As one of the oldest active automakers celebrates the centennial of its logo, a perfect opportunity to learn a little of its history arrives
A base principle followed by any strong brand is consistency. In theory, it consists of the company creating an identity for itself and using all the elements at its disposal to embody the very same identity. Those elements affect product design, marketing strategies, staff training, communication procedures, and how the company responds to unfamiliar and/or negative events.
The fact that Mercedes-Benz has used the same logo for a hundred years symbolizes how strong is its image. However, most of us only know basic statistical information about it, like the fact that its brand value has increased to US$ 50.86 billion since last year. What do you really know about such a traditional automaker and its parent company, Daimler? Let’s dig into its history!
What is the Mercedes-Benz logo?
In short, the three-point star was designed by Adolf Daimler to represent “on land, on water and in the air”, which was the vision of motorization of his father, Gottlieb Daimler. Parallel to that, the laurel wreath was originally a part of the logotype registered for Benz & Cie., which used to be a competing company. It was designed to celebrate Benz’s motorsport victories.
As you can imagine, those companies eventually merged. The new one, named Daimler-Benz AG, initially used both logotypes side by side. However, it was only a matter of time for them to merge them as well, leading to the single logotype for which trademark protection was filed on November 5th, 1921 in Germany. The new logotype soon began to decorate the top of the cars’ front fascia.
Why did Mercedes remove the hood ornament?
Time and experience brought concern with safety and aerodynamics. Nowadays, the hood ornament on top of the radiator grille is restricted to upscale models in non-sporty versions like E-Class, S-Class, GLS, and all Mercedes-Maybach cars.
What is Daimler?
Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) was the company originally founded by automotive pioneer Gottlieb Daimler. He is credited as one of the founders of the automobile powered by a high-speed internal combustion engine. After his passing, in 1900, sons Paul and Adolf Daimler kept working to make DMG grow while staying loyal to its traditions.
The star alone was initially patented on June 24th, 1909. Based in Stuttgart, DMG became Daimler-Benz in 1926 after the merger with Benz & Cie. and would only be renamed in 1998: the acquisition of the Chrysler Corporation transformed it into DaimlerChrysler. The companies separated in 2007 and the German side was permanently renamed Daimler AG.
What is the difference between Daimler and Mercedes?
Daimler has always been the parent company’s name — it has other subsidiaries such as the city car manufacturer smart, which currently offers the fortwo and forfour. Mercedes would appear some years later, as you are going to read below.
What is Mercedes?
Back in 1899, DMG was an independent company and had a racing division. Daimler AG’s official information mentions that Austrian businessman Emil Jellinek “used the name of his daughter Mercédès as a pseudonym for team and driver when using DMG vehicles” and, later, made it the official name of the vehicles he ordered from DMG.
Mercedes was eventually registered as a trademark on September 26th, 1902 and joined the Benz name in 1926 to form what we know so well in nowadays. Mercedes-Benz used to label all Daimler vehicles (except the smart cars) until 2019, when it was redirected to focus on cars and vans. The truck operation was spun off into a new subsidiary, Daimler Truck AG.
What is the most luxurious class of Mercedes?
While the S-Class is the historical owner of this title, the market made Mercedes rethink that. The traditionally luxurious S-Class has become a part of Mercedes-Maybach; the flagship car in the regular Benz lineup is now the fully electric EQS.
What is Benz?
The last name of what can be defined as the “power couple” of the automotive history: Karl and Bertha Benz. Karl used his previous experience with bicycles and static gas engines to work on his dream of designing a horseless carriage. The Benz Patent-Motorwagen was patented in 1886 and became the very first automobile, although it had some issues which were overcome soon.
Why did Karl Benz invent the car?
It is known that he struggled to start a career: he did not fit well in the companies he worked for and had difficulties to manage the one he founded. The situation would only get better when he invested in engines and, later, the first automobile.
The third version of the Patent-Motorwagen became famous because of Bertha: she used it to make the first long-distance automobile trip in 1888. The 104-km journey helped draw attention to Benz’s company and made her identify the need for a third gear to make hill climbing easier. She is also credited for the idea which would be developed later to become the first brake-pad system.
What is so special about a Maybach?
Yet another German family who ventured into the automotive world. In this case, father and son Wilhelm and Karl Maybach were committed to “present the best of the best”. Their company was distinguished for pursuing excellence, rather than specific goals such as comfort, fuel efficiency, performance, or luxury. Its first serial production model was released in 1921.
Daimler-Benz acquired Maybach Motorenbau GmbH in 1960 but would only prepare its revival in 2002. However, since the luxury sedans 57 and 62 never really found their place in the market, they were eventually replaced with a new strategy: in 2015, the name was resurrected as the Mercedes-Maybach division, and it currently offers an ultraluxury version of the S-Class and the GLS.
What is the difference between S-Class and Maybach?
S-Class is Mercedes’ flagship model. It descends from the 600 sedan and has had short and long-wheelbase as well as coupé and cabriolet bodies. Maybach has become a luxury division which gives the S-Class a whole new level of refinement.
While that was a lot of information, it is safe to say that this article has only showed the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Mercedes-Benz’s past — just so you know, its naming structure alone would have enough material to a whole other text. What else would you like to know about this company’s vast history? Feel free to share your thoughts using the comment button below!
Danillo Almeida has explored his passion for cars in two distinct ways. The first one is his graduation course in Mechanical Engineering, which will hopefully lead to a job position in the field. The other one is expressing his knowledge and opinions on the matter through writing. Almeida has already contributed to blogs, stores, and websites in general writing automotive content in many formats.
