Mercedes-Benz is a global automaker that’s part of the Daimler AG company. They are based in Stuttgart, Germany and known for producing some of the world’s most recognized luxury cars, SUVs, coaches, and buses.
Their origins go back to the late 1880s with the Benz Patent-Motorwagen. It’s regarded to be the first gasoline-powered vehicle. The company distributes automobiles worldwide and currently uses the slogan, “the best or nothing.” You’ll see their brand on the streets and the race track, excelling at all they do. In 2018, they were listed as #13 on Forbes World’s Most Valuable Brands list as well as #16 of the World’s Most Powerful Brands.
Mercedes-Benz History
Early Mercedes History
Mercedes-Benz began with the creation of Karl Benz’s first petrol-powered vehicle. The Benz Patent Motorwagen was financed by Bertha Benz with a patent in 1886. Later that year, Wilheim Maybach and Gottlieb Daimler converted a stagecoach with a petrol engine. Their first automobile was sent to market in 1901 as part of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, otherwise known as Daimler Motors Corporation.
In 1902, Emil Jellinek, an entrepreneur from Austria, worked with the group and created their trademark. They named the company’s 1901 Mercedes after his daughter, Mercedes Jellinek. He was a high-class businessman who promoted the Daimler line of automobiles among his circle. He even began selling in America to billionaires such as Astor, Rockefeller, Taylor, and Morgan.
The first branded vehicles of Mercedes-Benz origin began production in 1926. This occurred right after the merger of Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz’s companies.
During the 1930s, the company produced the popular 770 model. Adolf Hitler was even known to drive these during his time as the leader. The only difference was that his had bulletproof windshields. He isn’t the only famous leader that drove Mercedes cars. The Popemobile is often a Mercedes brand as well. The majority of surviving models of the 770 have been sold off to private buyers through auctions. One of the remaining models is on display in Ottawa, Ontario at the War Museum.
During the war in 1944, Daimler-Benz factories forced 46,000 laborers to increase the war efforts by the Nazis. Later, the company paid out $12 to the families of those workers. As the years went on, Mercedes introduced many safety and technological innovations that have become popular in other brands as well. Today, they are known as one of the most established automakers in the world.
Mercedes-Benz Numbering Systems in the Early Days
Up until 1994, the company used the alphanumeric system to categorize their vehicles. This consisted of a number sequence related to the engine’s displacement measured by liters and then multiplied by 100. After this number, there was an alphabetical suffix that indicated the vehicle’s engine type and body style.
Here’s what the classifications look like:
C – Either a coupe or cabriolet, except C-Class models.
D – Powered by diesel.
E – Engine has petrol fuel injection. This is also used for plug-in hybrids and electric models.
G – Once indicated the Geländewagen off-roader, but now is used for SUVs.
K – Only used during the 1930s to indicate a supercharger.
L – If a sporty model, it indicates lightweight. For sedan models, it refers to a long-wheelbase.
R – Indicates a racing car.
S – Stands for “special class.” This is also used to denote a flagship model.
T – Stands for “Touring” or estate body style.
During the 1950s, some models feature lower-case letters to showcase their trim levels. There were also some that didn’t match up with the car’s engine displacement. Instead, the numbers indicated the position in its model range or ranking in price. Instead, they had the displacement suffixed onto the model. The exception to this was with the “190.” These were entry-level vehicles that featured their displacement after the 190. For example, 190E 2.3 stood for a 2.3-liter motor.
Revisions to the Numbering System
During 1994, Mercedes revised its system. Now, the vehicles were divided into the class with an arrangement of three letters or less. That was followed by a three-digit number to indicate displacement. In the AMG models, it was only a two-digit number which was the displacement multiplied by 10. Estate models and diesel-powered cars didn’t have separate letters.
In 2014, the company worked to consolidate confusion classifications and placed cars into model ranges. They created four categories of classification core, four-door coupe, off-road vehicle or SUV, and roadster. The V-Class line and AMG GT were not affected by the change.
Today, the company doesn’t use the numerical classifications to denote the engine displacement as much. Now, it’s used to show either the marketing position or performance level. The reason for this change was that the company didn’t think the regular classifications expressed how upscale some models are. For example, the E200 seems more luxurious than calling it an E180 to denote its 1.8-liter engine. Just like many of the AMG models use the number “63.” This is done to honor the 1960s M100 6.3-liter engine even though the modern version only has a 6.2-liter, 5.5-liter, or 4.0-liter.
