Established in 1871, Benz & Cie. was the most important of several companies founded by Karl Benz. 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 One, 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.
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 was chosen for the DMG portion of the 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 origins of the Daimler-Benz company founded through a merger in 1926 date back to the mid-1880s, when Gottlieb Daimler (1834-1900) working with
Wilhelm Maybach (1846-1929), and Karl Benz (1844-1929) independently invented the internal combustion engine-powered automobile, in southwestern Germany.
Although they were merely sixty miles apart, these pioneers were unaware of each other's early work.
Karl Benz had his shop in Mannheim and invented the world's first true automobile powered by an internal combustion engine in 1885. It had three wheels.
He was granted a patent for his automobile, dated January 29, 1886, for what he called the "Benz Patent Motorwagen". Among many inventions,
Benz patented his first engine in 1879 and included in his 'integral' design for the Motorwagen patent application, a high-speed single-cylinder
four-stroke engine of his own design.
In 1885, Gottlieb Daimler and design partner Wilhelm Maybach, working in Cannstatt, Stuttgart, were granted a patent dated August 29, 1885 for what is
generally recognized as the prototype of the modern gas engine, that they named the "grandfather clock engine".
On March 8, 1886, Daimler purchased a stagecoach made by Wilhelm Wimpff & Sohn and he and Maybach adapted it to hold this engine, thereby creating a
four-wheeled carriage propelled by an engine, as many had before them. The only distinction about this carriage was that it carried an internal
combustion engine. None of many similar attempts to adapt carts, boats, or carriages, in many countries, were propelled by this type of engine.
On the official history pages of the Mercedes-Benz Internet site it is referred to as "a carriage — without a drawbar but with the conventional
drawbar steering. A carriage without horses..." Daimler and Maybach later purposely built, from scratch, the first four-stroke engine powered automobile
with four wheels in 1889. They founded DMG in 1890 and sold their first automobile in 1892.
Stationary engines were his major business and he invented many improvements to them and their application, but Karl Benz continued to refine his
Motorwagen through several models and sold his first automobile in 1888. He built his first four-wheeled model in 1891. Benz & Cie, the company started
by the inventor, became not only the world's first, but also largest manufacturer of automobiles by 1900.
In 1899, DMG automobiles built at Untertürkheim (a city district of Stuttgart) were raced successfully by Emil Jellinek (1853-1918), an automobile
enthusiast and dealer. He had the name of his daughter, Mercedes, painted on the automobiles for good luck. Wanting faster race cars, it was Jellinek
who spurred the development of the seminal 1900 DMG model that would be the first of the DMG Mercedes series, bearing the name of his daughter.
After suggesting some design specifications, he promised to purchase thirty-six of the new DMG model if Maybach would name the new 35 hp engine
contained in it the Daimler-Mercedes engine. A contract of five hundred and fifty thousand marks was made for these new models. Within weeks he
contracted for thirty-six of another DMG model with 8 hp engines. He was granted an exclusive concession to sell the new DMG automobiles in
Austria-Hungary, France, Belgium, and USA.
That new model later would be named "Mercedes 35 hp" and it was a very important advance in automobile design. The contract called for delivery
of the first automobile to Jellinek in the Fall, but it did not reach him until December 22, 1900. He became obsessed with the name Mercedes and
even had his name changed to Jellinek-Mercedes. Jellinek was invited to sit on the DMG board of directors, which he did from 1901 until 1909, when
he retired from automotive activities in favor of diplomatic appointments.
The name change also was helpful in preventing legal troubles, because after the death of Daimler, DMG had sold exclusive rights to the name, Daimler,
and technical concepts to companies abroad. As a result, luxury automobiles branded Daimler were, and still are, built in England. A fire that gutted the
old Steinway piano factory in New York, which had been converted to produce the new Mercedes models, cut short the dream of American production.
1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK "Count Trossi" in the Ralph Lauren collection.The rival companies of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) and Benz & Cie.
started to cooperate in 1924, due to necessity arising from a troubled German economy after World War I, and finally merged in 1926 to become Daimler-Benz
AG, which produced Mercedes-Benz automobiles and trucks. The merger agreement established that the two companies were
required to remain together until 2000. While focusing on land vehicles, Mercedes-Benz also built engines to power boats and airplanes
(military and civil), and even Zeppelins. Karl Benz died in 1929.
A-Class
The A-Class is a small family car. The first generation W168 A-Class featured innovative "one box" styling, and a double-layer "sandwich floor" construction which directed the engine down and under the body in the event of a major frontal impact. Early criticism of the vehicle dynamics led to a recall and subsequent re-launch of the model with improved handling and electronic stability control fitted as standard. The W169 second generation is generally regarded as a much improved model overall.
