Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz, often called just Mercedes, is a famous German car brand started in 1926. The company is based in Stuttgart, Germany, and makes luxury cars and light trucks. All of these vehicles carry the Mercedes-Benz name. In 2018, Mercedes-Benz became the world's largest premium car brand, selling over 2.31 million cars that year.

The story of Mercedes-Benz begins with important early cars. In 1901, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft made the Mercedes car. Even earlier, in 1886, Carl Benz created the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which is widely regarded as the first car powered by an internal combustion engine. Another early car, the Benz Velo, was made in 1894. The brand’s slogan is "The Best or Nothing".

History

Mercedes-Benz started with the first car with an internal combustion engine, created by Carl Benz in 1886. Later, Gottlieb Daimler and his engineer Wilhelm Maybach added petrol engines to a stagecoach the same year. The Mercedes automobile was first sold in 1901 by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft.

The name “Mercedes” comes from Mercédès Jellinek, the daughter of a businessman who helped promote these cars. The first Mercedes-Benz branded vehicles were made in 1926, after two companies merged.

Carl Benz (1844–1929) made the 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen, which is widely regarded as the first automobile.

During World War II, Mercedes-Benz made many military vehicles and engines. After the war, the company introduced many new safety features and technologies that are now common in cars. In 2019, Mercedes-Benz became its own company within the larger Daimler group. In 2022, Mercedes-Benz sold a very rare and expensive car for $142 million and recalled nearly one million vehicles because of possible braking problems.

Subsidiaries and alliances

After the split of Daimler AG, the Mercedes-Benz Cars division now handles the production of Mercedes-Benz and Smart branded cars.

Mercedes-AMG became a major part of Mercedes-Benz in 1999 and was fully integrated into the company.

The ultra-luxury Maybach brand was part of Mercedes-Benz until 2012. It now continues as Mercedes-Maybach, offering special luxury versions of Mercedes-Benz cars like the 2016 Mercedes-Maybach S600. The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 SUV started in November 2019.

In China, Daimler worked with BYD Auto to make an electric car called Denza. But by July 2024, Mercedes-Benz sold its share and is no longer involved with Denza. Mercedes-Benz plans to sell electric cars in China, and Beijing Benz is a partnership with the BAIC Group to build Mercedes-Benz cars there.

Mercedes-Benz Vietnam began in 1995 as a partnership with Saigon Mechanical Engineering Corporation (SAMCO) and Daimler AG. The factory in Ho Chi Minh City builds many Mercedes-Benz models. In 2021–2022, the factory was upgraded to prepare for making AMG models. The first car made there was the 1996 Mercedes E230.

Production

Mercedes-Benz dealer in Munich, Germany

Mercedes-Benz builds its cars in many places around the world besides Germany.

Before the mid-1990s, Mercedes-Benz was known for making very high-quality and durable cars. Owners often said their Mercedes cars felt like they could last forever. However, some surveys in the late 1990s and early 2000s showed a drop in how people thought about Mercedes quality. By mid-2005, Mercedes returned to average quality levels. In 2007, Mercedes improved a lot, moving up from 25th to 5th place in quality ratings and winning awards for newer models. By 2008, Mercedes moved up to 4th place. In 2011, studies in the U.S. and the United Kingdom showed Mercedes cars were above average in quality and reliability. A 2014 study also found Mercedes had fewer recalls than other car brands.

