Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA -- A professional look on Mercedes-Benz Heritage & Innovation

Mercedes-Benz Classic: Fascination 300 SL on Amelia Island

2012-02-24T22:56:00.000+02:00

Some 60 years after its motorsport premiere, the Mercedes‑Benz 300 SL racing car is all set to be the star of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in spring 2012: on 11 March, Mercedes-Benz, sponsor of the high-calibre event in Florida since it was first staged in 1996, is showcasing the 300 SL (model series W 194) which won the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1952. The car, owned by the McCaw family, will form the centrepiece of an extensive collection of Mercedes-Benz racing and production cars being exhibited on the 18th fairway of the Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach.

Alongside the W 194 is the new Mercedes-Benz SL (model series R 231) – the latest addition to the extraordinary family of Mercedes-Benz SL sports cars.

As well as bringing exclusive motor-racing history to the well-tended fairway, the winning car at Le Mans in 1952 is a reminder that the Mercedes-Benz SL has some of its historic roots in the United States. After all, it was down to the efforts of the American importer Maximilian E. Hoffman that Mercedes-Benz transformed the 300 SL racing car into a production sports car (W 198). In this sense, the W 194 is the cornerstone of the “60 years of the SL” anniversary that is being celebrated in 2012.

The programme for the 17th Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance gets underway on 10 March 2012 with the “Mercedes-Benz Gala Dinner” in the Talbot Ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton on Amelia Island. The Concours d’Elegance itself is being staged on 11 March, from 9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., on the 10th and 18th fairways at the Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach. The Automotive Fine Arts Society’s (AFAS) “Show Field” is open at the same time.

Amelia Island is one of the great classic-car meetings

As well as being a major sponsor, Mercedes-Benz has delivered one highlight after another in the shape of some truly outstanding automobiles. In 2011, for example, Mercedes-Benz Classic brought to Amelia Island the 600 Pullman Landaulet, which was built as an exclusive one-off model for the Pope in 1965.

Not only are Mercedes-Benz vehicles some of the most revered at the show, they are also among the most successful. A 540 K Special Roadster model from 1937 won the “Best in Show” title in both 1997 and 2010.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

TRIVIA: 12 March 1952 - Mercedes-Benz 300 SL unveiled

2012-02-22T22:49:00.000+02:00

“Dear editors – The new Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (Super Light) sports car will complete test drives in public for the first time during this week. In light of this occasion, please find enclosed the car’s technical data and a photo.” This was how the company announced the debut of 300 SL (model series W 194) in a press release on 10 March 1952. Two days later, the car was shown to selected journalists on the Stuttgart-Heilbronn motorway, now the A 81. A surviving photo shows a late-winter scene with the sports car that was to become famous. Next to it is a Mercedes‑Benz 300 S (W 188) – a sporty, luxurious touring car that provided some of the technology for the new sports car.The press release at the time also revealed Mercedes-Benz’s plans for the new racing car: “Three ‘300 SL’ models have now been registered for ‘Mille Miglia’, the famous Italian road race taking place on 3/4 May 1952, with the drivers Caracciola, Lang and Kling at the wheel. Rudolf Caracciola has already won this race once – driving a Mercedes-Benz SSKL in 1931.”

A total of ten W 194 models were built for the 1952 racing season. They proved to be extremely successful: second and fourth places in Mille Miglia, the top three places in the Berne Grand Prix for sports cars, the top two places in the Le Mans 24 Hours, and the top four places in the Jubilee Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. The last great adventure of the season was participation in the 3rd Carrera Panamericana in Mexico – a gruelling long-distance race over 3111 kilometres, lasting five days with eight stages. Here the cars piloted by Karl Kling/Hans Klenk and Hermann Lang /Erwin Grupp were the first to cross the finish line in November 1952, securing a legendary double success for Mercedes-Benz.