Alternative Propulsion Methods
Mercedes-Benz Concept Cars
The company has developed several concept cars that featured alternative propulsion, including fuel-cell, hybrid electric, and fully electric powertrains. Back in 2007, they showcased seven hybrids at the Frankfurt Motor Show. One of the vehicles was an F700 concept equipped with a hybrid-electric setup. It featured the DiesOtto motor. Then, in 2009, Mercedes revealed three BlueZERO vehicles during the North American International Auto Show. Each one had a different powertrain: gasoline-hybrid, fuel-cell electric or battery-electric engine. That same year, they revealed the Vision S500 PHEV concept car that had a 19-mile electric range.
Mercedes-Benz Production Models
Mercedes developed their F-Cell fuel cell vehicle starting in 2002. This was Mercedes Benz’ first car with an electric drive train offered to the public. It was based on their B-Class and featured a 250-mile range. The release of this newer model began in 2014. In 2009, they launched the S400 BlueHYBRID which was the first production hybrid to use a lithium-ion battery. They also released the SLS AMG E-Cell in 2013. It was a fully electric version of the popular SLS sports coupe.
In 2018, Mercedes opened a sixth battery factory which made it a competitor to the all-electric Tesla company. These six factories are situated on three continents. Starting in 2019, the company planned to release the electric EQ brand of SUVs. They also plan to invest $11 billion by 2022 to ensure that they have a hybrid or fully electric version of each model available.
Aside from vehicles, Mercedes-Benz has also partnered with Vivint Solar in order to bring solar energy to the home with a storage battery.
Safety and Crash Ratings
While every brand has their vehicles that don’t rank high on safety ratings, Mercedes has three listed as top safety picks for the IIHS in 2018. The three vehicles named are the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class mid-size luxury SUV, Mercedes-Benz GLC mid-size luxury SUV, and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class large luxury car.
This was down from four vehicles listed as top safety picks for the IIHS in 2017. Those same three cars were previously listed plus the Mercedes-Benz C-Class 4-door sedan made the rankings in mid-size luxury cars as well.
In addition to those rankings, The Drive listed the Mercedes-Benz E-Class as the “Safest Car of 2017”.
Mercedes-Benz Safety Equipment
Innovations
Throughout history, Mercedes has been the leader of many safety innovations; starting in 1959 when the company began crash testing. At the time, crash testing wasn’t commonly understood. Mercedes started the trend by launching their vehicles into obstacles to see what would happen.
Then, in 1978, Mercedes worked with Bosch to create the first ABS. By preventing the wheels from locking up, they determined that the car would remain steerable even when heavy brake pressure is applied. At first, ABS was only put in the S-Class, but eventually became part of the entire lineup.
Just a few years later, in 1981, they presented the driver’s side airbag during the Geneva Motor Show. This was combined with a belt tensioner in the S-Class W 125 Saloon before any of the other vehicles. Many of the automotive industry’s most famous safety features are of Mercedes origin.
While there were numerous other innovations they’ve been known for, 2011 was also a big year for the company. The introduced the PRE-SAFE Pulse. It was part of the award-winning occupant protection system that cared for passengers in the event of a critical situation. During an impending side impact, PRE-SAFE Pulse moves the front and driver passenger up to 50 mm towards the center of the vehicle. This reduces the load on the upper body by up to a third.
There have also been talks to produce the Belt Bag. Together with Autoliv, a seat belt specialist, Mercedes aims to double the width of the seatbelt during an accident. This allows the pressure to spread over a wider area which reduces the risk of injury. During testing, the company has found it to be beneficial, especially with older passengers that have a ribcage which isn’t flexible.
Available Features
It’s clear that Mercedes takes their passenger’s safety seriously. That’s why you’ll find an array of available safety technologies available in their vehicles. The automaker constructs their vehicle so that the chance of injury during an accident is lessened. One of the interesting things they do is Accident Investigation. They create likely scenarios of crashes and then work backward to design technology that prevents injury. This involves calculating impact speed, collision angles and other data in order to produce some of their groundbreaking innovations. This is how Attention Assist, Pre-Safe and many other of their programs were developed.
