“Trying different things is very important to me. I see people and want to wear their clothes; I see also people driving there own Mercedes Benz and so I buy my own Mercedes Benz.”, quoted one famous actor. It’s all because Mercedes Benz is not just Mercedes alone but it is long known for crafting vehicles that emphasize luxury and refinement. For many, Mercedes are sleek symbols of status, success and achievement.
The 2009 Mercedes paraded.
Right from the start, the Mercedes-Benz name was synonymous with automotive excellence. One of the automaker’s earliest vehicles, the 1931 Mercedes-Benz 170, distinguished itself as the world’s first production car to offer a technology that was nothing short of extraordinary for the day: four-wheel independent suspension. The ’30s and ’40s saw Mercedes establishing itself as the brand of choice for car buyers seeking the ultimate in luxury, thanks to coveted cruisers like the 380 and 540K.
In 1885 the townspeople of Cannstatt, Germany, were startled to see Paul Daimler, son of Gottlieb Daimler, roll away from No.14 Taubenheimstrasse on a wooden-spoked two-wheeler powered by a fraction of a horsepower four-cycle internal combustion engine. That belt driven motorcycle (actually a four-wheeler as it had two eight-inch diameter outrigger wheels to keep it stable when at a standstill) was the forerunner of all automobiles.
In 1963, the company cemented its reputation as the home of automotive luxury with the launch of the Mercedes-Benz 600. The elegant, luxurious sedan was also available as a limousine and featured an ahead-of-its-time air suspension system and a V8 engine that boasted 300 horsepower. The decade also saw the launch of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3. This full-size sedan went from zero to 60 in under seven seconds, distinguishing itself as the quickest luxury car is its day.
Gottlieb Daimler was the first man to harness with any true degree of success a combustion engine into a road vehicle. Granted there were horseless vehicle predecessors to Daimler’s motorcycle but Daimler’s was the first recognized internal combustion vehicle and the first to incorporate a practical transmission system.
Shortly after Daimler applied for his combustion motor patent, Carl Benz of Mannheim, Germany was granted a German patent covering a three-wheel motor car he constructed in 1844.
Daimler’s first four-wheeler, a Victoria-type motor driven carriage, was built in 1866. By 1890 demands for Daimler’s engine made expansion necessary and a corporation was formed, the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft. Or Daimler Motor Company as it was known in English. Benz, with several associates formed another corporation, Benz & Company, at Mannheim.
Daimler continued his automotive research and prior to his death in 1900 was credited with such inventions as the honeycomb type radiator; the float type carburetor; V-twin cylinder engine (such as used in present-day Harley-Davidson motorcycles); interrupted low-tension electric ignition; four-cylinder engine; foot accelerator; and motor and transmission in one integral section.
On the road with a Benz at hand.
Mercedes-Benz vehicles got an extra dose of power and performance in the 1990s, thanks to the manufacturer’s partnership with AMG, a performance and tuning shop that was eventually purchased by the company to help produce high-performance versions of some of its vehicles. The first AMG model offered in the U.S. was the sporty C36 AMG in 1995; since then, Mercedes has gone on to offer an AMG-tuned version of almost all of its vehicles.
The company’s current lineup is the most comprehensive in its history. With a variety of sedans, coupes, SUVs and roadsters filling Mercedes showrooms, it seems like the only thing missing is a pickup truck. Surely, the fact that Janis Joplin’s song holds as much relevance today as it did more than three decades ago is a strong indicator that the brand’s premier status is still very much intact.
Image credit: www.speedace.info/automotive
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