View source for Mercedes-Benz

{{List Of Mercedes-Benz Models}}
[[File:Mercedes-Benz-logo-2011.jpg|thumb|The Present Mercedes-Benz Logo]]
'''Mercedes-Benz ''' (often shortened to just '''''Mercedes''''' or '''''Benz''''') is a famous German brand of [[automobile]]s, [[bus]]es, [[coach]]es, and [[truck]]s currently owned by [[Daimler AG]] (formerly known as Daimler-Benz). The Daimler-Benz AG company originated on June 28, 1926 when two companies, Benz & Cie. and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG), merged. 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—due 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. Its contemporary competition in automobile production is from [[Audi]], [[BMW]], [[Cadillac]], [[Infiniti]] and [[Lexus]]. 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'' was compromised after the death of Daimler in 1900, and allowed to be used on other automobiles, 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 are among the most technologically advanced vehicles in the world, as they have pioneered—both in the past and present—countless technological and safety features (''see details below'') and renowned for their flawless design and execution. It was in 1998 - when Daimler-Benz and Chrysler agreed to combine their businesses—known as the "merger of equals" — that the [[DaimlerChrysler]] AG company was created.

== History ==
[[Image:zzz-BenzMerceBenz.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The first logo of Mercedes-Benz from the 1926 merger of the companies of Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler]]

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) invented the internal combustion engine-powered automobile independently, 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 worlds 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". 
[[Image:765px-Silver_SS.jpg|thumb|200px|right|1928 Mercedes-Benz Silver SS Classic]]

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 the world's 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.[[Image:800px-1930_Mercedes-Benz_SSK_34.jpg|thumb|250px|1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK "Count Trossi" in the Ralph Lauren collection]]

After suggesting some design specifications, he promised to purchase thirty-six of the new DMG model if Maybach would name the new 35 [[HP|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|hp]] engines. He was granted an exclusive concession to sell the new DMG automobiles in Austria-Hungary, France, Belgium, and the USA. 

That new model later would be named, "Mercedes 35 [[HP|hp]]" and it was a very important advancement 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.[[Image:800px-1955_Mercedes-Benz_300SL_Gullwing_Coupe_34.jpg|left|thumb|250px|1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe from 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 One, 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.
                           
During the Second World War, Daimler-Benz is known to have exploited more than 30,000 forced workers and prisoners of war, some of whom would eventually strike, and be sent to concentration camps. This working force soon became essential to the production capacity of the company after 1941, and was a key to the construction of Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe and war machine.

Although the brand is most famous for limousine models, a siginificant number of notable [[sports cars]] also have been produced. For example, the early [[Supercharged Engine|supercharged]] [[Mercedes SSK|SSK]] developed by Ferdinand Porsche. Another distinctive model was the iconic [[Mercedes-Benz 300SL|300SL]] Gullwing of 1954; that was suggested by Max Hoffman, explicitly for the USA market, and introduced at the New York Autombile Show. 

Mercedes-Benz has also produced higher volume, less expensive cars. Interestingly, the prototypes of the [[Volkswagen]] were built and tested in Stuttgart, in cooperation with [[Porsche]]. Before that, Mercedes-Benz had a similar rear-engined, yet rather unsuccessful, small car, the [[Mercedes-Benz 130 H|130 H]]. In recent years Mercedes have produced the  relatively cheap [[A-Class]]. Also the [[Smart (automobile)|Smart]] brand of small affordable automobiles has been part of the Mercedes-Benz Group since 1994 and are still producing cars today in conjuction with [[DaimlerChrysler|DaimlerChrysler AG]].

== Motorsport ==

[[image:743px-Mercedessimplex1.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A DMG [[Mercedes Simplex]] 1906 in the [[Deutsches Museum]]]]

Both companies founding the brand, ''Mercedes-Benz'', when they merged in 1926 were successful in motor racing throughout their separate histories. Both had entries in the first automobile race Paris to Rouen 1894. 

The [[Mercedes Simplex]] of 1902, built by DMG, was the first purpose built race car—much lower than their usual designs—which were similar to horse carriages; that model dominated racing for years. In 1914, just before the beginning of the First World War, the DMG ''Mercedes 35 [[HP|hp]]'' won the French Grand Prix, which was a blow to the French at that time. 