With their Pre-Safe Brake and Distronic Plus Technology, the vehicle detects when an accident is going to occur. At that point, it automatically initiates 40% off its braking power. The system also alerts the driver and engages the Pre-Safe system. If the driver doesn’t respond to the alert, the Pre-Safe system applies 100% brake power to avoid the collision.
Even driving on the back roads at night is no longer an issue with Mercedes-Benz. They offer Night View Assist Plus to give drivers a real-time view of what’s happening on the dark road. This helps drivers to avoid animals and even pedestrians when the road is dark. On top of that, most of their vehicles come equipped with active full-LED headlamps. The system includes 72 light-emitting bodies which reconfigure themselves based on vehicle speed, traffic, and the driver’s steering habits.
With their Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Monitoring program, the vehicle’s steering wheel vibrates when the driver is veering out of their lane. It also applies the brakes on one side to steer you back in if need be. All of these features combined, plus the others offered, keep passengers safer than ever before.
Mercedes Safety Recalls
All automakers are subject to recalls from time to time. With that said, one of the more well-known recalls for Mercedes occurred in 2017. Over 300,000 vehicles were recalled due to a potential fire hazard. The issue caused at least 35 car fires in the United States and was the result of an engine part malfunctioning. This recall included C- and E-Class vehicles plus the GLA, GLC, and CLA as well.
Later in 2017, Daimler AG recalled another 1 million Mercedes vehicles for airbag deployment issues. This recall was unrelated to the massive Takata airbag recall which affected many automakers. With this issue, an electrostatic discharge combined with a broken clock spring plus insufficient grounding led to the airbag on the driver’s side to deploy inadvertently. To fix it, Mercedes needed to add a new ground to the vehicle’s steering components. This complaint didn’t lead to any deaths in the United States, just some bruises and minor abrasions. The recall involved 2012-2018 A, B, C, and E-Class vehicles plus the GLA, GLC, and CLA.
In June 2018, the company recalled almost 800,000 vehicles in Europe due to alleged emissions cheating. None of the vehicles under investigation were sold in the United States and Mercedes didn’t admit any guilt to cheating. Instead, they complied with the mandatory recall of C-class sedans, Vito vans, and the GLC-line of SUVs so they could equip it with new software to make it compliant.
Mercedes Consumer Satisfaction Reports & Dependability Ratings
Since its beginnings, the Mercedes brand has held a reputation for durability and quality. To gauge how others view the brand, it’s important that multiple sources are researched for the most accurate picture. For example, if we look back to 2013, we see that Mercedes dominated the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Scoring 88 points on a 100-point scale, Mercedes led the pack of the top automakers.
Jump forward a few years to 2015 and you see that once again, Mercedes earns the top spot as the world’s leading brand in relation to customer satisfaction as per the Prospect Satisfaction Index (PSI). These evaluations were conducted with 6,000 mystery shoppers who visited dealerships from the largest manufacturers.
In the 2017 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), Mercedes dropped a few points but remained right at the top of the list as one of the best. They’ve also received good ratings from J.D. Power. The 2017 models received 3/5 regarding Overall Quality, 4/5 in Overall Performance and Design, plus 4/5 for Dependability.
Mercedes Awards
The company has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards in the automobile community. Here are just a few of the highly regarded accolades they’ve received:
2015
– Won the “World Car Awards” three times with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Mercedes-AMG GT, and the S-Class Coupé
2016
– The Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class won the Cars.com Luxury Car of the Year Award.
2017
– Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class took the coveted #1 ranking from U.S. News & World Report in the Luxury Large SUV category.
– The Mercedes-Benz S-Class also earned the #1 from U.S. News & World Report in its Super Luxury Cars category.
– The New York Daily News ranked the 2017 S-Class its best luxury car.
– Mercedes-Benz E-Class was also named the U.K. Car of the Year.
– The Mercedes GLC-Class was named Motor Trend’s SUV of the Year.
Major Innovations
Mercedes has been the leader in numerous technological innovations throughout the years. Some of their more notable include:
- An internal combustion engine created by Benz, Daimler and Maybach in 1886.
- The honeycomb radiator, still in use in water-cooled vehicles.
- A float carburetor used until fuel injection systems were created.
- The drop chassis where the carriage was set between the wheels.
- In 1924, they created the first road car which had brakes on all four of the wheels.
