Hey, are you looking for the top Mercedes facts? If yes, then read this article till the end.
If you ask someone to quickly name some car companies, chances are Mercedes will be the first or second name to pop up without them having to think too hard. That’s the kind of reign that Mercedes has on petrol heads and people in general. It obviously did not happen in a day or two and it took more than just a great PR team to earn the elite position it so clearly enjoys.
The legendary automobile corporation is known for its highly innovative and technologically pioneering vehicles ever since it launched the first-ever petrol-powered car in 1886. Fast forward to the present scenario, Mercedes has continued to maintain its seminal status by continually transforming human transportation and paving the way for other automobiles by spearheading the automobile industry. Mercedes servicing is always a concern for many and many car experts recommend its servicing from a professional mechanic shop.
We are all familiar with the supremacy that Mercedes has over other cars, but did you know that this embodiment of opulence and innovation has some interesting Mercedes facts that you may have absolutely no clue about?
So read on and find out exactly what those facts are!
Here are the 14 Mercedes Facts you probably never heard of:
1. “Mercedes” was named after a woman
Not a lot of people know this, but before Mercedes became synonymous with luxury automobiles, it was elementally a woman. It was named after Mercédès Jellinek, the daughter of Emil Jellinek.
Emil was an Austro-Hungarian diplomat and a businessman with a keen eye for car innovations.
After buying his first Daimler wagon ( former name of Mercedes) in the year 1897, he started selling DMG automobiles himself. The business grew to be successfully profitable and 2 years later while partaking in a racing event he named his car ‘Mercedes’ after his 10-year-old daughter. Just a few years later, Daimler AG was renamed Mercedes, the first and only car to be named after a woman!
2. Over two decades ago, Mercedes-Benz unveiled a self-driving car
You can’t possibly research the word ‘cars’ or attend a car expo without the phrase ‘ future of mobility ’ being mentioned at some point. The phrase is used as an umbrella term for all sorts of tech advances including automation and autonomous driving. You might think that the concept of the self-driving car is fairly-new but it has its inception rooted in the year 1986, seeded by none other than the legendary Mercedes.
In October 1986, Mercedes-Benz commenced Prometheus, a research project that delved into the future of mobility by exploring ways cars can prevent accidents on their own.
3 years later they set up their in-house research division, Mercedes closed down Prometheus in 1994 but continued working on autonomous technology by itself. The brand officials of Mercedes illustrated what they explored and the knowledge they acquired during the span of the eight-year project. They sent a self-driving prototype on a drive of 1,000-kilometer across Germany, thus unveiling the first self-driving car to ever be launched.
3. A fully independent swing axle suspension system is used on every Mercedes-Benz vehicle
Almost all Mercedes-Benz vehicles have a fully independent swing axle suspension system, and a lot of models use a double-wishbone suspension in the front and a five-member multi-link layout towards the rear. This ultra-advanced combination is known to be the state of the art in the automobile industry. The independent suspension system paired with the strength and integrity of an immensely solid body structure helps provides safe, responsive handling and a pleasant ride at the same time. This unique duality has led certain journalists to define Mercedes as “a sports car disguised as a limousine.”
4. Anti-lock braking system
On top of all the excellent features that a Mercedes comes with, Anti Lock Braking System is yet another exceptional state-of-the-art addition. Among all the top-notch safety systems that Mercedes is blessed with, Anti Lock Braking System is by far the most infamous. The ABS is highly functional and supports a tractive control along the road, averting the wheels from locking up and also preventing the vehicle from skidding on slippery roads.
In August 1978, Mercedes-Benz launched the second-gen anti-lock braking system (ABS), built together with Bosch. It enabled the retention of steering control even while braking during an emergency.
ABS was made available in the S-class towards the end of 1978. The launch of the anti-lock braking system around 40 years ago was renowned as a phenomenal moment in the persistently progressive innovational history of technological assistance systems from Mercedes-Benz.
5. Mercedes logo meaning
The classic yet stunning Mercedes logo isn’t just that, a logo. The sterling 3-point star is emblematic of a much greater meaning that goes deeper than the luxury and class it seemingly represents. Initially, it was designed and adapted as a homage to the founder, Gottlieb Daimler and then it evolved to have more symbolism.
- As per the company’s officials, the 3 points of Mercedes’s star represent the company’s motive for universal motorization, in addition to this, each point also denotes individual meaning. The points are representative of land, sea, and air, this was charted with the drive that they would one day reign with Mercedes-Benz engines.
- A subsequent change came in 1926 when the two revolutionary companies Daimler and Benz merged. This unification was celebrated with the enclosure of the logo i.e 3-pointed star in a circle — strongly establishing that Mercedes Benz really would go on to become a worldwide phenomenon!
6. The first company to put brakes on all four wheels
Mercedes’s unwavering commitment and focus on enhancing the safety features of its automobiles resulted in success very early on, by the end of the summer of 1924, all Mercedes-Benz cars had brakes put on all four wheels, further confirming the company’s pledge to enhance safety. A few years later, in 1931, they launched the Mercedes-Benz 170, with suspension on both the corners of the vehicle— an innovative coil spring set up in the rear, and leaf springs in the front. Thus, becoming the first company to put car brakes.