Karl Benz's company, Benz & Cie. built the "bird beaked", ''Blitzen Benz'' that set land speed records several times, reaching 228.1 km/h in 1909. That record gained that model the reputation of being faster then any other automobile—as well as—any train or plane. They constructed many aerodynamically designed race cars. The Benz ''Tropfenwagen'' is described as having a teardrop shape and it was introduced to motorsport in the 1923 European Grand Prix at Monza. 

In the 1930s, the new joint company, Daimler-Benz, with their mighty Mercedes-Benz [[Silver Arrows]], dominated Grand Prix racing in Europe together with its rival, Auto Union, while setting speed records up to 435&nbsp;km/h (270&nbsp;mph). The team was guided by the big Rennleiter Alfred Neubauer until the company ceased racing.  

[[Image:800px-Mercedes-Benz_300_SL_Transaxle.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Mercedes-Benz 300SL Transaxle, the 1953 prototype used in the return to motorsports]]
In 1952, Mercedes-Benz returned to racing with their small and underpowered gull-winged [[Mercedes-Benz 300SL]], which won the 24 hours of Le Mans, the Carrera Panamericana, and did well in other important races such as the Mille Miglia. On 4 July 1954 Mercedes-Benz returned to [[Formula One]] racing with a one-two win at the French Grand Prix with the [[Mercedes-Benz W196]]. Mercedes-Benz dominated Grand Prix and [[sports car racing]] until retiring its teams at the end of the 1955 season, as planned at the beginning of that year. In addition, the Le Mans 1955 disaster, where a [[Mercedes-Benz 300SLR]] collided with another car and killed more than eighty spectators, caused the cancellation of several races that year.

[[Image:800px-300Sc.JPG|right|thumb|250px|1957 Mercedes-Benz 300Sc Cabriolet]]
Mercedes-Benz entered some big limousines in [[Rally racing|Rallying]] in the 1960s and late 1970s. It was intended to enter [[Rally racing]] with the [[Mercedes-Benz W201]] in the early 1980s. Yet, as [[all wheel drive]] and [[turbocharger]]s were introduced by the competition ([[Audi]] Quattro) at that time, this was cancelled. Instead, on August 13–21, 1983 at the Nardo High Speed Track in southern Italy, the new compact-size W201 190 class, sporting a 16-valve engine, built by Cosworth, broke three FIA world records after running almost non-stop (only a 20-sec pit stop every 2 1/2 hours) in a total of 201 hours, 39 minutes, and 43 seconds—completing 50,000 km at maximum speed of 247&nbsp;km/h. It went on to become the 190E 2.3-16 touring model.
Mercedes-Benz returned to [[sports car racing]], (Sauber-Mercedes-Benz winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1989) and DTM [[touring car]] racing in the late 1980s. 

In 1994, the [[Indianapolis 500]] was won with an engine from Mercedes-Benz which, realizing that a loophole in the rules for production-based engines would include any [[pushrod engine]], built a very unusual purpose-built pushrod engine with a significant power advantage. This was done knowing that the "forgotten" loophole would be closed immediately after they took advantage of it, and so the engine would in fact be usable only for this single race. 

===McLaren===
In 1993 Mercedes-Benz made its return to [[Formula One]] as an engine supplier to the debut F1 team Sauber, with a [[V10 engine|V10]] engine manufactured by Ilmor. In 1995, the normally aspirated Mercedes-Benz-Ilmor F1-V10 moved to [[McLaren]], replacing [[Peugeot]]. Mercedes-Benz increased its shareholding in the Ilmor company in 1996 and took full control in 2005. They have continued to design and build engines for McLaren. In the opening race of the 1997 Formula One season David Coulthard produced victory for Team McLaren Mercedes-Benz, and ushered in a new era of success. [[Image:800px-MercedesBenz_SLR_McLaren_TMS.jpg|thumb|left|210px|Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren]]It was a significant result in racing, McLaren's first victory for three seasons and the first win for Mercedes-Benz since Juan Manuel Fangio's success at the 1955 Italian Grand Prix. McLaren and Mercedes-Benz went on to win one constructors' championship in 1998 and two drivers' championships in 1998 and 1999. However, recent years have seen a significant decline in Mercedes-Benz's F1 success, as they won just four races over three years, while suffering numerous engine failures and retirements. The 2005 season was much more successful for McLaren, winning ten of the nineteen races, but finishing second to [[Renault]] in the constructor's title, and with its driver Kimi Räikkönen finishing second in the Driver's title to Fernando Alonso of Spain. The 2006 season seems to indicate a return to the F1 front for the English-German outfit and their "silver arrows" ''(Silberpfeile)''.

