Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz (sometimes shortened to just "Mercedes", "Benz" or "Merc") is a German brand name of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks owned by DaimlerChrysler, previously Daimler-Benz (1926–1998). The Daimler-Benz company originated on June 28, 1926 when two companies, Benz & Cie. and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG), pioneers of the automobile, merged. Karl Benz is credited as the inventor of the first "true" automobile (patented in 1886) since Daimler's was a horse carriage adapted with an engine, whereas the Benz automobile had a chassis designed from scratch.

Established in 1871, Benz & Cie. was the most important of several companies founded by Karl Benz. The Benz patent motor wagon was ahead of its times for it had the first four-stroke engine made in 1886. DMG was founded by Gottlieb Daimler and his partner Wilhelm Maybach in 1890, but Daimler died in 1900 and Maybach left DMG in 1907, by which time the two companies were rivals. In 1924, owing to economic necessity after World War I, they entered into an "Agreement of Mutual Interest" (valid until the year 2000), however, this initial agreement still allowed each company to manufacture and sell their products under their original brand names. It was only after the 1926 official merger, that the brand Mercedes-Benz was created and used.

During World War 2 the Daimler Benz firm avidly supported Nazism and in return received arms contracts and tax breaks that enabled it to become one of the world's leading industrial concerns. (Between 1932 and 1940 production grew by 830 percent.) During the war the company used thousands of slaves and forced labourers including Jews, foreigners, and POWs. According to historian Bernard Bellon (Mercedes in Peace and War, 1990), at least eight Jews were murdered by DB managers or SS men at a plant in occupied Poland.

Mercedes-Benz is the brand name applied to the models of one of the premier automotive manufacturers in the world and, because of its tie to Karl Benz, it is also the name of the world's oldest continuously produced automobile line. In 1926 when the new company, Daimler-Benz was established through merger, a new logo also was created that would include a symbol for each and integrate the names of the two former companies. A three-pointed star had been designed by Gottlieb Daimler, to show the ability of his motors for land, air, and sea use. This star first appeared on a DMG model in 1909, so it was chosen for the new logo. However the brand name Daimler had been licensed for use on other automobiles (in France and the United Kingdom), so the name of its seminal Mercedes model designed by Maybach was chosen for the DMG portion of the new logo. The traditional laurel symbol of Karl Benz was added along with his name to complete the new logo. The logo with a plain ring, as seen today, was not used until 1937.

Mercedes-Benz automobiles have introduced — both in the past and present — the majority of technological and safety features (see details below). It was in 1998, when Daimler-Benz and Chrysler agreed to combine their businesses — known as the "merger of equals", that a new entity, DaimlerChrysler AG was created.

On May 14, 2007, the separation of Daimler and Chrysler was announced. The selling of Chrysler has been seen as a positive move for Daimler by its shareholders. They believe that the separation will allow Daimler's car brand Mercedes Benz to be free to do what it does best without having the distractions of its heavily loss-making U.S. partner Chrysler. Daimler however will still own a 20 per cent (minority) stake in Chrysler.


-- Wikipedia