History of Mercedes Benz Cars
Mercedes Benz is a German manufacturer company which produces automobiles, trucks, coaches, and buses. These days it is a division of a company named Daimler AG (previously known as DaimlerChrysler AG) formerly being owned by Daimler Benz. Mercedes-Benz began with in Karl Benz’s creation of the first automobile in January 1886. Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft.first introduced Mercedes automobile in 1901. The vehicles with Mercedes Benz brand name were first produced in 1926, after the union of Karl Benz’s and Gottlieb Daimler’s companies into Daimler Benz Company. Lots of hi-tech and security innovations were introduced in Mercedes Benz’s vehicles that were used in most vehicles afterwards.
Quality and Performance:
All Mercedes Benz’s vehicles possess high quality and permanence as well. Various surveys revealed a decline in this reputation in late 1990s and early 2000s. In the mid of 2005, Mercedes Benz gained initial quality. Mercedes had dramatic improvement in early 2005s and had beat quality leader Toyota. It also has earned many awards for its various vehicle models. Among these awards, it received Platinum Plant Quality Award for its Mercedes Sindelfingen, Germany assembly plant. By the Consumer Reports 2009, United States has changed their reliability ranking for different Mercedes Benz vehicles to ‘average’ and categorized them in E-Class and S-Class. The two other automobile companies which joined to develop Mercedes Benz brand in 1926, enjoyed triumph separately when they did not joined. And both companies had contributed in the first automobile race Paris to Rouen 1894.
Break in 1930s:
In late 1930s, Mercedes Benz quitted from motor sport for a considerable period. Especially after 1955 Le Mans disaster; when Mercedes Benz 300SLR crashed another car and killed about eighty people.
Improvements and enhancements were still being made but there was not any big achievement until 1987 when Mercedes Benz gained back the front line competition with Le Mans, DTM, and F-1 sports car.
Gaining back Reputation and Standard:
In 1990s, Mercedes Benz bought engine builder Ilmor (presently Mercedes Benz High Performance Engines) and campaign IndyCars following USAC/CART rules, and won 1994 Indianapolis 500 and 1994 CART IndyCar World Series Championship. Mercedes Benz also got back its reputation to GT racing and Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR in 90s. These two achievements provide the company with new heights.
Forms of Mercedes Benz:
Formula Three, DTM and Formula One are three forms of Mercedes Benz these days. Where in Formula One, the company part possesses Team McLaren and has produced engines engineered by Ilmor since 1995. Fortunately, this joint venture has brought achievement, which included Drivers Championships for Mika Häkkinen in 1998 and 1999 and for Lewis Hamilton in 2008, a Constructors Championship in 1998 as well. Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren was introduces as a result of extended partnership among Mercedes Benz and McLaren.
Mercedes Benz and Studebaker-Packard Corporation:
In 1958, Mercedes Benz made a distribution agreement with the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana (USA). Studebaker-Packard Corporation was the makers of Studebaker and Packard brand automobiles. According to this agreement, Mercedes Benz was allowed by Studebaker to handle consignment of vehicles in United States. On the other hand, Studebaker also was allowed to employ the German automaker’s name in its advertisements, which stressed out Studebaker’s quality over quantity of its vehicles. .
Mercedes Benz objected to the plan for which Studebaker made discussions with Franco-American automaker. At that time, Studebaker strongly needed Mercedes Benz distribution payments so they put aside that plan.
From 1958 to 1963, Studebaker’s U.S. operations were stopped and at that time Mercedes Benz launched an office within the Studebaker works in South Bend. And at this time period, U.S Studebaker dealers converted to Mercedes-Benz dealerships. In 1966, Studebaker closed its Canadian company and left the automobile business and as a result the remaining Studebaker dealers had the alternative to convert their dealerships to Mercedes-Benz dealership agreements.
Mercedes Benz and Mclaren:
As a consequence of extended partnership with Mclaren cars, Mercedes Benz introduced sports cars. The 2003 model Mercedes Benz SLR Mclaren has a carbon fiber body and 5.4l V8 supercharged engine as well. Maximum speed of SLR is 337 kilometers (about 209 mph) and it costs about US$500,000. In 2009, McLaren has planned to stop production of the SLR because of European pedestrian-protection policies.
Mid-engine P8 Sports Car:
The recent model is mid-engine P8 sports car which is a joint venture result among Mercedes Benz and McLaren. This P8 was expected to have aspirated 6.2L V8 from Mercedes-AMG. On the other hand, internal resources said that engine will be modified for the new sports car and to produce more than 600 mph (about 450 kW) it will require being twin- turbocharged.