Mercedes-Benz and McLaren have, in 2003, jointly created a [[supercar]]. The [[Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren]] has a [[carbon-fiber]] body with a 5.4l V8 [[Supercharged Engine|supercharged]] engine. This is the same block as featured in other Mercedes-Benz automobiles, such as the SL55 AMG and the CLS55 AMG, it has however been tweaked to give 617 bhp and 780nm of torque. The SLR has a maximum speed of over 330km/h and costs approximately $500,000. [http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Mercedes_Benz_SLR_McLaren-75322-1.html]

In the future many anticipate there to be a range of McLaren--Mercedes<!-- yes, this is the correct spelling--> [[supercar]]s in Woking (McLaren’s manufacturing headquarters). The most recent new joint-venture model, expected to reach production, is the mid-engine '''P8''' supercar. Based around a unique [[carbon fiber]] [[monocoque]], manufactured by McLaren, the P8 was originally predicted to receive the new naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 from [[Mercedes-AMG]], but experts now say that the engine will be modified for the car and will probably be twin-[[Turbocharger|turbocharged]] to produce in excess of 600 bhp. The car is still in development, but likely to reach production to go on sale in early 2008, and have a price tag less than that of the [[Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren|SLR]].

====2005 Season====
[[McLaren Mercedes]]<!-- yes, this is the correct spelling--> hoped to improve on a poor 2004 season, which saw McLaren-Mercedes-Benz finish a distant fifth in the championship, a staggering 193 points behind world champion [[Ferrari]]. 2005 indeed witnessed a dramatic gulf in performance between McLaren and Ferrari, though in McLaren's favor. However McLaren was not able to fully capitalize on this opportunity due to the strength of [[Renault F1|Renault]]. [[Renault]] dominated the early races but by mid-season commentators named the McLaren Mercedes-Benz MP4-20 as the fastest car. Nonetheless McLaren suffered from the poor reliability of their otherwise much superior Mercedes-Benz engine. Engine failures at two consecutive races saw Kimi Räikkönen penalized 10 places from his qualifying place which handicapped his races. At the Grands Prix of San Marino and Germany, Raikkonen retired while in the lead. In the end, McLaren saw a much stronger second half of the season, and fought for the constructor's title with [[Renault]], only to lose it in the last race. McLaren won ten races (seven for Raikkonen and three for his team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya), to Renault's eight (seven for eventual World Champion Fernando Alonso and one for his team-mate, Giancarlo Fisichella). The difference in points was due to the excellent podium record of the Renaults when McLaren won races, as opposed to the string of retirements for the McLarens when [[Renault]] won races.

More recently, the [[Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren]] has become available for purchase. Details of above (under McLaren).

==Business Alliances==
===Studebaker-Packard Corporation===
In 1958 Mercedes-Benz entered into a distribution agreement with the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana (USA), makers of [[Studebaker]] and [[Packard]] brand automobiles. Under the deal, Studebaker would allow Mercedes-Benz access to their U.S. dealer network, handle shipments of vehicles to those dealers, and in return receive compensation for each car sold. Studebaker also was permitted to use the German automaker’s name in its advertisements, which stressed Studebaker's quality over quantity. 

When Studebaker entered into informal discussions with Franco-American automaker Facel Vega about offering their Facel Vega Excellence model in the United States, Mercedes-Benz objected to the proposal. Studebaker, which needed Mercedes-Benz distribution payments to help stem heavy losses, dropped further action on the plan.

Mercedes-Benz maintained an office within the Studebaker works in South Bend from 1958 to 1963 when Studebaker's U.S. operations ceased. Many U.S. Studebaker dealers converted to Mercedes-Benz dealerships at that time. When Studebaker closed its Canadian operation and left the automobile business in 1966, remaining Studebaker dealers had the option to convert their dealerships to Mercedes-Benz dealership agreements.