Sovereign state	Continent	Note
Algeria	Africa	Manufactures buses and trucks in cooperation with SNVI (Actros, Zetros, Unimog, G-Class, and Sprinter).
Argentina	South America	Manufactures buses, trucks, the Vito and the Sprinter van. This is the first Mercedes-Benz factory outside of Germany. Built in 1951.
Australia	Australia	Various models were assembled at the Australian Motor Industries facility in Port Melbourne from 1959 to 1965.
Austria	Europe	G-Class
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Europe
Brazil	South America	Manufactures trucks and buses. Established in 1956. The A-Class (W168) was produced from 1999 to 2005 and the C-Class was produced until 2010 as well.
Canada	North America	Fuel cell plant in Burnaby, British Columbia, opened 2012.
Colombia	South America	Assembly of buses, Established in Soacha 2012 and Funza 2015
China	Asia	Beijing Benz, manufactures A-Class, C-Class, E-Class, GLA, GLB, GLC, EQA, EQB, EQE and EQE SUV for mainland China market.
Denmark	Europe	Bohnstedt-Petersen A/S assembled the models 130 and W136 between 1935 and 1955, although no production took place during the Second World War. Between 1955 and 1966 the models W120, W121 and W110, together with the van L319 and a number of trucks and buses, were assembled by the company in Hillerød. Assembly of special variants of Mercedes-Benz trucks continued until 1984.
Egypt	Africa	Via Egyptian German Automotive Company E-Class, C-Class and GLK
Finland	Europe	Valmet Automotive, New A-series (W176) is manufactured in Uusikaupunki since late 2013, being the first Mercedes-Benz passenger car ever built in that country.
Hungary	Europe	Manufacturing plant in Kecskemét, making B-Class and CLA.
Jordan	Middle East	Bus company factory, Elba House, Amman.
India	Asia	Pune (C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, GLA, GLE and some AMG models). Chennai (Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt. Ltd.) Buses, Trucks & Engine Manufacturing unit, Bangalore (R&D), Jamshedpur with Tata Motors at Tata Motors.
Indonesia	Asia	Wanaherang (A-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, GLA, GLC, GLE, GLS, and select entry level AMG models). Operated by a joint venture between Inchcape plc and Indomobil. Cikarang (Axor, Buses). Operated by Daimler Commercial Vehicles Indonesia.
Iran	Asia
Malaysia	Asia	Assembly of C, E and S class vehicles by DRB-HICOM.
Mexico	North America	Mercedes-Benz Mexico fully manufactures some Mercedes and Daimler vehicles completely from locally built parts (C-Class, E-Class, M-Class, International trucks, Axor, Atego, and Mercedes Buses), manufactures other models in complete knock down kits (CL-Class, CLK-Class, SL-Class, SLK-Class) and manufactures a select number of models in semi knockdown kits which use both imported components and locally sourced Mexican components (S-Class, CLS-Class, R-Class, GL-Class, Sprinter).
Nigeria	Africa	Assembly of buses, trucks, utility motors and the Sprinter van
Russia	Eurasia	Joint venture Mercedes-Benz Car Trucks Vostok in Naberezhnye Chelny (jointly Kamaz). Available in trucks Actros, Axor, multi-purpose auto four wheel drive medium trucks Unimog. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Classic is also produced in Russia.
Serbia	Europe	FAP produces Mercedes-Benz trucks under license.
Spain	Europe	Factory at Vitoria-Gasteiz Mercedes-Benz Vito, Viano and V-Class have been built there.
South Africa	Africa	The assembly plant is located in East London, in the Eastern Cape province, where both right and left hand versions of the C-class are built.
South Korea	Asia	Mercedes-Benz Musso and MB100; Ssangyong Rexton Mercedes-Benz models manufactured by SsangYong Motor Company.
Taiwan	Asia	Assembly of Actros by the Shung Ye Group
Thailand	Asia	Completely Knocked Down (CKD) production of A, GLA, C, E, S Classes and Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) production of C-coupe, GLC, GLC-coupe, GLE and CLS. Additionally, local production of Mercedes-AMG such as C43, E53 and CLS53 have been integrated to the existing production lines. The factory is operated by contract manufacturer Thonburi Group under supervision of Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing (Thailand).
Turkey	Eurasia	Mercedes-Benz Türk A.Ş. Some of Mercedes-Benz busses like "Travego" and "Tourismo" were built at Hoşdere plant. Apart from manufacturing, R-D and aftersales were also available.
United Kingdom	Europe	The SLR sports car was built at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking. Brackley, Northamptonshire, is home to the Mercedes Grand Prix factory, and Brixworth, Northamptonshire is the location of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains.
United States	North America	The Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class Sport Utility, the full-sized GL-Class Luxury Sport Utility and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class vehicles are all built at the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International production facility near Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Trucks (6,000 per year in the early eighties) were once assembled in Hampton, Virginia.
Vietnam	Asia	Assembly of E-Class, C-Class, S-Class, GLK-Class and Sprinter. Established in 1995.

