Mercedes History and Tradition

Part of what draws so many people to the Mercedes brand is its long-standing history of refinement and excellence. Sometimes, knowing a little more about that history and the specifics surrounding the development of the brand can help you appreciate your new luxury vehicle a little more.

The name itself came from the daughter of an Austrian businessman, Emil Jellinek, who visited the Daimler factory in 1897, to buy his first vehicle. He had a love for speed, and just a year later he purchased two more Daimler cars with whopping top speeds of 24 km/hour. At the time, Daimler vehicles were known as some of the best in the industry.

Soon he became involved in car racing. At the turn of the century he was racing under the name "Mercedes" in honor of his daughter. He was also selling Daimler cars, and soon he started working with them in the creation of new, better products. In 1900 the Daimler company created a new engine that had his name, the Daimler-Mercedes. 

The first vehicle to sport this new name was a 35-hp race car at the end of 1900. The car had a low center of gravity, lightweight, high-performance engine, honeycomb radiator, and pressed-steel frame. Many historians regard this today as the first "modern" car. 

Jellinek was quickly becoming the biggest buyer and seller of these top-notch vehicles. In 1901 he ordered so many of the vehicles that the plant was at full production capacity. A year later his daughter's name was registered as the trade name for the vehicles. Jellinek changed his name to Jellinek-Mercedes in 1903 as a result of his unusual success in selling and marketing these vehicles. 

Every good company needs a trademark symbol, and for this vehicle it was the three-point star. The company's founder died in 1900, but his sons, Paul and Adolf Daimler, remembered that a star had been used as a symbol by their father, and that he had once written that the star would shine over his factory. The three-point star has adorned the hood of the company's vehicles since 19010. The three points symbolize land, water, and air: the three areas Daimler wanted to motorize. 

The Benz part of the company's name didn't enter the scene until after World War I. The drop in the economy that occurred after this war caused few people to purchase cars and only those who were well-established were able to survive. This forced the Daimler brand and Benz & Cie, which were at one time rivals, to form a merger. In 1924 they formed a syndicate, and two years later merged to form Daimler-Benz AG.

They created a new logo that merged the Mercedes star with the Benz laurel wreath, and since that time this merged logo has stood for the company, its vehicles, and the ultimate in automotive luxury. As the company heads into the future, it continues to embrace technology and innovation while sticking to the tradition that has helped it become a leader in luxury class vehicles.