- The first diesel-powered passenger car, the Mercedes 260 D was produced in 1936.
- They added direct fuel injection first to the 300SL Gullwing.
- In 1951, they produced a safety cage construction with crumple zones.
- Then, in 1959, they receive a patent for their device that prevented the wheels from spinning by controlling the brakes, transmission, and engine. By 1987, they applied that patent with a traction control system.
- The 1981 S-Class was the first European car to have airbags. In that same year, they also introduced pre-tensioners on seat belts.
- In 2003, they released the first seven-speed automatic transmission named the ‘7G-Tronic’.
- Mercedes created many of the modern safety equipment such as the Electronic Stability Program and Brake Assist.
Mercedes has graciously licensed their innovations to others, even competitors. They’ve wanted to improve the safety of automobiles across the board. That’s why you’ll find many of the equipment they’ve created like ABS and crumple zones standard on most modern vehicles.
Robot Cars
During the 1980s, the company built the first robot car in the world. They worked with Professor Ernst Dickmanns and his team from Bundeswehr University Munich. In 1987, the Prometheus Project was launched by the European Union’s EUREKA program to create autonomous cars. Several years later, in 1995, Dickmann’s autonomous S-Class took a trip from Munich to Copenhagen and back again. While driving on highways, the robot car reached speeds of over 109 mph. Then, in 2015, Mercedes introduced the Vision Tokyo. It was a five-passenger self-driving van powered by a hybrid hydrogen fuel-cell system.
Environmental Issues
Mercedes is no stranger to environmental scandals. As of 2008, the company had the worst CO2 average among all the European automakers, placing it 14th out of the 14 tested. It also ranked the worst in 2006 and 2007.
In 2009, the company received a record-setting $30.66 million fine in the United States for not meeting federal corporate average fuel economy standards. There were also some models, including the AMG and S550 that faced a gas guzzler tax. The newer AMG vehicles with an M157 engine have not been subject to the tax because they’ve improved fuel economy.
Then, in 2018, they were ordered to recall vehicles in Europe due to emissions cheating. While they didn’t claim wrongdoing, Mercedes was required to repair over 700,000 vehicles as part of the scandal. The cars were equipped with a system that shut down the emissions controls when temperatures went below 48 degrees Fahrenheit or above 79 degrees. The company claims this was to guarantee the systems survived long term.
Snapshot of the Company
The headquarters of Mercedes-Benz is located in Stuttgart, Germany. In total, the company has offices in 93 locations across the world. Their vehicles are produced in 17 countries across five continents and delivered globally.
Through 2018, the headquarters for Mercedes-Benz USA was situated in Montvale, NJ. In March 2018, they opened a new headquarters situated in Sandy Springs, GA. This 200,000 square foot glass building contains about 1,000 employees, most of which relocated from the New Jersey building.
Deter Zetsche is the head of Mercedes-Benz since 2006. The President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA is Dietmar Exler.
Mercedes-Benz USA is active in social affairs and public service. Currently, Mercedes-Benz focuses on The Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA, Camp Southern Ground, MBUSA’s Focus on the Westside, M.R. Hollis Innovation Academy, and Junior Achievement of Georgia.
Annual Sales
In 2017, the company sold 2.3 million cars across the world. This meant an increase in sales of 9.9%. It was the seventh consecutive record-breaking year for the company. These all-time records were achieved through three locations: Europe, NAFTA, and Asia-Pacific.
Growth in the Chinese market went up over 25%, making it the strongest and largest individual market for Mercedes. In addition, they saw their first year of six-digit AMG sales with more than 130,000 sold. This was up 33%.
Business Operations
Mercedes-Benz is part of the Daimler AG umbrella. This German multinational automotive corporation is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany as well. They hold shares in many truck, bus, motorcycle, and car brands.
Brands include:
– Mercedes-Benz
– Mercedes-AMG
– Smart Automobile
– Freightliner
– Detroit Diesel
– Western Star
– Setra
– Thomas Built Buses
– Mitsubishi Fuso
– BharatBenz
– MV Agusta
– Denza
– Beijing Automotive Group
– KAMAZ
– Mercedes-Benz Vans
– Daimler Financial Services
– Mercedes-Benz Financial
– Mercedes-Benz Bank
– Daimler Truck Financial
– Mercedes AMG High-Performance Powertrains (built for Formula 1 Racing)
In 2012, Daimler terminated the luxury Maybach brand but later revived it in April 2015. Versions of the Maybach are found in the G-Glass and S-Class line of vehicles. By unit sales, the Daimler AG Corporation is the thirteenth-largest automaker and the biggest truck manufacturer in the world.