Models

Mercedes-Benz A-Class (subcompact executive hatchbacks and sedans)

Mercedes-Benz B-Class (subcompact executive Tourers)

Mercedes-Benz C-Class (compact executive car)

Mercedes-Benz E-Class (executive car)

Mercedes-Benz S-Class (full-size luxury sedan)

Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class (subcompact luxury SUV)

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class (compact luxury SUV)

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class (mid-size luxury SUV)

Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class (full-size luxury SUV)

Current model range

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Mercedes-Benz offers a versatile range of consumer-passenger, light commercial and heavy commercial equipment. These vehicles are manufactured in multiple countries worldwide. The Smart marque of city cars are also produced by Daimler AG.

Automobiles

A-Class – C-segment hatchback and saloon
B-Class – C-segment hatchback
C-Class – D-segment saloon and estate
CLA – C-segment saloon and estate
CLE – E-segment coupé and cabriolet
E-Class – E-segment saloon and estate
G-Class – Off-road vehicle
GLA – C-segment crossover SUV
GLB – D-segment crossover SUV
GLC – D-segment crossover SUV
GLE – E-segment crossover SUV
GLS – F-segment crossover SUV
S-Class – F-segment saloon
T-Class – M-segment compact MPV
V-Class – M-segment large MPV
AMG GT – S-segment coupé and roadster
AMG GT 4-Door – E-segment liftback
AMG SL – S-segment roadster
AMG ONE – S-segment supercar
EQA – C-segment electric crossover SUV
EQB – D-segment electric crossover SUV
EQE – E-segment saloon
EQE SUV – E-segment electric crossover SUV
EQS – F-segment electric liftback
EQS SUV – F-segment electric crossover SUV
EQT – M-segment electric compact MPV
EQV – M-segment electric large MPV

Vans

Mercedes-Benz currently offers three types of vans; Citan, Vito, and Sprinter. They are all produced by Daimler AG.

Trucks

Buses

Mercedes-Benz Zetros used for snowplowing

Mercedes-Benz has been producing buses since 1895 in Mannheim, Germany. Since 1995, the brands of Mercedes-Benz's buses and coaches are under the umbrella of EvoBus GmbH, since December 2021 belonging to Daimler Truck AG. EvoBus, through its regional subsidiaries, markets them in European countries, while in other regions of the world marketing and sales duties are passed to regional subsidiaries of Daimler Truck. Mercedes-Benz produces a wide range of buses and coaches, mainly for Europe and Asia. The first model was produced by Karl Benz in 1895.

Significant models produced

1928: SSK racing car
1930: 770 "Großer Mercedes" state and ceremonial car
1934: 500 K
1936: 260 D World's first diesel production car
1936: (/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W136)
1938: W125 Record-breaking experimental
1939: 320A
1951: (/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W186), known as the "Adenauer Mercedes"
1953: "Ponton" models
1954: 300SL "Gullwing"
1956: 190SL
1959: "Fintail" models
1960: 220SE Cabriolet
1963: 600 "Grand Mercedes"
1963: 230SL "Pagoda"
1965: S-Class
1966: 300SEL 6.3
1968: W114 "new generation" compact cars
1969: C111 experimental vehicle
1972: 350SL, 350SLC
1974: 450SEL 6.9
1977: W123 – Mercedes' first station wagon
1978: 300SD – Mercedes' first turbo diesel
1979: 500SEL and G-Class
1983: 190E 2.3–16
1989: 300SL, 500SL
1990: 500E
1991: 600SEL
1993: C-Class
1995: C43 AMG
1995: SL73 AMG, 7.3 V12
1996: SLK
1997: A-Class and M-Class
2004: SLR McLaren and CLS-Class
2007: BlueTec E320, GL320 Bluetec, ML320 Bluetec, R320 Bluetec
2010: SLS AMG
2013: CLA-Class
2016: AMG GT
2019: EQ
2021: EQA
2022: EQS and AMG ONE

The Mercedes-Benz 600 or 600S Pullman Guard limousines offer the option of armour-plating and have been used by diplomats worldwide.