These motor-racing successes not only signalled Mercedes-Benz’s return to motorsport, they also enabled the tradition-steeped brand to fully recapture the allure it enjoyed before World War II, as the 300 SL made its debut not that long after the war’s end. In Germany and large parts of Europe, ruins were still very much part of the everyday landscape. The world’s economies were recovering, but the aftermath of the years 1939 to 1945 was still very palpable. It was at this time that Mercedes-Benz introduced the 300 SL racing car – its legendary victories regaining the brand world-wide recognition.

Not least in the USA, where the resident Mercedes-Benz importer Max Hoffman called for a suitable production sports car to enable customers to experience the recently established SL legend for themselves. In February 1954, the 300 SL (W 198) “gull-wing” model was unveiled at the International Motor Sports Show in New York and quickly became an automotive icon. At the same time, the 190 SL (W 121) model, which went into production in 1955, premiered as the racing version’s more practical and affordable counterpart. These two models laid the foundations for the tradition of SL production sports cars, which is being continued in 2012 with the R 231 model series.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

TRIVIA: Mercedes-Benz Champions in the Museo Mille Miglia

2012-02-14T22:19:00.000+02:00

“Mille Miglia” stands for the fascinating history of motor racing legends. Again and again, the famous racing sports cars from Mercedes-Benz and their drivers have reached new heights in this legendary Italian thousand-mile race. This is now being marked by the “Mercedes-Benz Champions at Mille Miglia” exhibition at the Museo Mille Miglia in Brescia. This event is the first highlight of the strategic cooperation between Daimler and the Museum in Italy, which was concluded in February 2012. “Mercedes-Benz Champions at the Mille Miglia” will open its doors on 15 February, and can be seen until this year's 2012 Mille Miglia (16 to 20 May 2012).

The stars of the exhibition are automative gems from the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection which have contributed to the history of the Mille Miglia. These racing sports cars and other exhibits bring this history to life, major highlights being the overall victories by Rudolf Caracciola in 1931 and Stirling Moss in 1955. The history of this event carried out from 1927 to 1957 also includes several class victories and excellent placings for Mercedes-Benz. These successes give the Stuttgart-based brand an exceptional status in the history of the Mille Miglia. For one thing, no other non-Italian car brand has ever managed to win this road race from Brescia to Rome and back.

From the SSK to the 300 SLR

The Mille Miglia was three years old in 1930, when Rudolf Caracciola and his co-driver Christian Werner left the starting line for the “Thousand Miles” in their Mercedes-Benz SSK. On this first attempt Caracciola achieved the class victory for cars with a cubic capacity of up to 8 litres, reaching sixth place overall with an average speed of 92.8 km/h. In the following year he returned to Brescia to drive for Mercedes-Benz, this time at the wheel of a Model SSKL, a weight-reduced version of the SSK designed for road and mountain races. Caracciola duly won an overall victory in the racing sports car, whose supercharged six-cylinder engine developed 300 hp (221 kW) from a displacement of 7065 cubic centimetres. As a German national accompanied by co-pilot Wilhelm Sebastian, Caracciola was the first non-Italian to win the Mille Miglia.

Building on its success during the era of large, supercharged Mille Miglia cars, Mercedes-Benz entered a new generation of racing sports cars in the race during the 1950s: in 1952 Karl Kling took second place in the new Model 300 SL from the W 194 series, with Rudolf Caracciola in fourth place. Kling was the fastest driver to cover the route from Brescia to Rome, and received the “Sportman of the Year” award in that year. Three years later, in 1955, Mercedes-Benz almost completely dominated the Mille Miglia. Stirling Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson won an overall victory in the 300 SLR (W 196 S) racing sports car, whose 2982 cc eight-cylinder engine developed up to 310 hp (228 kW). The 157.65 km/h average speed achieved by Moss is the best ever achieved in the history of this road pace. Juan Manuel Fangio, who embarked on the “Thousand Miles” with no co-driver, was the second to cross the finishing line.

