www.vkendra.org See : http://dbhanudas.wordpress.com See :The Dedicated
-- With Regards and Prayers (D. Bhanudas) 9443150490 Visit: www.vkendra.org See : http://dbhanudas.wordpress.com See :The Dedicated : In Her Own Words
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