Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of
luxury automobiles,
buses,
coaches,
and
trucks. It is currently a division of the
parent company,
Daimler AG (formerly
DaimlerChrysler AG), after previously being owned by
Daimler-Benz. Mercedes-Benz has its origins in
Karl Benz's creation of the first
petrol-powered motorcycle in January 1886, and
by
Gottlieb Daimler and engineer
Wilhelm Maybach's conversion of a
1873
Bollée
steam-engine automobile by the addition of a petrol engine the same
year. The
Mercedes automobile was
first marketed in 1901 by
Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft.
The first Mercedes-Benz
brand name
vehicles were produced in 1926, following the merger of Karl Benz's
and Gottlieb Daimler's companies into the Daimler-Benz company.
Mercedes-Benz has introduced many technological and safety
innovations that have become common in other
vehicles several years later.
Subsidiaries
Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH is an independent subsidiary based
in Stuttgart-Vaihingen, founded in 2000. Its business include car
accessories, personal accessories, Collection and promotional
items, and product design.
Mercedes-Benz AMG became a
majority owned division of Mercedes-Benz in 1998. The company was
integrated into DaimlerChrysler in 1999, and became Mercedes-Benz
AMG beginning in 1999-01-01.
Quality
Since its inception, Mercedes-Benz had maintained a reputation for
its quality and durability. Objective measures looking at
passenger vehicles - such as
J.D. Power surveys,
demonstrated a downturn in reputation in this 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.
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, surpassing quality leader
Toyota,
and earning several awards for its models. For 2008,
Mercedes-Benz's initial quality rating improved by yet another
mark, now in fourth place. On top of this accolade, it also
received the Platinum Plant Quality Award for its Mercedes’
Sindelfingen, Germany assembly plant. As of 2009,
Consumer
Reports of the United States has changed their reliability
ratings for several Mercedes-Benz vehicles to "average", and
recommending the
E-Class and
the
S-Class.
Motorsport
The two companies which were merged to form the
Mercedes-Benzbrand in 1926 had both already enjoyed
success in the new sport of
motor
racingthroughout their separate histories - both had entries in
the very first automobile race
Paris to Rouen 1894. This has
continued, and throughout its long history, the company has been
involved in a range of motorsport activities, including
sports car racingand
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 300SLR collided with
another car and killed more than 80 spectators.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
Onewith
Sauber.
The 1990s
saw Mercedes-Benz purchase 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, and the
Mercedes-Benz CLK
GTR, both of which took the company to new heights by
dominating the FIA's GT1 class.
Mercedes-Benz is currently active in three forms of motorsport,
Formula Three, DTM and Formula One.
Formula 1
In Formula
One, the company part-owns Team McLaren
, and has supplied the team with engines engineered
by Ilmor since 1995.This partnership has brought success,
including Drivers Championships for
Mika Häkkinenin 1998 and 1999, and for
Lewis Hamiltonin 2008, as well as a
Constructors Championship in 1998. The collaboration with McLaren
has been extended into the production of roadgoing cars such as the
Mercedes-Benz SLR
McLaren.
In 2009,
Ross Brawn's newly conceived Formula One
team, Brawn
GP
used Mercedes engines to help win the Constructor's
Championship, and Jenson Button to
become champion in the F1 Drivers' Championship.It also sold
back its 40% stake in McLaren to the McLaren Group and now owns 70%
of the Brawn GP team jointly with an Abu Dubai based investment
consortium. Brawn GP will be renamed Mercedes Grand Prix in
2010.
Business alliances (Studebaker-Packard Corporation)
In 1958,
Mercedes-Benz entered into a distribution agreement with the
Studebaker-Packard
Corporation of South Bend, Indiana
(USA), makers of Studebaker and Packard
brand automobiles.Under the deal, Studebaker would allow
Mercedes-Benz access to their U.S.
dealer
network, handle shipments of vehicles to those dealers, and in
return receive compensation for each car sold.Studebaker
also was permitted to use the German automaker's name in its
advertisements, which stressed Studebaker's quality over
quantity.
When Studebaker entered into informal discussions with
Franco-American automaker
Facel Vegaabout
offering their
Facel Vega
Excellencemodel in the United States, Mercedes-Benz objected to
the proposal. Studebaker, which needed Mercedes-Benz distribution
payments to help stem heavy losses, dropped further action on the
plan.
Mercedes-Benz maintained an office within the Studebaker works in
South Bend from 1958 to 1963, when Studebaker's U.S. operations
ceased. Many U.S Studebaker dealers converted to Mercedes-Benz
dealerships at that time. When Studebaker closed its Canadian
operation and left the automobile business in 1966, remaining
Studebaker dealers had the option to convert their dealerships to
Mercedes-Benz dealership agreements.
Production
Besides its native Germany, Mercedes-Benz vehicles are also
manufactured or assembled in:
- Argentina
(buses, trucks and the Sprinter van. The
first Mercedes-Benz factory outside of Germany)
- Austria
(G-Class)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina

- Brazil
(buses,
trucks, C-class passenger cars (export only), established in
1956)
- Canada

- China
(C class and
E Class)
- Egypt

- Ghana
(buses,
trucks, taxis)
- Hungary
(construction of a new plant in the country
announced on June 18, 2008, for the next generation A- and B-Class)
- India

- Indonesia

- Iran

- Malaysia

- Mexico

- Nigeria
(buses, trucks, utility motors and the van
Sprinter)
- South Africa
- South Korea
(Mercedes-branded Musso and MB100 models manufactured by SsangYong Motor Company)
- Thailand
(assembly of C, E and S class vehicles by the
Thonburi Group)
- Turkey

- United Kingdom
(The SLR sports car is built at the McLaren
Technology Centre in Woking).
- USA

Models
Mercedes-Benz range today
Mercedes-Benz has a full range of passenger, light commercial and
heavy commercial equipment. Production is on a global basis. The
Smartmarqueof
city carshas also
been part of the Mercedes-Benz Group since 1994.
Passenger cars
The following
passenger vehicleswere in
production in 2009:
Significant car models produced
McLaren cars

A silver SLR McLaren on display at the
2006 European Motor Show in Brussels
Mercedes-Benz has also produced a
limited-production sports car with
McLaren Cars, an extension of the
collaboration by which Mercedes engines are used by the Team
McLaren-Mercedes
Formula One racing team,
which is part owned by Mercedes.The 2003
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLarenhas a
carbon fibrebody with a
5.4
litreV8superchargedengine.
This is the same
cylinder blockas
featured in SL55 AMG and the CLS55 AMG, though modified to give and
of torque. The SLR has a maximum speed of and costs approximately
US$500,000. Due to European pedestrian-protection regulations,
McLaren has decided to cease production of the SLR in 2009.
The most recent new joint-venture model, expected to reach
production, is the mid-engine
P8sports car. Based
around a unique carbon fibre
monocoque,
manufactured by McLaren, the P8 was originally predicted to receive
the new naturally aspirated 6.2 litre V8 from
Mercedes-AMG, but insiders now say that the
engine will be modified for the car and will probably be
twin-turbochargedto produce in excess of . The
car is still in development, but likely to reach production to go
on sale in early 2008, and have a price tag less than that of the
SLR.
Car nomenclature
In 1994 (starting with the 1994 models), the traditional
nomenclature of Mercedes-Benz vehicles changed. Since the early
days of the company, the name would be in the form of (for example)
500Ewhere the
engine displacementmade up the first
three numbers and the last letter(s) represented the type of engine
and/or chassis; for example:
Efor
fuel injection( ),
Dfor
Diesel,
Lfor
long-
wheelbase, etcetera.
In 1994, this was altered so that the prefix reflected the model or
Class, , in Mercedes-Benz terminology, and a
number for the engine displacement. The suffix was retained in some
cases, for example
Lfor long wheelbase, and
CDIfor Diesel (CDI =
Common-railDirect
Injection). Thus, the 500E in the example above became the E500
("E-Klasse", 5 litres displacement). It should also be noted
that while in the past the model number generally accurately
reflected the actual engine displacement, this is currently not
always the case — for example the E200 CDI and E220 CDI actually
both have a 2.2 litre displacement, and the C240 actually has
a 2.6 litre engine.
Electric vehicles
Mercedes has showed in 2009 the
Vision S500 PHEVpetrol
concept vehiclewith a
all-electric rangeand
CO2 emissionsof 74
grams/
kmin the
New European Driving Cycle.
At the 2007
Frankfurt motor
show, Mercedes-Benz also showed seven hybrid models, including
the F700
concept car- which combined
hybrid drive with the innovative DiesOtto engine.
In 2009, the S400 hybrid saloon is scheduled to go on sale.
On the other hand, Mercedes-Benz says it will have a demonstration
fleet of practical, if small, electric vehicles on the road in two
to three years, from 2008.
Mercedes-Benz S 400
BlueHYBRIDwill be launched in 2009, and will be the first
production automotive hybrid in the world to use a
lithium-ion battery.
Mercedes-Benz BlueZEROcars
were introduced in the 2009
North American
International Auto Show.
Concept models