B-Class
The Mercedes-Benz B-Class is a compact MPV that is based off the A-Class. Mercedes-Benz call it a 'Sports Tourer'. It was released in Europe in the late spring of 2005 and in Canada
since the fall of 2005. Plans to import the car to the US were put on hold due to a strong euro, that would price the vehicle uncompetitively in the US market. The B-Class was released with the R-Class, that is also a 'Sports Tourer'.
C-Class
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is an entry level luxury sedan. The C-Class best seller is the C200 Kompressor,[citation needed] a supercharged 1.8 litre I4 that is a more powerful version of the C180 Kompressor. The W204 model was released in early 2007. The C-Class estate (wagon) and sports coupe (hatchback) versions will be redesigned and available by the beginning of 2009 worldwide.
CL-Class
The Mercedes-Benz CL-Class is a grand tourer coupe that is based on the S-Class sedan. The CL-Class interior is very similar to that of the S-Class.
CLK-Class
The Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class is a car that consists of a coupe and convertible. It is based inbetween the C-Class and E-Class. It shares the E-Class engine-types but shares a lot of the C-Class features. It is also minorly related to the CL-Class. It competes against the BMW 3 Series E92 and E93 coupe & convertible.
CLS-Class
The Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class is a 4-door coupe that is based on the E-Class. It competes against the Lexus GS and the Cadillac CTS along with other fastback sedans.
2007 Mercedes-Benz E280 CDI
E-Class
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a luxury sedan. It competes mainly against the BMW 5-Series. The E-Class ties in with the 5-Series updates; the E-Class update/redesign is only a year before the next 5-Series update/redesign will commence. The E-Class will be redesigned in 2011 like the 5-Series and will feature similarity to the C-Class and the S-Class plus other models with the all new redesign style and COMMAND that is similair to BMW's iDrive.
G-Class
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a cross country vehicle and luxury SUV. It is one of the longest running production models of Mercedes-Benz. It however does not look like any other Mercedes-Benz car, because it retains its 1970s body design. The G-class was originaly developed for the German military, and is built under contract in Austria. It has an extremely rugged exterior.
At the time of its conception, Mercedes-Benz thought about developing a cross country vehicle not only addressed to the army (capable of substituting the old models then in use) but also foreseeing the possibility of being present in the new AWD niche. It was then decided to give more importance to practicality rather than to aesthetics. The result should be a range of cross-country vehicles that satisfy the widely differing tasks that a 4WD vehicle has to perform. Around this range, Mercedes even derived the motto: the right vehicle for every purpose and claimed to be able to offer a tailor-made vehicle to suit a particular requirement.
A joint company, the Geländefahrzeuggesellschaft mbH or GFG, in which both DB and SDP had a 50% each holding, designed the G. The chief designer was Erich Lewinka. It was decided from the beginning, for efficiency reasons, that the new design would use as much components as possible from both partners and therefore body panels, engines, gearbox, axles and steering come from MB and SDP is responsible for the chassis and the transfer box.
The project’s name was H2, which stood for Haflinger 2, but Mercedes was reluctant to use this latter as the trade name in view of its great association to Steyr-Daimler-Puch. During the development and testing periods, names like Explorer and Ascari were also considered, but this latter was rejected by the Executive Board of Mercedes-Benz in view of the negative connotations that it might have because of the German colonial past in German East Africa.
Finally, the neutral name G, a short for the German word for all-terrain vehicle or Geländewagen was chosen.
Mercedes-Benz GL 450
GL-Class
The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is a luxury seven seater SUV introduced in 2006. It was thought originally to be a replacement for the G-Class, however the G-Class has continued in production to date (mid 2007). The GL-Class is like a bigger M-Class, sharing much of the smaller wagon's features and styling. The GL-Class is built at Mercedes' Tuscaloosa plant in Alabama, USA.
Mercedes-Benz W163 ML
M-Class
The Mercedes-Benz M-Class is a luxury five seater SUV. It was the first Mercedes to be built entirely in the United States, and early models consequently suffered a poor reputation for quality and reliability. Although the range is officially called the "M-Class", the model designations all start with "ML" (eg ML320CDI). The revised (2006) M-Class forms the basis for the larger GL-Class.
