Mercedes-Benz

Lore & Background

Mercedes-Benz, commonly called Mercedes or Benz, is a German luxury automotive brand founded in 1926. Its roots lie in two pioneering inventions: the 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, widely recognized as the first car powered by an internal combustion engine, and the 1901 Mercedes by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft. The brand’s name comes from Emil Jellinek, an Austrian entrepreneur who registered the trademark in 1902, naming it after his daughter Mercédès. The first vehicles bearing the Mercedes-Benz name appeared in 1926 after the merger of Karl Benz’s and Gottlieb Daimler’s companies into Daimler-Benz. The brand’s slogan is “The Best or Nothing.” Mercedes-Benz is based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, where its parent company, Mercedes-Benz AG (established in 2019), operates. The company manufactures luxury passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. Heavy commercial vehicles, such as trucks and buses, have been produced under Daimler Truck since late 2021. In 2018, Mercedes-Benz became the world’s largest premium vehicle brand, selling 2.31 million passenger cars. Over its history, the brand introduced numerous electronic, mechanical, and safety innovations that later became industry standards. During the 1930s, it produced the 770 model, notably used by Nazi officials. From 1937 onward, the company shifted heavily toward military production, including aero engines and lorries, and by 1944 employed forced laborers, prisoners of war, and concentration-camp detainees. After World War II, Mercedes-Benz resumed car production and later partnered with Studebaker to sell vehicles in the United States. The brand remains one of the world’s best-known and longest-standing automotive marques, and its vehicles have often served as the Popemobile.

Reader's Guide

Mercedes-Benz originated from two pioneering inventions: Carl Benz’s 1886 Patent-Motorwagen, widely considered the first internal-combustion automobile, and Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach’s later conversion of a stagecoach with a petrol engine. The “Mercedes” name was first used in 1901 by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, registered as a trademark by entrepreneur Emil Jellinek after his daughter Mercédès. Jellinek marketed these early cars to wealthy clients including the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, and Astors. The modern brand emerged in 1926 when Benz’s and Daimler’s companies merged into Daimler-Benz. During the 1930s, the 770 model became associated with Nazi leadership, and from 1937 the company shifted heavily toward military production, including aero engines and lorries. By 1944, nearly half its workforce consisted of forced labourers, prisoners of war, or camp detainees; the company later paid $12 million in reparations. After the war, Mercedes-Benz partnered with Studebaker in 1958 to sell cars in the United States, and by 1966 its own dealerships were established. The brand introduced numerous electronic and mechanical safety innovations that later became industry standards. In November 2019, the Mercedes-Benz car and van business was spun off into a separate subsidiary, while heavy trucks and buses were managed by Daimler Truck from 2021. In May 2022, Mercedes-Benz sold a rare 1955 SLR for $142 million, the most expensive car ever sold, with proceeds funding a new Mercedes-Benz Fund. The brand’s slogan, “The Best or Nothing,” reflects its status as one of the world’s longest-standing and best-known automotive marques.

Did You Know?

• The Popemobile has often been sourced from Mercedes-Benz.