Interior of the Ocean Drive
Concept
Buses
Mercedes-Benz also produces
buses, mainly for
Europe and Asia.
The first
factory to be built outside Germany after WWII was in Argentina
.It originally built trucks, many of which
were modified independently to buses, popularly named
Colectivo. Today, it builds buses, trucks and the
Sprinter van.
Vans

Mercedes-Benz Vario
Mercedes-Benz produces a range of vans.
- The current (January 2009) range consists of:
- Sprinter 414 416CDI ambulance
- Sprinter 316CDI light ambulance
|
|
 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300Sc
Cabriolet
|
|
 1959 Mercedes-Benz W120 Model
180
|
- Previous models include:
Trucks
Mercedes-Benz is one of the world's largest manufacturer of
trucks.
- The current (January 2009) range consists of:
- Old
Mercedes-Benz L-series
truck
Bicycles
Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH introduced 3 new bicycles in 2005,
named Automatic Bike from upwards of USD$699, Fitness Bike from
upwards of USD$999, Mountain Bike from upwards of USD$1399 (Prices
recorded from immediate release date). The bikes are sold in
Australia, Germany, and Russia.
- List of bicycles:
Tuners
Several companies have become
car tuners
(or
modifiers) of Mercedes Benz, in order
to increase performance and/or luxury to a given model.
In house
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, 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. On the 2009 IAA in Frankfurt, Germany,
Mercedes officially introduced the
SLS AMG, a revival of the 300SL
Gullwing, and the first car to be developed by AMG.
Aftermarket tuners
There are numerous independent tuners:
Noted employees (selection)
Innovations
Numerous technological innovations have been introduced on
Mercedes-Benz automobiles throughout the many years of their
production, including:
- The internal combustion
engined 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)
- 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
- 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 its patent by introducing a
traction control system that
worked under both braking and acceleration
- Traction control and
airbags in the European market, were
Mercedes-Benz innovations. These technologies were introduced in
1986, and 1980 respectively
- 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, and
many other types of safety equipment were all developed, tested,
and implemented into passenger cars—first—by Mercedes-Benz.
Mercedes-Benz has not made a large fuss about its innovations, and
has even licensed them for use by competitors — in the name of
improving automobile and passenger safety. As a result, crumple
zones and anti-lock brakes (ABS) are now standard on all modern
vehicles.
- The most powerful naturally-aspirated eight cylinder engine in
the world is the Mercedes-AMG, 6208 cc M156 V8 engine. The
V8 engine is badged '63 AMG', and replaced
the '55 AMG' M113 engine in most models. The M156 engine produces
up to , and although some models using this engine do have this
output (such as the S63 and CL63 AMGs), specific output varies
slightly across other models in the range
- The E320 CDI which has a
variable geometry
turbocharger (VTG) 3.0 litre V6
common rail diesel engine (producing
224-horsepower), set three world endurance
records. It covered in a record time, with an average speed of .
Three identical cars did the endurance run (one set above record)
and the other two cars set world records for time taken to cover
and respectively. After all three cars had completed the run, their
combined distance was (all records were FIA approved).
- 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.
- Mercedes Benz developed a fatigue-detection system, known as
Attention Assist, that warns the driver when they are displaying
signs of micro-sleep (when the eyes stay closed for slightly longer
than a natural blinking action). The system will use a variety of
data including the individual driving style, the duration of the
journey, the time of day and the current traffic situation. Fatigue
mostly sets in gradually.
- The fastest street-legal saloon car in the world is the Brabus Rocket, based on the CLS-Class saloon.
- Mercedes Benz invented the adaptive highbeam assist system,
which automatically and continuously adapts the headlamp range to
the distance of vehicles ahead or which are oncoming. The new
system continually adjusts the beam so that the headlamp cone falls
just in front of other vehicles, at the same time always ensuring
maximum possible range without dazzling other road users. The
adaptive highbeam assist is
introduced first in the new generation E-Class.
Half a century of vehicle safety innovation helped win Mercedes-
Benz the Safety Award at the 2007 What Car? Awards
Robot cars
In the
1980s, Mercedes built the world's first robot car, together with
the team of Professor Ernst
Dickmanns at Bundeswehr Universität
München
. Partially encouraged 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
Euros.
A culmination point was achieved in 1995,
when 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 (roughly 110 miles per hour; permissible in some
areas of the German
Autobahn). The car's
abilities has heavily influenced robot car research and funding
decisions worldwide.
In the United States, due to an inability to meet federal fuel
economy regulations, Mercedes-Benz was fined a record US$30.66
million. Certain Mercedes-Benz cars sold in the United States also
face an additional
gas guzzler
tax.
References
External links
- Video clips