Mercedes-Benz R-Class
R-Class
The Mercedes-Benz R-Class is a luxury MPV (Sports Tourer as Mercedes-Benz calls it) initial launched with six seats in a 2-2-2 configuration. The 2007 face-lift provides seating configurations of 2-2-2 or 2-3-2 or 2-3 seats. The R-Class was released with the B-Class and is the only Mercedes-Benz Sports Tourer to go to the US, because the B-Class would not have a competitor because of the price transfer. The R-Class may have a BMW competitor, rumoured the V5.
Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W221)
S-Class
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a large luxury sedan. The current generation Mercedes-Benz W221 S-Class is considered as probably the safest car ever built, with amazing PRE-SAFE technology system. The recently redesigned version features an all new COMAND system, that also changes most of the instrument panel in the interior.
SL-Class
The SL-Class is Mercedes-Benz top-of-the-range grand tourer roadster
SLK-Class
The Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class is a roadster incorporating a folding metal roof, rather than the traditional fabric roof. It is smaller, lighter and considerably less expensive than the SL-Class roadster
Evidence that smoothness and fuel economy are compatible is provided by the Mercedes-Benz Diesel Engine with Common Rail Direct Injection (CDI).
The C220 CDI is driven by the powerful second generation, leading-edge common-rail direct injection diesel engine which skillfully integrates its core characteristics i.e. torque, power output, fuel consumption, emission characteristics, comfort and reliability. The powerful 2.2 litre engine delivers an output of 104 kW corresponding to 141 hp at 3800 rpm. The turbo-charged powerhouse hailed as the "technological trailblazer" in its segment develops a peak torque of 340 Nm between an rpm range of 1800-2300 rpm, thus enhancing bottom-end pulling power.
Supercharged Performance - The C200 KOMPRESSOR
The C200 KOMPRESSOR, propelled by the 1.8 litre, super-charged engine skilfully combines several different technologies, including compressor supercharging, intercooling, four-valve technology, variable-adjustment camshafts, Lanchester balancer and adaptive drive dynamics. As a resultant, this system maximises motoring pleasure, performance and smoothness, whilst minimising fuel consumption. The technologically advanced four-cylinder engine delivers an output of 116 kW corresponding to 158 hp at 5500 rpm. This super-charged powerplant develops a peak torque of 221 Nm between an rpm range of 3500 – 4500 rpm.
Engine
No. cylinders/ arrangement 4 in line, 4 valves per cylinder
Displacement cc 1796
Bore x stroke mm 82 x 85
Rated output kW/hp 116/158 at 5500 rpm
Rated torque Nm 221 at 3500 - 4500 rpm
Compression ratio 8.5 : 1
Mixture formation Microprocessor-controlled injection system with hot film air mass sensor (HFM)
Chassis
Front suspension Three-link axle. McPherson struts. Anti-dive device. Coil springs. Gas-filled dampers. Stabilizer
Rear suspension Multi-link independent suspension. Anti-squat and anti-lift device. Coil springs. Gas-filled dampers. Stabilizer
Brakes Hydraulic dual circuit brakes with brake servo. Stepped master brake cylinder. Ventilated disks at the front. Solid disk brakes at the rear. Drum parking brake. ABS. Brake Assist. ESP®
Steering Rack-and-pinion power steering. Steering damper
Wheels 7J x 16H2 ET31
Tires 205/55 R16
Dimensions and weights
Wheelbase mm 2715
Track front/rear mm 1505/1476
Overall - Length mm 4528
- Width mm 1728
- Height mm 1426
Turning radius m 5.38
Trunk capacity max. 1 430
Curb weight (EC) kg 1475 (Manual) / 1505 (Automatic)
Payload kg 480 (Manual) / 450 (Automatic)
Gross vehicle weight kg 1955
Tank capacity/Reserve l 62 / 8
Mercedes-Benz C 220 CDI
Engine
No. cylinders/ arrangement 4 in line, 4 valves per cylinder
Displacement cc 2148
Bore x stroke mm 88.0 x 88.3
Rated output kW/hp 104 / 141 at 3800 rpm
Rated torque Nm 340 at 1800-2300 rpm
Maximum engine speed rpm 4600
Compression ratio 18.0 : 1
Mixture formation High-pressure common rail direct injection. Exhaust gas turbocharger
Chassis
