Mercedes Benz: A Leader in Performance and Safety

The Mercedes Benz name has been credited with a number of significant innovations in the automotive industry. Yet while the manufacturer is typically known for the performance and handling of its cars, few of its innovations have been more significant than those relating to their safety.

Mercedes Benz is the oldest manufacturer of passenger vehicles in the world and its name has long since been established as being synonymous with luxury, style and performance. At the same time, as a manufacturer the brand has been a pioneer on a number of fronts in the automotive industry for many years.

The majority of car enthusiasts, brand loyalists and drivers everywhere will likely equate Mercedes Benz with being a leader in performance engineering, and rightfully so. The German company designed the setup of the modern car, with the chassis set low between the front and rear wheels with the engine in the front of the vehicle - all of which bucked the trends of the late 19th century that had passenger compartments set high above the engine and the rest of the vehicle.

It is also credited with inventing the first internal combustion engine and the honeycomb-style radiator used on all water-cooled vehicles. Additionally, it designed the floating carburetor that was typical on many cars and trucks until the advent of fuel injection, and was the first line of vehicles to feature brakes on every wheel.

More recent innovations include being the first vehicle in Europe to feature traction control as part of its braking system, allowing for greater control on slick or snow-covered surfaces. Today it boasts what is considered the world's most powerful eight-cylinder engine as well as the first seven-speed automatic transmission.

Even with all these significant and revolutionary performance innovations, the manufacturer's best work can be considered to be its various innovations in safety. It created safety cell construction and the dual "crumple zone" system that is widely considered to be one of the most important innovations in automotive history, as well as pre-tension seat belts that reduce slack in a seat belt at the point of impact to prevent the occupant from lurching forward during an accident. Both of these innovations are standard on all cars and trucks today as is the standard airbag, which was first installed in vehicles in Europe by the brand.

Another major development in safety was the development, testing and implementation of the anti-lock braking system and brake assist, which keep brakes operable during all situations and help drivers stop their vehicle in emergency situations.

These innovations and others make Mercedes Benz and the technology it has developed as much a part of today's standard cars and trucks as any other manufacturer anywhere in the world.