==Production==
Besides its native Germany, Mercedes-Benz are also manufactured or assembled in:
*South Africa
*Thailand
*Malaysia
*United States of America
*Brazil
*China
*Indonesia


==Cars==
===Significant car models produced===
[[Image:Mercedes-BenzPullmans.jpg|right|500px]]
[[File:Mercedes-Benz 280-SE-3.5-Cabriolet-Concourse|thumb|Mercedes-Benz 280 SE]]
[[File:Mercedes-Benz-AMG ONE-2023-1024-01.jpg|thumb|Mercedes-Benz-AMG ONE]]
*1928: [[Mercedes-Benz SSK|SSK legendary racing car]]  
*1930: [[Mercedes-Benz 770|770 "Grosser Mercedes" state and ceremonial car]]
*1934: [[Mercedes-Benz 500 K|500 K]]  
*1936: [[Mercedes-Benz 260 D|260 D World's first diesel production car]]  
*1938: [[Mercedes-Benz W195|W195 Speed Record-breaker]]
*1953: [[Mercedes-Benz Ponton|"Ponton" Models]]
*1954: [[Mercedes-Benz 300SL|300SL "Gullwing"]]
*1959: [[Mercedes-Benz Fintail|"Fintail" Models]]
*1960: [[Mercedes-Benz 220SE|220SE Cabriolet]]
*1963: [[Mercedes-Benz 600|600 "Grand Mercedes"]]
*1965: [[Mercedes-Benz S-Class]]
*1966: [[Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3|300SEL 6.3]]
*1969: [[Mercedes-Benz C111|C111 experimental vehicle]]
*1972: [[Mercedes-Benz W107 350SL]]
*1974: [[Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9|450SEL 6.9]]
*1974: [[Mercedes-Benz 240D|240D]]
*1975: [[Mercedes-Benz 280|280]]
*1976: [[Mercedes-Benz 300D|300D]]
*1979: [[Mercedes-Benz W126|500SEL]] and [[Mercedes-Benz G-Class|G-Class]]
*1983: [[Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16|190E 2.3-16]]
*1986: [[Mercedes-Benz W124|First 'E-Class']] 
*1993: [[Mercedes-Benz C-Class|First 'C-Class']]
*1995: [[Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG|First 'Joint Mercedes-Benz & AMG']]
*1995: [[Mercedes-Benz SL73 AMG]] Biggest Engine Put Into a Mercedes-Benz, 7.3L V12
*1996: [[Mercedes-Benz SL60 AMG]] Very Rare 6.0L V8, 408hp, 0-62mph in 5.1 seconds
*1996: Mercedes-Benz [[RENNtech]] E7.4RS, world's fastest street sedan {{Fact|date=June 2007}}
*1997: [[Mercedes-Benz M-Class]]
*1998: [[Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR]]
*1991: [[Mercedes-Benz W140|600SEL]]
*2004: [[Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG]]
*2004: [[Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren]]
*2004: [[Mercedes-Benz CLS]]
*2007: [[Bluetec|E320 and GL320 Bluetec]]

===Car Nomenclature===
In 1994 (starting with the 1994 models), the traditional nomenclature of Mercedes-Benz vehicles changed. Since the early days of the company the name would be in the form of [[500E]] where the engine displacement made up the first three numbers and the last letter(s) represented the type of engine and/or chassis; for example: "E" for fuel injection ("Einspritzung" in German), "D" for Diesel, "L" for long wheelbase etc. 

In 1994, this was altered so that the prefix reflected the model ("class", German "Klasse", in Mercedes-Benz terminology) and a number the displacement. The suffix was retained in some cases, for example "L" for long wheelbase, and "CDI" for Diesel (CDI = Common rail Direct Injection). Thus, the 500E in the example above became the E500 ("E-Klasse", 5 liters displacement). It should also be noted that while in the past the model number generally accurately reflected the actual engine displacement, this is currently not always the case - for example the E200 CDI and E220 CDI actually both have a 2.2 liter displacement, and the C240 actually has a 2.6 litre engine. Also, there is a huge difference in power (and price) between some cars with the same engine number, such as CLK55 and CL55.

==Buses==
Mercedes-Benz also produces buses, mainly for Europe and Asia. The first factory to be built outside of Germany after WWII was in Argentina. It originally built Truck-Buses, named Colectivo in Buenos Aires, Argentina (1950-1987). But now builds modern-style buses.