Daimler cooperates with BYD Auto in China to produce a battery-electric car referred to as Denza. As of 2016, Daimler planned to sell all-electric battery vehicles in the country.
On top of the other business affairs, Mercedes-Benz had produced three bicycles in 2005. Then in 2007, they developed the FoldingBike as well. Other models include the Trekking Bike, Trailblazer Bike, Mercedes-Benz Carbon Bike, and Fitness Bike.
Mercedes-Benz Logo
Since 1909, the company has used a three-pointed star as their trademark. Once the merger between DMG and Benz & Cie happened in 1926, a laurel wreath was added to surround the three-pointed star.
What does Mercedes-Benz’s three-pointed-star really mean? The company states that it’s a representation of the drive toward universal motorization. They plan to have engines which dominate the air, sea, and land; hence the three points.
Marketing
Because of their wide range of vehicles, from sports cars to SUVs, there is a wide target market for the company. They tend to target the upper-class social group with their luxury cars. Until recently, all the focus has been on acquiring customers that were professionals or executives. That’s because these customers valued modern technological equipment, safety features and sleek styling.
The company’s mission statement has been “Lead in the Innovation and Delivery of the Brand’s Customer Experience through Amazing People and Amazing Service.” Their main target customer was someone in the upper-middle class or upper-class, normally between the ages of 30 to 50 years old.
With that said, in 2018, the company launched some new campaigns targeted at Millennials. The title of this campaign was called, Grow Up.” It tells them that they can focus on quality without having to compromise their values.
Motorsports
Throughout the company’s history, Mercedes has involved themselves in a wide range of motorsports. This has included rallying, sportscar racing, DTM, Formula One, and Formula Three.
Early Races
Even before the Mercedes-Benz company existed, there was motorsport success. A Benz competed in the 1894 Paris-Rouen, the world’s first motor race. Emile Roger ran the race and finished 14th after a ten-hour race.
In 1902, the Mercedes Simplex was the company’s first race car. It was a dominant racer for years and featured 35 horsepower. In fact, this car won the French Grand Prix.
Karl Benz had some racing success as well. He built the Blitzen Benz which set land speed records. In 1911, it reached 141.7 mph. It was labeled faster than any other vehicle including planes and trains.
Grand Prix
Benz was also involved in the Grand Prix since 1923. This is when the Tropfenwagen first made its debut into motorsports. Its first race was at the European Grand Prix at Monza. This vehicle was created by Hans Nible, the chief engineer with the intent to increase public acceptance of a mid-engine car. The Tropfenwagen was built on the Rumpler chassis. They had a 1,991 cc DOHC inline six engine that produced 80 horsepower.
Even though the vehicle looked promising, it never did better than a fourth-place finish after three years of racing and hillclimbing. On top of that, public acceptance never improved as hoped for.
During the 1930s, after Daimler-Benz was created, the Silver Arrows became dominant in the Grand Prix. They led the pack along with their rival, Auto Union. Both cars set records with speeds up to 270 mph. This continued until the team stopped racing due to the start of the War.
Formula One
In 1954, the company returned to Formula One races. They started with the W196 in the streamlined and open-wheeled form. The team achieved immediate success with its first and second place victory plus the fastest lap set by Hans Herrmann.
Their success continued the following season with the same car being used again. The drivers won six of the nine rounds, ending up in first and second places yet again. Then, in 1955, Mercedes pulled out of all auto racing after the horrific crash during the 24 hours of Le Mans.
It wasn’t until 1994 that they made their return to Formula One racing. During the 1995 season, the company’s F1-V10 engine took the place of Peugeot for the McLaren racing team. This McLaren-Mercedes group took thirty points that year and had two podium spots. 1996 brought similar results with three times as many podium spots as the previous year.
What many people don’t know is that the safety cars used in Formula One have been supplied by Mercedes-Benz since 1996.
