Mercedes-Benz simply referred to as Mercedes or Benz, is a German luxury automotive brand. Mercedes-Benz is a subsidiary of Daimler AG whose headquarters are in Stuttgart, Germany. Mercedes-Benz manufactures luxury and commercial vehicles. The first Mercedes-badged vehicle was unveiled in 1926.
Daimler-AG came about after a merger between Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft’s (DMG) and Benz & Cie becoming in 1926. Daimler’s motto is “the best or nothing”.
In this article, we will take a look at the history and the meaning of the emblem.
History of Mercedes-Benz Motor Company, Ltd
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The origin of the Mercedes-Benz can be traced back to Karl Benz’s invention of what is recognized as the first internal combustion engine patented as the Benz Motorwagen which was financed by the dowry of Bertha Benz (Karl Benz’s wife) and patented in January 1886. Later in 1886, Wilheim Maybach, Gottlieb Daimler, and Karl Benz equipped a stagecoach with a fully-functional gasoline engine.
In 1901 Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) began marketing the Mercedes automobile and from that year the car was available on the market as an official release from Daimler Motors Corporation. The success of the Mercedes automobile caught the attention of Emil Jellinek an Austrian entrepreneur, who eventually teamed up with the group (Mayback, Daimler, & Benz) in 1902 resulting in the creation of the 1901 Mercedes which was named after Jellinek’s daughter (Mercedes Jellinek).
Jellinek’s entrepreneurial prowess and marketing strategies promoted the car to worldwide prominence resulting in the “Mercedes” name being re-registered worldwide by DMG as a protected trademark.
After the immense growth in popularity, Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz merged their companies into Daimler-Benz. The first vehicle bearing the Mercedes-Benz name manufactured by Daimler-Benz was unveiled in 1926. From 1926 onwards, the Mercedes-Benz brand has been known for pioneering revolutionary ideas in the automotive world.
What does “Mercedes-Benz” Mean?
The Mercedes-Benz is a brand name that is usually associated with luxury, but before becoming a household name across the world, what was the journey like? Before the brand became what it is today, it has changed names several times, beginning with Daimler-Benz. Let us walk you through trying to explain exactly what is the meaning behind the Mercedes-Benz name. Please read on
The name Mercedes-Benz came about by combining two names: Mercedes Jellinek and Karl Benz. Founders of Mercedes-Benz were Karl Benz and Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler and the brand was part of Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG). Originally, the company was known as Daimler-Benz, which was a combination of the sir names of Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz.
Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler would later pass away, and in trying to steer the company to greatness, the racing enthusiast and entrepreneur Emil Jellinek was introduced to the company by chief engineer Wilhelm Maybach. Jellinek would go on to spearhead the creation of the Mercedes 35hp in 1900. Emil named the new car after his daughter, Mercédès Jellinek, whose meaning in Spanish translates to “mercy.” Later in 1902, the company registered the “Mercedes” name as its trademark. The company continued trading as Daimler-Benz, while the cars began using the Mercedes-Benz as a brand name.
What Does the MERCEDES-BENZ Symbol Mean?
The idea of using the three-pointed star came from Adolf and Paul Daimler, the sons of Gottlieb Daimler. Their father had earlier used a similar symbol to mark their family house on postcards to depict a view of the town of Deutz when he was the technical director of Gasmotorenfabrik Deutz.
Since 1910 the three-pointed star has been used as an emblem on radiator grilles of Mercedes vehicles. The three-pointed star symbolizes the use of Daimler engines on land, at sea, and in the air.
In its early stages, the three-pointed star was used without the surrounding ring. It primarily adorned the radiators but was sometimes also visible on the sides of the Mercedes passenger car bonnets accompanied by the “Mercedes” lettering.
Evolution of the emblem
In 1916 the star was combined with a wide ring and “Mercedes” lettering. In 1921, Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG) registered a star in a ring as its emblem, and registered it as its trademark in 1923. The star was placed on the radiator cap in a stand-alone upright position that made it easily recognizable.
Unification
In 1925, the star and laurel wreath were merged resulting in a new signet for the Mercedes-Benz brand. This was followed by applications to register the logo and the “Mercedes-Benz” word mark as trademarks in 1925. This move pre-empted the merger between DMG and Benz & Cie in 1926 creating Daimler-Benz AG as a new company.
The layout of the new symbol maintained the circular nature of the previous symbols, with the central Mercedes star staying in place. The “Mercedes” lettering previously placed on the lower edge of the ring moved to the top, while the word “Benz” remained in place. The two laurel branches from the Mannheim brand’s trademark took the place previously occupied by the small Mercedes stars. The Laurel branches begin from the letters “B” and “Z”, and end at the letters “M” and “S”.
Conclusion
Mercedes-Benz is known for manufacturing some of the luxurious, most advanced, and performance-oriented automobiles worldwide, and getting to this status is not a fluke! They deserve it. Daimler-AG has been pioneering innovative and technologically advanced vehicles from the day Karl Benz introduced his petrol-powered car in 1886. The three-wheeled, rear-engined vehicle completely disrupted human transportation for good and signified the innovative automobiles that Mercedes-Benz keeps producing to this day.
Mercedes cars are known for their comfort, premium features, entertainment options, and an awesome array of information.
If you are looking for a great car, then you should go for a Mercedes. We at BE FORWARD have a list of about 6000+ used Mercedes models for sale.
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I am a Telecom & ICT specialist with a career spanning over 15 years in the demanding Tanzanian telecom industry.
I am also an avid DIYer with a good knack for everything technical and a wealth of vocational skills, with automotive being the top, and here I am writing about cars.
In 2017 a guy created a WhatsApp group called MyCar for the sole purpose of members helping each other with all matters regarding cars. I joined this group in 2018, and with my enormous wealth of knowledge regarding cars, and my readiness to share the knowledge with others, I became a top contributor, and that didn’t go unnoticed, as one member thought I was a potential writer and had contacts with Be Forward Japan who were looking for writers then. Fast forward to January 2020, I began writing for the Be Forward blog with 2024 being my fourth year.
As far as I can remember, I love cars, and growing up in the farming and tourist city of Arusha Tanzania in the ’80s and ’90s, I ended up being drawn to the Ranger Rover Classic for leisure and Land Cruiser 70 pickup as a workhorse. These were tough cars then, cars that could take you anywhere any time no matter the weather.
Very interesting story, I love cars especially Benz is just that can afford to buy one