Car nomenclature

Pre-1994

Until 1994, Mercedes-Benz utilized an alphanumeric system for categorizing its vehicles, consisting of a number sequence approximately equal to the engine's displacement in liters multiplied by 100, followed by an arrangement of alphabetical suffixes, indicating body style and engine type.

"C" indicates a coupe or cabriolet body style (for example, the CL and CLK models, though the C-Class is an exception, since it is also available as a sedan or station wagon).
"D" indicates the vehicle is equipped with a diesel engine.
"E" (for "Einspritzung") indicates the vehicle's engine is equipped with petrol fuel injection. Also used for electric models and plug-in hybrids.
"G" was originally used for the Geländewagen off-road vehicle, but is now applied to Mercedes SUVs in general (G, GLA, GLC, GLE, GLK, and GLS).
"K" was used in the 1930s, indicating a supercharger ("Kompressor") equipped engine. Three exceptions : the SLK, SSK and CLK, where K indicates "Kurz" (short-wheelbase) (though the SLK and SSK had a supercharger).
"L" indicates "Leicht" (lightweight) for sporting models and "Lang" (long-wheelbase) for sedan models.
"R" indicates "Rennen" (racing), used for racing cars (for example, the 300SLR).
"S" Sonderklasse "Special class" for flagship models, including the S-Class, SLR McLaren, and SLS sports cars.
"T" indicates "Touring" and an estate (or station wagon) body style.

Some models in the 1950s also had lower-case letters (b, c, and d) to indicate specific trim levels. For other models, the numeric part of the designation does not match the engine displacement. This was done to show the model's position in the model range independent of displacement or in the price matrix. For these vehicles, the actual displacement in litres is suffixed to the model designation. An exception was the 190-class with the numeric designation of "190" as to denote its entry-level in the model along with the displacement label on the right side of the boot (190E 2.3 for 2.3-litre 4-cylinder petrol motor, 190D 2.5 for 2.5-litre 5-cylinder diesel motor, and so forth). Some older models (such as the SS and SSK) did not have a number as part of the designation at all.

1994 to 2014

Unimog, a famous allround vehicle by Mercedes-Benz

For the 1994 model year, Mercedes-Benz revised the naming system. Models were divided into "classes" denoted by an arrangement of up to three letters (see "Current model range" above. This in turn is followed by a three-digit (two-digit for AMG models) number related to the engine displacement as before. Variants of the same model such as an estate version or a vehicle with a diesel engine are no longer given a separate letter. The SLR and SLS supercars do not carry a numerical designation.

Some models carry further designations indicating special features:

"4MATIC" indicates the vehicle is equipped with all-wheel-drive.
"BlueTEC" indicates a diesel engine with selective catalytic reduction exhaust aftertreatment.
"BlueEFFICIENCY" indicates special fuel economy features (direct injection, start-stop system, aerodynamic modifications, etc.)
"CGI" (Charged Gasoline Injection) indicates direct gasoline injection.
"CDI" (Common-rail Direct Injection) indicates a common-rail diesel engine.
"Hybrid" indicates a petrol- or diesel-electric hybrid.
"NGT" indicates a natural gas-fueled engine.
"Kompressor" indicates a supercharged engine.
"Turbo" indicates a turbocharged engine, only used on A-, B-, E- and GLK-Class models.
"AMG Line" indicates the interior or engine, depending which car, has been fitted with the luxuries of its AMG sports cars.

Model designation badges can be removed at the request of the customer.

2015 and beyond

Rationalisation of the model nomenclature was announced in November 2014 for future models. The changes consolidate many confusing nomenclature and their placements in the model range.

The new nomenclature was originally divided into four segments: core models; off-road vehicles and SUVs; 4-door coupés, and roadsters. Other segments were unaffected, and the Mercedes-EQ line was introduced in 2016.