Throughout the years, the McLaren-Mercedes team continued their racing success. In 2003, they produced the Mercedes-McLaren SLR together. Just six years later, in 2009, they decided to part ways, but Mercedes purchased 75% controlling stake in the championship-winning team.
Sportscar Racing
After the war, in 1952, Mercedes joined racing once again. The 300SL, which was underpowered and small, still won numerous races including the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Carrera Panamericana. This car became a dominating force in the world of racing and was created from the W196 used in Formula One.
In 1955, the largest auto racing accident occurred when the 300 SLR ran into another racer. It killed more than eighty people watching the race. Even though the team won the two races left in the season, the company opted to retire all race teams at the end of the year.
During the late 1960s into the early 1970s, they did enter some competitions under the umbrella of the AMG Company. They used the 300SEL 6.3 V8 sedan during the European Touring Car Championship and Spa 24 hours.
They also supplied engines for the Sauber team starting in 1985. Then, in 1997, Mercedes returned to racing with their CLK GTR. During its first year, it won both the championship plus the drivers’ championship. It dominated the FIA GT the following year and won its second championship. Its successor, the CLR failed miserably to win races and hasn’t been used since.
In 2011, the company released the SLS AMG to private teams. It won several endurance races including the 24 Hours of Spa, 24 Hours of Dubai, and the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. They replaced it with the Mercedes-AMG GT3 in 2015.
Touring
During the early 1980s, Mercedes wanted to rally with the W201. Plans changed as they realized that the field was dominated with all-wheel-drive vehicles and turbochargers. Instead, they used it during the DTM series beginning in 1988.
Then, in 2013, they entered into the V8 Supercars Championships working with the Erebus team. It didn’t last long, however, because Erebus went with Holden VF Commodores in 2016 and ended their involvement with Mercedes.
Formula Three
Mercedes-Benz is known as one of the most dominant companies to supply engines in Formula Three racing. They’ve contributed engines to four teams and four drivers that have won championship titles.
In 2003, the company expanded into the program further when they supplied three teams during the F3 Euroseries. By 2004 through 2006, Mercedes powered the majority of the top teams in the Euroseries.
Other Racing Ventures
In 1983, Mercedes ran the W201 in Italy to break three FIA world records. One was for running non-stop (with just a 20-second stop after every 2 ½ hours) for over 201 hours. Another record was for driving 31,000 miles while traveling at the maximum speed of 153 mph.
The company has also had its hand at some Indy racing as well. In 1994, a Penske-Mercedes IndyCar driven by Al Unser Jr. won the Indianapolis 500. They had found a loophole in the rules which allowed any type of pushrod engine. With this in mind, they produced an amazing pushrod engine that had a significant advantage over the traditional racing engine. That loophole was closed after that race and Mercedes wasn’t allowed to use that engine again.
In 1995, they had six wins during the season, taking home second place with the Drivers’ Championship. This was again at the hands of Al Unser Jr. While they didn’t fare as well in 1996, the next year yielded them eight wins and the Manufacturer’s Championship.
Mercedes-Benz Museum
The Mercedes-Benz Museum is located in Stuttgart, Germany and covers the automobile history of the brand. Its current building is right outside of the Daimler factory’s main gate. It features a cloverleaf concept design that uses three circles which overlap. The center of the building is removed to form a triangular-shaped atrium. This resembles the shape of the Wankel engine.
Completion of the building’s construction occurred in 2006. Between the height of the building and the double-helix style interior, there is 178,000 square-feet of space inside. This design also helps to divide up the museum into specific rooms and collections. There is a total of two different tours that happen within the museum.
Overall, there are more than 160 vehicles on display. Some of these date back to the early days of motor engines. They are all maintained by Mercedes-Benz Classic Center of Fellbach. In 2007 alone, the museum saw 860,000 visitors. In addition to seeing the museum, visitors are also given a chance to view the Untertürkheim engine factory located nearby. This is where many of the diesel engines for Mercedes-Benz are produced.
Mercedes-Benz Financial Services
Mercedes-Benz Financial Services has its headquarters in Roanoke, Texas. Whether you want to own a Mercedes-Benz, purchase a vehicle for your business, start your own dealership, or get assistance with a Mercedes for lease, this company has the resources to help. They are the financial services providers of Daimler AG. They also offer additional services through Daimler Truck Financial.
