Mercedes-Benz: Company History



Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Manufacturing
Predecessor(s)	Benz & Cie. Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft
Founded	1886
Founder(s)	Karl Benz Leo Prakash
Headquarters	Stuttgart, Germany
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Dieter Zetsche, Chairman
Products	Automobiles Trucks Buses Internal combustion engines
Services	Financial services
Parent	Daimler AG
Divisions	Mercedes-Benz AMG
Website	www.mercedes-benz.com

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz is a multinational division of the German manufacturer Daimler AG, and the brand is used for luxury automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The name first appeared in 1926 under Daimler-Benz but traces its origins to Daimler's 1901 Mercedes and to Karl Benz's 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen, widely regarded as the first automobile.

Mercedes-Benz traces its origins to Karl Benz's creation of the first petrol-powered car, the Benz Patent Motorwagen, patented in January 1886 and Gottlieb Daimler and engineer Wilhelm Maybach's conversion of a stagecoach by the addition a nana a petrol engine later that year. The Mercedes automobile was first marketed in 1901 by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft. The first Mercedes-Benz brand name vehicles were produced in 1926, following the merger of Karl Benz's and Gottlieb Daimler's companies into the Daimler-Benz company. Mercedes-Benz has introduced many technological and safety innovations that later became common in other vehicles. Mercedes-Benz is one of the most well-known and established automotive brands in the world, and is also the world's oldest automotive brand still in existence today. For information relating to the famous three-pointed star, see under the title Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft including the merger into Daimler-Benz.

History

Main articles: Karl Benz, Bertha Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, Emil Jellinek, Wilhelm Maybach, and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft

Karl Benz made the 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen, widely regarded as the first automobile, in Mannheim, Germany

Mercedes-Benz traces its origins to Karl Benz's creation of the first petrol-powered car, the Benz Patent Motorwagen, patented in January 1886 and Gottlieb Daimler and engineer Wilhelm Maybach's conversion of a stagecoach by the addition of a petrol engine later that year. The Mercedes automobile was first marketed in 1901 by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft. The first Mercedes-Benz brand name vehicles were produced in 1926, following the merger of Karl Benz's and Gottlieb Daimler's companies into the Daimler-Benz company. Mercedes-Benz has introduced many technological and safety innovations that later became common in other vehicles. Mercedes-Benz is one of the most well-known and established automotive brands in the world, and is also the world's oldest automotive brand still in existence today. For information relating to the famous three-pointed star, see under the title Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft including the merger into Daimler-Benz.

Subsidiaries and alliances

As part of the Daimler AG company, the Mercedes-Benz Cars division includes Mercedes-Benz,Smart and Maybach car production.

Mercedes-AMG

Mercedes-AMG became a majority owned division of Mercedes-Benz in 1998. The company was integrated into DaimlerChrysler in 1999, and became Mercedes-Benz AMG beginning on 1 January 1999.

Mercedes-Benz McLaren

Between 2003 and 2009, Mercedes-Benz produced a limited-production sports car with McLaren Cars. The resulting Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren was an extension of the collaboration by which Mercedes engines are used by the Team McLaren-Mercedes Formula One racing team, which was then part owned by Mercedes. McLaren ceased production of the SLR in 2009 and went on to develop its own car, the McLaren MP4-12C, launched in 2011.

Production

[edit]Factories

Besides its native Germany, Mercedes-Benz vehicles are also manufactured or assembled in:

Argentina - manufactures buses, trucks and the Sprinter van. This is the first Mercedes-Benz factory outside of Germany.
Austria (G-Class
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil - manufactures trucks, buses and the C-Class. Established in 1956. The A-Class (W168) was produced from 1999 to 2005 as well.
Canada
China
Egypt via Egyptian German Automotive Company
Finland via Valmet Automotive
Hungary
India (Pune)
India, Chennai (Daimler India Commercial Vehicle ) - Trucks & Engine Manufacturing unit
India, Bangalore (R&D)
Indonesia
Iran (not since 2010)
Malaysia
Mexico - (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 - assembly of buses, trucks, utility motors and the Sprinter van
Philippines
Spain - factory at Vitoria-Gasteiz, Mercedes-Benz Vito have been built there.
South Africa
South Korea - Mercedes-Benz Musso and MB100 models manufactured by SsangYong Motor Company.
Thailand - assembly of C, E and S class vehicles by the Thonburi Group
Turkey
United Kingdom - 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-Benz HighPerformanceEngines
United States - the Mercedes-Benz M-Class Sport Utility, the R-Class Sport Tourer, and the full-sized GL-Class Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle are all built at the Mercedes-Benz production facility near Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Trucks (6,000 per year in the late seventies) were once assembled in Hampton, VA.
Vietnam - assembly of passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Established in 1995.