Under this new nomenclature, the GLK-Class became the GLC, the ML-Class became the GLE, and the GL-Class became the GLS. The CL-Class became the S-Class Coupé, which has since been discontinued. Another model, the X-Class (based on the Nissan Navara pickup truck) was produced from 2017 to 2020.

The numerical trim designation was kept from the previous nomenclature. However, many numerical designations no longer reflect the engine's actual displacement, but more of the relative performance and marketing position. For example, the GLC 300 actually has a 2.0-litre engine. Recent AMG models use the "63" designation (in honor of the 1960s 6.3-litre M100 engine) despite being equipped with either a 6.2-litre (M156), a 5.5-litre (M157) or even a 4.0-litre engine.

In addition to the revised nomenclature, Mercedes-Benz has new suffix nomenclature for the drive systems:

The revised A45 AMG for the 2016 model year on has shifted the model designation to the right side while AMG is on the left side. This trend commenced with Mercedes-Maybach with MAYBACH on the left and S500/S600 on the right.

Environmental record

Electric cars

Mercedes opened its sixth battery factory in 2018. Critics deemed the marque's EQS sedan a tough competitor to Tesla, Inc. The six factories are established across three continents.

The brand has also launched its electric EQ brand with the EQC SUV which was set for production in the year 2019. In September 2018, Mercedes unveiled the EQC, its first fully electric car, at an event in Stockholm.

Mercedes unveiled the VISION AVTR at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The car was inspired by the 2009 science fiction film Avatar. Whilst the AVTR is a concept car, it is said to "hold clues on features bound for next-generation Mercedes-Benz cars".

2022 will be the year in which Daimler has said that the company will have invested $11 billion to ensure that every Mercedes-Benz has a fully electric or hybrid version available on the market.

After Audi declared that it would cut more than 9,000 jobs by 2025, the owner of Mercedes-Benz announced that the company will shed around 10,000 jobs worldwide to focus on electric cars.

In January 2021, Mercedes-Benz revealed its new electric SUV, the EQA, which will have a range of 426 kilometres and be on sale in Europe starting 4 February.

Segment	Nomenclature	Example
Core models	A, B, C, E, or S	E-Class
Off/road vehicles/SUVs	"GL" + the core equivalent	GLE
4-door coupés	"CL" + the core equivalent	CLE
Roadsters	the core equivalent + "L"	SL
Electric vehicles	"EQ" + the core equivalent	EQE

Previous	New	Example
Natural Gas Drive	c for "compressed natural gas"	B 200 c
BlueTec CDI	d for "diesel"	E 350 d GLA 200 d
PLUG-IN HYBRID Electric Drive	e for "electric"	S 500 e B 250 e
Fuel Cell	f for "fuel cell"	B 200 f
HYBRID BlueTEC HYBRID	h for "hybrid"	S 400 h E 300 h
4MATIC	4MATIC (all-wheel drive)	E 400 4MATIC

Motorsport

Mercedes-Benz has a long history in motorsport. The two companies that came together to form Mercedes-Benz in 1926 both had experience in motor racing. One of them even raced in the very first motor race in 1894. Over the years, Mercedes-Benz has been part of many types of racing, like sports car racing and rallying. There have been times when Mercedes-Benz stopped participating in motorsport, such as in the late 1930s and after a tragic race in 1955.

Mercedes-Benz returned to major racing in 1987, joining races like Le Mans, Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM), and Formula One with Sauber. In the 1990s, they worked with Ilmor to build engines and also raced in IndyCars, winning big races like the Indianapolis 500. They also returned to GT racing with the CLK GTR car.

Today, Mercedes-Benz is active in Formula One and GT racing.

Formula One

Mercedes-Benz first joined Formula One in 1954 and 1955 but left after two seasons, even though they won titles with driver Juan-Manuel Fangio. They came back in 1994 as an engine maker, working with teams like Sauber and later McLaren. Over time, Mercedes engines helped drivers like Mika Häkkinen, Lewis Hamilton, and others win championships.