Front suspension Three-link axle. McPherson struts. Anti-dive device. Coil springs. Gas-filled dampers. Stabilizer
Rear suspension Multi-link independent suspension. Anti-squat and anti-lift device. Coil springs. Gas-filled dampers. Stabilizer
Brakes Hydraulic dual circuit brakes with brake servo. Stepped master brake cylinder. Ventilated disks at the front. Solid disk brakes at the rear. Drum parking brake. ABS. Brake Assist. ESP®
Steering Rack-and-pinion power steering. Steering damper
Wheels 7J x 16H2 ET31
Tires 205/55 R16
Dimensions and weights
Wheelbase mm 2715
Track front/rear mm 1505/1476
Overall - Length mm 4526
- Width mm 1728
- Height mm 1426
Turning radius m 5.38
Trunk capacity max. 1 430
Kerb weight (EC) kg 1520 (Manual) / 1545 (Automatic )
Payload kg 480 (Manual) / 455 (Automatic)
Gross vehicle weight kg 2000
Tank capacity/Reserve l 62 / 8
Engine: E 280
No. of Cylinders / Arrangement 6 / V types
Engine Displacement (cm3) 2997
Bore and Stroke (mm) 88 * 82.1
Maximum Power
(kW @ r/min) 170 kW @ 6300 r/min
Maximum Torque
(Nm @ rmp) 282 Nm @ 2500-5000 rpm
Compression Ratio 11.3 - 0.4
No. of valves per cylinder 4 valves per cylinder
Mixture formation Electronically controlled petrol injection
Suspension and Running Gear
Suspension Front: Four-link suspension, Mcpherson struts, anti-dive, coil springs, gas-pressure shock absorbers, stabiliser
Rear: Multi-link independent suspension, anti-squat and anti-dive, coil springs, gas-pressure shock absorbers, stabiliser
Brakes SBC Electrohydraulic braking system, disc all round, ABS with Brake Assist
Steering Steering Speed Sensitive
Wheels 7.5 J X 16 H2 ET 42
Tyres 225 / 55 R 16 95 V
Dimensions and Weights
Kerb Weight (kg) 1650
Gross vehicle * weight (kg) 2175
Height (mm) 1420
Length (mm) 4818
Width (mm) 1822
Wheel base (mm) 2854
Front/rear track (mm) 1559 / 1552
Ground clearance (mm) 123
Turning circle (m) 11.4
Trunk volume (litres) 540
Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres) 80 / with 8 Litres reserve
* Optional extras will increase the weight and reduce the payload capacity.
Engine: E 200 Kompressor
No. cylinders / arrangement 4 in line
Displacement (cc) 1796
Bore x stroke (mm) 82.0 x 85.0
Maximum Power
kW @ r/min 116 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque (Nm @ r/min) 221 at 3500 - 4500 r/min
Compression ratio 8.5 : 1
No. of valves per cylinder 4 valves per cylinder
Fuel Preparation Micro Processor Controlled Petrol Injection (HFM), supercharger, intercooler
Suspension and Running Gear
Suspension Front: Four-link independent suspension with coil springs
Rear: Multi-link independent suspension with coil springs
Brakes SBC Electrohyraulic braking system, discs all round, ABS with Brake Assist
Steering Rack-and-pinion power steering, collapsible column
Wheels 7.5 J x 16 H 2 ET 42
Tyres 225 / 55 R 16 95 V
Dimensions and Weights
Gross Vehicle Weights (kg) 2105 kg
Kerb Weight ( 90 % Fuel and Driver ) (kg) 1605 kg
Dimensions :
Height (mm) 1420
Length (mm) 4818
Width (mm) 1822
Wheelbase (mm) 2854
Front/Rear Track (mm) 1559 / 1552
Ground Clearance (mm) 123 ( without the vehicle being raised )
Trunk Volume (Litres) 540
Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres) 80 / with 8 Litres reserve
Engine: E 280 CDI
No. cylinders / arrangement 6, V Type
Engine Displacement ( cc ) 2987
Bore and Stroke (mm) 83 * 92
Maximum Power ( kW / hp ) @ r/min 146 kW @ 4000 rpm
Maximum Torque (Nm @ r/min ) 456 Nm @ 1400 - 2800 r/min
Compression Ratio 17.7
Suspension and Running Gear
Braking system SBC Electrohydraulic braking system, discs all round, ABS with Brake Assist
Steering Rack and Pinion Power Steering, Speed Sensitve
Wheels 7.5 J x 16 H 2 ET 42
Tyres 225 / 55 R 16 95 V
Dimensions and Weights
Gross Vehicle Weight ( Kg ) 2220
Kerb Weight ( acc. to EC kg ) 1755
Dimensions :
Height (mm) 1420
Length (mm) 4818
Width (mm) 1822
Wheel Base (mm) 2854
Front/Rear Track (mm) 1559 / 1552
Ground Clearance (mm) 123 ( without the vehicle being raised )
Trunk Volume (Litres) 520
Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres) 80 / with 8 Litres reserve
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