Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German luxury automobile, bus, coach, and truck manufacturer whose automobile designs have earned the company a reputation as one of the world’s premier luxury car manufacturers. The company was founded in 1881, making it one of the oldest automobile manufacturers still in existence today. Mercedes-Benz currently operates under the parent company, Daimler AG.
The first Mercedes-Benz automobile was marketed in 1901 by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, twenty-five years before the release of the company’s first brand name vehicles in 1926. In 1936, the Mercedes-Benz released the world’s first diesel production car, the 260 D. 1954 saw the release of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL, which was the first of the famed Mercedes “Gullwing” models and the world’s fastest production car at that time. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class emerged in 1965 as the company’s largest sedan, which is still in production today.
Mercedes-Benz has a long history in the motorsport industry, including entries in the first ever-automobile race, the Paris to Rouen, in 1894. The company has withdrawn from the sport for periods of time, however, most notably following the 1955 Le Mans disaster. In 1987, Mercedes-Benz returned to front line competition in the motorsport industry with its return to Le Mans, Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, and Formula One.