==Vans==
MB produce a range of vans. 
The Current Range consists of
*[[Mercedes-Benz Vito]] — Light Van based on the Viano MPV with loaded weight of approx 1 tonne
*[[Mercedes-Benz Sprinter]] — Mid-sized van with loaded weights of 2 to 6 tonne (also re-badged as a [[Dodge]] & Freightliner for the North American market since 2001)
** Sprinter 414 416CDI ambulance 
** Sprinter 316CDI light ambulance 
*[[Mercedes-Benz Vario]] — Heavy van with similar load to a light truck (7.5 tonne)

==Trucks==
MB is the world's largest manufacturer of trucks

The Current Range consists of:
*[[Mercedes-Benz Atego]] — Light truck from 7 to 16t
*[[Mercedes-Benz Axor]] — Mid-sized truck from 18 to 26t in rigid and articulated
*[[Mercedes-Benz Actros]] — Heavy duty rigid and premium articulated — 18 to 50t
*[[Mercedes-Benz Econic]] — Low floor version of the Axor for refuse and specialist applications
*[[Mercedes-Benz Unimog]] — For special purpose applications and transport across extreme terrain
*[[1828L (F581) Mobile Casualty Treatment Centre]] 
*[[1517L Mobile Casualty Treatment Centre]]

==Trivia==
[[Image:800px-Tony1.jpg|thumb|250px|right|1959 Mercedes-Benz Ponton Type 180]]
*The "Safety cage" or "[[Safety cell]]" construction with front and rear crumple zones—considered by many as the most important innovation in automobile construction from a safety standpoint, and now used in nearly all cars and trucks—was ''first'' developed by Mercedes-Benz in 1951.

*[[Anti-lock braking system|Anti-lock brakes]] (commonly referred to by its acronym: [[Anti-lock braking system|ABS]]) were used ''first'' in Mercedes-Benz cars in 1978. They have been standard equipment on all Mercedes-Benz cars since model year 1989. 

*Mercedes-Benz - ''first'' cars to use [[traction control]] Introduced in 1986 to reduce wheelslip/spin in wet or icy conditions. 

*The ''first'' [[Airbag|air bags]] offered in the North American market were in Mercedes-Benz automobiles in 1986. Also the first manufacture to include Airbags as standard safety equipment on its cars.

*Mercedes-Benz was the ''first'' to introduced [[Seatbelt Pretensioners|pretensioners]] to [[Seat belt]]s on the 1981 S-Class. In the event of a crash, a pretensioner will tighten the belt almost instantaneously, preventing the passenger from jerking forward in a crash.

*[[Stability control]], Brake Assist, and many other types of safety equipment were all developed, tested, and implemented into passenger cars—''first''—by Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-Benz has not made a large fuss about its innovations and has even licensed them for use by competitors—in the name of improving automobile and passenger safety. 

*The fastest (production) [[automatic]] road car in the world, is the [[Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren]] at 334 km/h (208 mph). The car was co-developed by [[DaimlerChrysler]] and [[McLaren Cars]]. It is assembled at the [[McLaren]] Technology Centre in Woking, England. Although some consider the ''[[Bugatti Veyron]] 16.4'' as the fastest [[Automatic transmission|automatic]], the transmission used in that car is an automated manual and not a true [[Automatic transmission|automatic]] with a torque converter.

*The fastest street-legal [[sedan|saloon]] car in the world is the Mercedes-Benz BRABUS (tuned) [[Mercedes-Benz W211|W211]] 'E V12' - based on the [[Mercedes-Benz E-Class|E-Class]] saloon. The car uses a tuned version of the AMG biturbo V12 engine which now produces 640 bhp (471 kw) and over 1000 Nm (757 lb-ft) of torque, the top speed was recorded as 350.2 km/h (217.6 mph) in Nardo, Italy.

*The [[Mercedes-Benz W211|(W211) E320 CDI]] which has a [[Variable geometry turbocharger|(VTG) turbocharged]], 3.2L [[I6]] [[common rail]] diesel engine, set a new world [[endurance]] record for covering 100,000 miles ''(the equivalent of four times round the Earth, which has a circumference of approximately 24,900 miles)'' in record time with an astonishing average speed of 224.823 km/h (140 mph). Three identical cars did the endurance run (one set above record) and the other two cars set world records for time taken to cover 100,000 km and 50,000 miles respectively. After all three cars had completed the run their combined distance of 300,000 miles is one-and-a-quarter times the distance from Earth to the moon (all records were FIA approved).