In 2009, Mercedes bought part of a new team called Brawn GP, which became Mercedes GP in 2010. After changes in the rules in 2014, Mercedes won many races and championships with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Mercedes won seven straight double championships (both drivers' and constructors' titles) from 2014 to 2020. In 2021, Max Verstappen from Red Bull-Honda won the drivers' championship, ending Mercedes' winning streak.

Formula E

Main article: Mercedes EQ Formula E Team

Before the 2019–20 Formula E season started, Mercedes announced they would join the championship with drivers Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries. Their car was called the Mercedes EQ Silver Arrow 01. De Vries won the drivers' title in the 2020-21 season, and Vandoorne won in 2021–22. After winning both the drivers' and teams' championships, Mercedes sold their Formula E team to McLaren.

Logo history

In June 1909, Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft registered a three-pointed star as a trademark. This star represented the company's vision for vehicles to travel on land, water, and in the air. The company used different logos over the years, from 1902 to 2025.

Noted employees

Some famous people who worked with or helped Mercedes-Benz create amazing cars include:

Paul Bracq – a major car designer in the 20th century
Adolf Daimler – chief engineer and developer of the brand logo
Béla Barényi – a car safety pioneer who joined in 1937
Wilhelm Maybach – an automotive pioneer
Ferdinand Porsche – founder of Porsche, joined Mercedes in 1923 and developed the Kompressor
Bruno Sacco – joined as a designer in 1958 and became Head of Design
Rudolf Uhlenhaut – joined in 1931 and designed famous cars like the Silver Arrows, the 300 SL and 300SLR
Rudolf Caracciola – one of the greatest race drivers who drove MB Silver Arrows in competition
Josef Ganz – Technical consultant and “Godfather” of the Mercedes-Benz W136
Juan Manuel Fangio – Five-time Formula 1 World Champion and honorary president of Mercedes-Benz Argentina
Michael Schumacher – Seven-time Formula 1 World Champion who drove for Mercedes in different racing series
Lewis Hamilton – Seven-time Formula 1 World Champion who has driven for Mercedes since 2013
Nico Rosberg – 2016 Formula 1 World Champion who drove for Mercedes and is now a brand ambassador
Toto Wolff – CEO and Team Principal of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

Innovations

Mercedes-Benz has introduced many important new technologies in cars over the years. For example, they created the first cars with engines powered by burning fuel, invented the honeycomb shape for radiators still used today, and made the first car with brakes on all four wheels. They also built the first car that used diesel fuel and the first car with safety features built into the frame to protect passengers.

Mercedes-Benz was also the first to add safety devices to seat belts, create a system to stop wheels from spinning, and put airbags in cars. They made the first automatic transmission with seven speeds and were the first to develop systems that help a car stay stable during sudden turns or slippery conditions. Many of these inventions are now required in cars around the world.

Robot cars

Main article: Driverless car

In the 1980s, Mercedes-Benz helped build one of the world's first self-driving cars. Later, they created a self-driving van that could move using a special type of fuel cell, showing how future cars might look and work.

Tuners

Some companies, like Brabus, Renntech, and Carlsson, specialize in modifying Mercedes-Benz cars to make them faster or more luxurious. Mercedes-Benz also has its own tuning team called AMG, which creates high-performance versions of their cars. All AMG engines are built by hand, and each one gets a special tag signed by the engineer who made it. AMG has been a part of Mercedes-Benz since 1999. The 2009 SLS AMG was the first car fully designed by AMG.

Sponsorships

Mercedes-Benz has supported many sports teams and events. In soccer, they sponsored the Germany national team until 2018 and still support VfB Stuttgart. They also used to have naming rights for the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

In American football, Mercedes-Benz held naming rights for the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans from 2011 to 2021. They also became the naming rights sponsor for the Atlanta Falcons' new stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which opened in 2017.

Mercedes-Benz has also done fun projects with magicians and video games. They worked with magician Dynamo on a special stunt with a race car driver. They also teamed up with Nintendo for the game Mario Kart 8, adding some famous Mercedes-Benz cars as karts. Mario, Luigi, and Peach even appeared in ads for one of the cars.