In addition to financing options, they work hand-in-hand with Liberty Mutual to offer some superior Vehicle Protection products. These include Wheel and Tire Protection, Windshield Protection, Paintless Dent Repair, and Key Protection. You’ll also be able to get Term Protection, Lease Protection, Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP), plus Interior and Exterior Protection. Finally, they offer some additional products for customers looking for commercial vehicle financing.
Daimler Truck Financial (DTF), is an additional business unit of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC. They provide numerous financial and insurance products for their brands, which include: Freightliner, Thomas Built Buses, Western Star, Sprinter, and Mitsubishi Fuso.
The company also supplies dealer financing and additional insurance services through their dealer partners. They help with funding and insuring the vehicle inventory, supporting facility expansion and improvement, plus acquiring new equipment.
Accredited customers or companies may also invest in Mercedes-Benz Financial Services through the Demand Notes. This offers several advantages including a higher rate of return, no minimum duration of investments, and online access to finances.
The company also believes in giving back to the community. They do this through partnerships and volunteer work. In 2016 alone, the employees spent over 8,500 hours volunteering in the Dallas/Fort Worth community. On top of that, each employee is offered one extra day of paid leave each year in order to volunteer somewhere. It can be a cause of their choice and this helps the company to give back further.
Mercedes-Benz Dealership
There are currently over 300 Mercedes-Benz dealerships located in the United States. When you are looking for the best Mercedes-Benz dealership, it makes sense to watch for one that features awards from the company. One of the most prestigious awards they receive is the “Best of the Best.” They are listed as the top performing dealerships based on sales, excellence in operations, service and parts, as well as customer service. Basically, they rise above the other dealerships through their results and achievements.
Another place to look to find a highly rated dealership is through the J.D. Power Dealers of Excellence listing. Currently, only one dealership fits their requirements. It’s located in Boston, Massachusetts and is Mercedes-Benz of Boston.
8 Interesting Facts about Mercedes-Benz
1 – Karl Benz was the first person to have a driver’s license.
2 – The company’s logo stands for air, land, and water, but the company considered adding a fourth point which represented space. They never followed through on their plans.
3 – Karl Benz created the first gas-powered Mercedes car. His fiancée at the time, Bertha, invested the money as part of a marriage law.
4 – Many celebrities have owned the iconic Mercedes-Benz 600. Some of them include Elvis Presley, Fidel Castro, Elizabeth Taylor, John Lennon, Jack Nicholson, Hugh Hefner, Aristotle Onassis, and Coco Chanel.
5 – The motto for the company is “Das Beste oder Nichts.” This means, “the best or nothing.”
6 – An Abu Dhabi billionaire ordered a custom-made Mercedes-Benz featuring gold on the exterior. $2.5 million worth of white gold completed the job which provided enough to cover the entire surface.
7 – The reason that Mercedes-Benz vehicles don’t rattle or squeak has to do with the design. The company welds each vehicle in 10,000 different spots so there aren’t bolts or nuts to worry about.
8 – The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is located in Atlanta, Georgia and features a retractable roof. It’s home to the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta United FC of Major League Soccer. It replaced the Georgia Dome in 2016.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Mercedes Made? Their headquarters are located in Stuttgart, Germany. They have offices located in 93 countries, so there are numerous places throughout the world that they have a manufacturing presence.
Who was the Mercedes-Benz Founder? Mercedes-Benz was originally founded by Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler in 1926, when it was originally known as Daimler-Benz.
What Is Mercedes-Benz Parent Company? Mercedes-Benz, along with Mercedes-Maybach, is part of Daimler AG. Daimler AG also owns a number of other brands, including Detroit Diesel, Thomas Built Buses, and SMART Automobile, to name but a few.
Is Mercedes Reliable? Mercedes-Benz has been either at the top of the pack or near the top when it comes to reliability and customer satisfaction for many years.
Are Mercedes Vehicles Expensive to Maintain? According to YourMechanic.com, the Mercedes-Benz brand is the second most expensive one to maintain over a ten-year period. They did come in $5,000 less than BMW with an average of $12,900 during that ten-year time.
Should I Buy Mercedes Prepaid Maintenance? If you want to protect your investment, it is worth looking into. The Mercedes Prepaid Maintenance covers all your scheduled maintenance services, offering a 30% savings. They even provide some flexible options for new and used vehicles.