*The most powerful naturally aspirated [[V8|eight cylinder engine]] in the world is the [[Mercedes-AMG]], [[Mercedes-Benz M156 engine|6208cc M156]] V8 engine. It is the first engine in the world to combine large displacement with the high-revving concept, allowing it to produce around 20 percent more torque than comparable naturally aspirated engines in this performance class. The [[V8]] engine will be badged '63 AMG' and will replace the '55 AMG' M113 engine in most models (exceptions include the SL55 and G55 AMG which will retain the M113 engine). The M156 engine can produce 510 bhp and 630 Nm of torque; however specific output will vary slightly depending on the model of car.

*"[[Mercedes-Benz (song)|Mercedes-Benz]]", a song by Janis Joplin and Michael McClure, famously sung ''a cappella'' by Janis Joplin, was intended as a gentle satire on materialism, but—ironically has since been used in the automobile brand's advertising  and later was used in a BMW advertisement on German TV, the driver of a BMW Z3 convertible raised his eyebrows after the first "buy me a Mercedes-Benz" and threw out the tape after "my friends all drive [[Porsche]]s."

*Mercedes-Benz was the most popular brand name mentioned in Billboard's Top 20 songs in 2003 and again 2005.

*Since 1948, Mercedes-Benz has built the Unimog, or "Universal Motor-Gerät", a [[Four Wheel Drive|4WD]] truck. It features extreme offroad capability due to offset axles and elastic frame, drive shafts for numerous additional machines, hydraulic and pneumatic connections, etc.  Despite its high price, the Unimog is popular as allround work horse, as snow plow, expedition vehicle in desert, jungle, and mountains, and it has won the truck class at high speed desert races such as Paris-Dakar, and is used in some countries by their armed forces.

*Mercedes-Benz claims all of the wood used in its modern automobiles is raised on tree farms. This claim has not been confirmed.

*The first Daimler-Benz factory to be built outside of Germany after World War II was in Argentina. It originally built a massive number of Trucks. Some of which were slightly modified (by Mercedes-Benz) to Truck-Busses, popularly named ''Colectivo'' (in Buenos Aires).

*The "New Russians" cliche includes driving a [[Mercedes-Benz S-Class|Mercedes S 600]].

*In the popular animated show The Simpsons, Dr. Hibbert runs into and kills the family's cat with his Mercedes-Benz SUV.

*In September 2003, Mercedes-Benz introduced the world's first 7-speed [[Automatic transmission|automatic]] transmission called '[[7G-TRONIC]]'.

*A Mercedes-Benz advertisement is seen before ''The Lost World: Jurassic Park'' on an original VHS copy of the 1997 movie (since Mercedes-Benz [[SUV]]s are used in the film).

*In the comedy ''Rat Race'', Jon Lovitz and his family steal Adolf Hitler's 1930s Mercedes-Benz from a neo-Nazi museum when their [[Ford Aerostar]] is sabotaged. The vehicle is later destroyed by a female biker gang (after Lovitz accidentally flips the bird at them) and crashes into a World War II veterans convention (with Lovitz looking like and speaking like Hitler because of the ordeal).

*The vehicle in the 8 minute short film ''C'était un rendez-vous'', a no-holds-barred romp through the streets of 1976 Paris, was commonly believed to be a [[Ferrari]] 275 GTB, due to the engine sound. A recent interview with the producer, Claude Lelouch, revealed that the camera-carrying vehicle was actually a [[Mercedes-Benz M100 engine|6.9L]] [[Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9]], with sound dubbed over.