7. Manufactured in more than 30 countries
Founded in its native country Stuttgart, Germany, Mercedes Benz remains headquartered here even today. Apart from being manufactured in its country of origin, Germany, Mercedes Benz has production plants in over 30 countries all over the world.
The company’s second-biggest plant, after Germany, is in the US. Founded in the year 1995, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama it has more than 3,700 employees.
Besides this, Mercedes has major manufacturing plants in:
Hambach, France with over 800 employees
Sebes and Cugir, Romania – around 3,000 employees
Beijing, China – about 11,500 employees
East London, South Africa – 3,300 employees
8. First car in Nepal was Mercedes-Benz
Interestingly, the first car to have ever arrived in the country of Nepal was the Mercedes Benz, which was gifted by Adolf Hitler. The infamous German politician wanted to present the King of Nepal in 1940 with something special. So, Hitler sent him a 1939 model of Mercedes-Benz. Numerous laborers were employed to carry the vehicle for several days to the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu, as there was a lack of proper roads in the country. The car was driven regularly by King Tribhuvan up until his death in the year 1955.
9. Mercedes has been manufacturing Popemobile for the past 91 years
Mercedes-Benz has been producing and providing popemobiles since 1930. It was the summer of that year, 91 years ago, Pope Pius XI was given a Mercedes-Benz Nürburg 460 as a gift from Daimler-Benz AG. In the subsequent decades, Mercedes-Benz provided the Vatican with many extensively converted limousines, offroaders, and landaulets as official cars aka Popemobile for the Holy Father. For three-quarters of a century and 2 decades of another, there have since been cordial relations between the German-based automotive company and the Roman Supreme Bishop.
10. Daimler invented the very first motorcycle
When Gottlieb Daimler made a vertical, one-cylinder engine in 1885 that ran on petrol, he fixed it into a wooden frame based on a bicycle. This inadvertent contraption—named the Daimler Reitwagen (riding wagon) —is now known as the very first motorcycle to ever have been invented.
In November (sometime between November 10 and November 18) 1885 when the Reitwagen made its very first journey of actual length in public. Daimler’s son Paul went on the first ride of the vehicle and he covered around 5 km of distance between Cannstatt to Unterturkheim in Stuttgart (Germany) going up the speed of 5-12 kmph during the ride. The process not only disclosed that such an engine could power a vehicle like that, but also that it could completely be under the control of a human.
11. The first true hybrid vehicle was made by Mercedes
As early as 1906, Mercedes entered into the manufacturing venture of making a hybrid vehicle. The company finished building the Mercedes Mixte that could run at an impressively high speed of 75mph. Initially developed as a race car in 1907, the Mixte with its reported top speed of 75 mph, was a revolutionary introduction by Mercedes.
Regular Mixte models were allegedly used as taxis for city-wide commutes–establishing close parallels with a revived spur for electric and range-extended taxis in cities today.
As of now, Mercedes-Benz has several hybrid vehicle options worldwide, that can run on both gasoline and diesel engines, and even full battery-electric cars. For instance, the B-Class Electric Drive, and SLS AMG Electric Drive are some of the popular hybrid models by Mercedes.
12. The Mercedes-Maybach S650 Cabriolet is the most expensive Benz model to date
Similar to Bentley and other luxury car brands, the stunning open design of the Mercedes-Maybach S650 Cabriolet was a jaw-dropper in the automobile world. Priced at $320.000, this deluxe model is popularly knowns as the most expensive Mercedes to date. Mercedes truly put in their best design practices for this car to earn it the position it has.
This classic example of style mixed with supreme functionality is considered a masterpiece among car enthusiasts.
13. Mercedes never squeals or rattles
No matter how long you’ve been driving your Mercedes car, you’ll never hear it rattle or squeal. This is because each and every Mercedes car is welded in almost 10,000 places all over the car. Owing to that much-calculated effort and precision, it is ensured that there is absolutely no room left for loose bolts and nuts.
14. Karl Benz was the first person to ever be issued a driving license
Karl Benz, the founder, and inventor of Mercedes was the first person ever to be given a driving license. He became the first legally licensed driver in the whole world when the Grand Duke of Baden presented him that distinction. What’s particularly marvelous was that he was able to accomplish these breakthrough milestones even though he came from a relatively humble background.
The revolutionary journey…
Launched roughly a century ago, Mercedes Benz sure knows how to keep the world of automobiles charmed under its spell. With Mercedes’s constantly evolving style and more importantly, technical advancements & continual innovations, the automobile giant has established a firm position in the list of most renowned luxury cars across the globe.
Mercedes has come a long way since 1926 and has undergone a lot of changes, except for one thing, the exquisite—luxe vibes each model just seems to naturally possess.
We hope you found this compilation of best Mercedes facts an interesting read!
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