The Mercedes-Benz brand has stood for automotive technology for more than 120 years.
The car manufacturer from Stuttgart sells around two million vehicles a year.
Stuttgart - The name Mercedes-Benz has been inextricably linked with automobile production since the end of the 19th century.
Today the car maker is a brand of the Daimler-Benz group.
This also includes the Smart small vehicle and the AMG brand.
Mercedes-Benz: Historical Background
The history of the car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz goes back to the year 1890 and thus to the opening of the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG). At that time, the eponymous founder Gottfried Daimler had completed extensive technical training, including as the technical manager of a gas engine factory. Together with Wilhelm Maybach, he worked on the design of an internal combustion engine - the basis for future automobile production. From 1878 Carl Benz also researched a two-stroke engine. The invention culminated in the establishment of the Mannheim gas engine factory in 1882 and the Carl Benz Söhne company in 1906. In 1886 it produced the world's first automobile, the Benz motor car. A year earlier, Daimler and Maybach presented the world's first motorcycle, the Daimler riding car.
Both Daimler and Benz's automobile companies presented the first trucks a few years later: in 1895 the Benz Patent Motor Car Omnibus drove on German roads for the first time, followed in 1896 by Daimler's 4 hp truck.
Mercedes-Benz: From the first Mercedes to the founding of Daimler-Benz
The brand name Mercedes appeared in 1901.
He was inspired by the daughter of the automobile dealer Emil Jellinek.
He took part in several races under this pseudonym at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.
Although Mercedes was used as a driver designation, it was closely associated with vehicles of the DMG brand.
In 1901, a Mercedes vehicle drove for the first time in the “Nice Week” driver competition.
A year later, DMG registered the name.
The characteristic star has been visible on the radiator since 1910.
It was registered as a trademark in 1923.
Starting in 1924, DMG and Carl Benz 'Benz & Cie unified the design and manufacturing divisions and implemented joint purchasing and sales.
Both carmakers still used different emblems in public - Daimler the Mercedes star, Benz a stylized lettering with a laurel wreath.
They existed together on the newly emerging market until 1926.
In that year they merged to form Daimler-Benz AG and created a new trademark in which the brand name Mercedes, the star and the laurel wreath are equally in focus.
The merger did not happen voluntarily: In the course of the global economic crisis, the banks pushed both carmakers to merge.
Mercedes-Benz: From World War I to the post-war period
In October 1926, Daimler-Benz presented the joint portfolio for the first time at the Berlin Motor Show, which was launched on the market under the brand name Mercedes-Benz.
A year later, the star adorned the new automobiles.
In the 1930s, the “Silver Arrow” racing car became a modern legend.
In addition, the first model series were mainly produced in the upper and luxury classes.
When the National Socialists came to power, the car manufacturer was increasingly involved in rearmament activities.
In 1932 he was the third largest producer of vehicles in Germany with Adam Opel AG and Auto Union (later Audi).
The production of cars for private individuals was practically abandoned and only resumed in 1947.
Despite the loss and destruction of numerous plants, Mercedes-Benz was able to quickly increase the number of units.
One reason for this was the establishment of production sites abroad.
In the following years, the car manufacturer presented numerous innovations, especially for increasing safety.
This included, among other things, the safety passenger cell in 1951.
At the beginning of the 1980s, Mercedes-Benz presented the first airbag and belt tensioner.
Mercedes-Benz: mergers and division of groups
In 1998, Daimler-Benz merged with the US automaker Chrysler Corporation.
In November of the same year, DaimlerChrysler shares were first traded on the stock exchanges.
The board members of both companies, Jürgen Schrempp from Daimler-Benz and Robert Eaton from Chrysler, initially acted as joint chairmen, two years later Schrempp took over the sole chairmanship.
In 2006 he handed over the position to Dieter Zetsche, who held the role until May 2019.
Zetsche presented a comprehensive restructuring plan.
Around 14,000 jobs should be cut by 2008.
Mercedes-Benz: An overview of today's group structure
During the same period, the value of the Chrysler brand fell by around 35 million euros and that of the Group by around 50 million euros.
At the same time, criticism of the merger grew louder.
In May 2007 the company sold the Chrysler Group and one month later announced a cooperation with the commercial vehicle division of the Italian car manufacturer Fiat.
The manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles has been trading as Daimler AG since August 2007.
One company became three at the end of 2019:
Mercedes-Benz AG, responsible for the car and van industry
Daimler Truck AG for the truck and bus division
Daimler Mobility AG as a representative of vehicle financing, fleet management and mobility services
All subsidiaries continue to operate under the umbrella of Daimler AG.
In addition, the company has numerous participations, a total of around 500 subsidiaries and joint ventures.
These include the following:
Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, manufacturer of engines for racing vehicles
Daimler TSS GmbH, IT partner of the group
Share Now, car sharing in collaboration with BMW
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, manufacturer of commercial vehicles
The Board of Management of Daimler AG has been headed by Ola Källenius since May 2019 (as of October 2021), and Manfred Bischoff has held the position of Chairman of the Supervisory Board since 2007.
Mercedes-Benz: locations in Germany and worldwide
Daimler AG has its headquarters and main plant in Stuttgart.
Engines and vehicle parts are primarily produced there.
The Sindelfingen plant is not far from the head office.
More than 35,000 employees are responsible for the production of vehicles there.
The following model series in particular are finally assembled:
E-Class sedan and T-model
CLS
EQS
S-Class Sedan, Coupé and Cabriolet
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Mercedes-AMG GT
Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz has the following locations:
Rastatt
Berlin
Hamburg
Kölleda / Thuringia
The A- and B-Class and the compact SUV GLA are also manufactured in Rastatt.
The Bremen plant is responsible for the following model series:
EQC
C-Class Sedan, T-Model, Coupé and Cabriolet
E-Class Coupé and Cabriolet
GLC and GLC Coupé
Mainly engines are produced in Berlin, while vehicle parts such as axle components, steering columns and parts of the exhaust systems are produced in Hamburg.
The Kölleda plant is designed for the production of internal combustion engines.
In addition to the German locations, the car manufacturer has numerous branches and production facilities abroad.
Daimler AG is represented throughout Europe, Asia, North, Central and South America as well as Oceania.
For example, one plant is located in the US state of Alabama and another in East London, South Africa.
Mercedes-Benz: Future Orientation
In the course of the emergence of e-mobility, Mercedes-Benz is also changing its direction.
By 2025, around half of the newly produced vehicles should be equipped with an electric motor.
Only electric cars are to be built by 2030.
To this end, it is planned to invest more than 40 million euros in battery and vehicle technology.
In 2021, the topic of e-mobility will be represented with the fully electrically powered model series EQ.
This includes three vehicle types:
EQA: Electric SUV with a range of around 400 kilometers
EQB: Electric SUV (seven-seater) with a range of up to 500 kilometers
EQC: Electric SUV with a range of around 400 kilometers
In addition to the fully electric model series, there are plug-in hybrids with combustion and electric motors.
With this technology, vehicles of the A-Class A 250e are available as sedan and compact sedans as well as a sports tourer from the B-Class, the B 250e.
In addition, with the Mercedes GLC F-CELL, a limited series of plug-in hybrid with fuel cell and battery technology was on the market.
However, the board of directors assessed the market opportunities as low, among other things due to insufficient coverage.
Production stopped in 2020.