Mercedes-Benz

Eras

• Birth of the Automobile — In 1886, Carl Benz patented the Motorwagen and Gottlieb Daimler built his motorised carriage — the birth of the automobile. Two German pioneers, working separately, invented the modern car.
• Daimler, Benz & the Merger — The "Mercedes" name (from a customer's daughter) is born in 1901; in 1926, Daimler and Benz merge to form Daimler-Benz and the three-pointed star. The early luxury and racing cars take shape.
• The Silver Arrows (Pre-war) — In the 1930s the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows dominated Grand Prix racing — the W25, W125, W154 — stripped to bare metal, terrifyingly fast, a symbol of German engineering and, controversially, of the era.
• Post-war Icons — From the ashes of war, Mercedes built the cars that defined luxury and engineering: the 300SL Gullwing, the "Ponton", the Fintail, the legendary W123 and the W126 S-Class — and the G-Wagen.
• Grand Prix & Formula One — Post-war Grand Prix glory with Fangio and the W196, the 1955 Le Mans tragedy and withdrawal, the return as engine supplier, and the modern works team's record-breaking dominance with Hamilton and the hybrid era.
• AMG — Affalterbach — AMG began in 1967 as an independent tuner; absorbed by Mercedes, it became the brand's performance heart — the hand-built V8s, the Hammer, the Black Series, the modern AMG GT.
• The Modern Era — From the 190E to the C, E and S-Class ranges, the SLK and CLS, Mercedes expanded into a full modern line-up — safety, electronics and design leadership through the 80s, 90s and 2000s.
• Today & the Electric Future — The EQ electric range, the EQS, the modern S-Class and the AMG GT — Mercedes-Benz steering its 140-year story into the electric and autonomous era.