==References==
*Mercedes-Benz U.S.A. ''Mercedes-Benz''. Retrieved December 21, 2003 from [http://www.mbusa.com/brand/index.jsp]

==See also==
* [[List of Mercedes-Benz engines]]
* [[Mercedes-Benz VIN codes]]
* [[Mercedes-Benz U.S. International]], the company's Vance, Alabama factory
* [[Mercedes-Benz World]], under construction at Brooklands, UK
* [[Mercedes-Benz Museum]]
* [[Active Body Control]] Mercades-Benz fully active suspension system
* [[Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft]]
* [[Karl Benz]]
* [[Mercedes 35hp]] was the original model (year 1900) that contributed to the later brand name after the merger of Benz and DMG
* [[Studebaker Packard Corporation]]
* [[Facel Vega Excellence]]


{{Mercedes-Benz}}
{{Classic Mercedes-Benz vehicles}}
{{Mercedes-Benz vehicles}}


==External links==
* [http://www.mercedes-benz.com/ Mercedes-Benz Global Home] 
* [http://www.mercedes-benz.com/com/e/home/index.html International]
** [http://www.mercedes-benz.de/ Deutschland]
** [http://www.mercedes-benz.ie/ Ireland]
** [http://www.mercedes-benz.ca/ Canada]
**[http://www.mercedes-benz.com.ar/ Argentina]
** [http://www.mercedes-benz.co.in/ India]
** [http://www.mercedes-benz.co.id/ Indonesia]
** [http://www.mercedes-benz.com.my/ Malaysia]
** [http://www.mideast.mercedes-benz.com/ Middle East]
** [http://www.mercedes-benz.com.au/ Australia]
** [http://www.mercedes-benz.co.nz/ New Zealand]
** [http://www.mercedes-benz.com.sg/ Singapore]
** [http://www.mercedes-benz.co.za/ South Africa]
** [http://www.mercedes-benz.fi/ Finland]
** [http://www.mercedes-benz.co.uk/ UK]
** [http://www.mbusa.com/ USA]
* [http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/ Daimler Chrysler web site]
* [http://www.mercedes-amg.com/ AMG Website]
* [http://www.mercedes-benzworld.co.uk/mbw/home.html Mercedes-Benz World], under construction at Brooklands, UK
* [http://www.mclaren.com Mclaren Website]
*[https://epicvin.com/vin-decoder/mercedes-benz Mercedes-Benz VIN Lookup]
* [http://www.ewilkins.com/wilko/lemans.htm 1955 Le Mans Disaster]
* [http://www.performanceproducts4benz.com/ Mercedes-Benz Performance Products]
* [http://www.mukhtar.web.id/2011/04/mercedes-benz-mobil-mewah-terbaik.html Mercedes-Benz Mobil Mewah Terbaik Indonesia]
* [http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=24828 87+ Spectators Killed In 1955 Le Mans Crash]
*[http://gawlowski.com/matt/cars/car_logos.html History of Car Logos]
* [http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=420193 Songs that mention Mercedes-Benz in their lyrics (Google Answers)]
*[http://www.cardomain.com/Make/Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz owners community (CarDomain)] - Pictures/write-ups contributed by members
*[http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=mercedes+club&btnG=Search&meta= Mercedes Clubs Worldwide (Google)]
**[http://www.mbca.org/ Mercedes Club of America]
**[http://www.mercedes-benzownersclub.co.uk/ Mercedes Club of UK]
**[http://www.mbccwa.org.au/ Mercedes-Benz Car Club of Western Australia]
**[http://www.mybenz.org/ Mercedes-Benz Owner Club of Malaysia]
**[http://www.mbclub.ru/ Mercedes-Benz Club Russia]
**[http://www.mbig.de/ German Mercedes-Benz Owners Association]
*[http://www.the-porter.com "The Porter": web site special of the film presents by Mercedes-Benz]
* [http://www.bmwvsmercedes.com/luxury-cars BMW vs Mercedes-Benz Forum] 
*[http://www.automotoportal.com/ Automotive industry portal with Mercedes-Benz news]
*[http://mercedes.naszapaczka.com/ Mercedes Gallery] — Mercedes-Benz Images
*[http://www.ionglobal.com/casestudy_mercedes01.asp Mercedes-Benz car configurator case study]
* [http://www.sprinter-source.com The Sprinter-Source.com] - Discussion and Info Resource for Sprinters
* [http://www.starbenz.com.br/page_1152644590750.html Mercedes-Benz Photo History]
* [http://fmbb.livreforum.com Fórum Mercedes-Benz Brasil]
*[http://www.sprinterclassifieds.com Sprinter Van Marketplace]
*[http://newcarzone.org/ New Mercedes-Benz Pictures Gallery and Wallpapers]
*[http://newcars.indiandrives.com/cardetails.php?make=Mercedes-Benz Find all latest updates on Mercedes-Benz]

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