In 1955 John Cooper Fitch with co-pilot Kurt Gesell also won the class victory for GT cars above 1300 cc cubic capacity in a standard 300 SL sports car (W 198 I), and in the diesel class victory went to Helmut Retter and Wolfgang Larcher in a Mercedes-Benz 180 D (W 120). That season also saw the debut of the new Mercedes-Benz racing car transporter, which was created on the basis of the 300 SL for the purpose of rapidly transporting a racing car from the factory to the racetrack when required.

The “Mercedes-Benz Champions at the Mille Miglia” exhibition provides a particularly wide view of the motor sports world in the mid-20th Century. It repeatedly becomes clear that the champions are not just the drivers who are the first to cross the finishing line. Instead the winners are a large team using the innovative strength and performance of the entire company, a company whose origins go back to the independent invention of the automobile by Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler in 1886.

Tradition of the Mille Miglia viewed in a historical setting

The Museo Mille Miglia (Museo Mille Miglia) is where the fascination of this legendary road race can be experienced throughout the year. For this reason Daimler has embarked on a strategic cooperation with the Museum in Brescia. One major aim is to emphasise and strengthen the aspects held in common by the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart and the Museo Mille Miglia.

Opened in 2004, the Museo Mille Miglia is located in the historic Sant’Eufemia della Fonte monastery complex outside the gates of Brescia. The former Benedictine monastery was founded by Landolfo, Bishop of Brescia, in the year 1008. The monastery having been moved inside the city in the 15th Century, the historic buildings were first used as warehouses, then as a hospital. In 1997 the decision was taken to create the Museo Mille Miglia in this highly evocative location just under 20 kilometres from the shores of Lake Garda.

The focus of the permanent exhibition, which is divided into nine periods, is on the road race itself. However, the Museum also reflects the national, social and cultural history of Italy using the example of the regions traversed by the race in the course of time. Here the emphasis is on the period between 1927 and 1957, to which seven sections are devoted. There is also one section each covering the Mille Miglia from 1958 to 1961, and the present event for classic cars which was first held in 1977.

Special exhibitions such as “Mercedes-Benz Champions at the Mille Miglia” are devoted to individual, celebratory perspectives during which a dialogue also develops with the permanent exhibition. The exhibition opening in February provides a complete, panoramic view of the exciting motors sports history written by the racing sports cars of Mercedes-Benz at the Mille Miglia. Accordingly a visit to “Mercedes-Benz Champions at the Mille Miglia” will be one of the highlights of the programme for both the participants and spectators at this year's race from Brescia to Rome and back.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

TRIVIA: Luxurious premium class - Mercedes-Benz 300 SE Coupé and Cabriolet (W 112, 1962 to 1967)

2012-02-13T11:12:00.000+02:00

The premiere that was celebrated for two luxurious premium-class cars from 15 to 25 March 1962 at the 32nd Geneva Motor Show was a brilliant one: Mercedes-Benz presented the 300 SE Coupé and the 300 SE Cabriolet of the W 112 series. Because both these two-door four-seater cars were the result of the consistent combination of technical brilliance, impressive performance and very high standards of style and elegance.

In terms of their style, both coupé and cabriolet were based on the respective variants of the 220 SE (W 111). The full-length floor unit was adopted from the tailfin saloon, underscoring the stately presence of both two-door vehicles with their 2.75-metre wheelbase and overall length of 4.88 metres.

However, the new models did feature trim elements in addition to those of the 2.2-litre-engine model, as well as being equipped with engine and technology of the 300 SE saloon. Initially, the M 189 IV straight-six cylinder light-metal engine delivered 160 bhp (118 kW) at 5000 rpm, having an increased output of 170 bhp (125 kW) at 5400 rpm from 1964 onwards. Depending on the rear-axle ratio and the engine installed, coupé and cabriolet could reach top speeds of between 175 km/h and 195 km/h.

The vehicles’ standard equipment included a four-speed automatic transmission, power steering, pneumatic suspension and a dual-circuit brake system with disc brakes on front and rear wheels. The additional chrome decoration consisted of a continuous trim strip in the longitudinal groove running from the headlamps to the tail lights, and distinctive trim strips on the front and rear wheel arches.

Coupé culture and cabriolet fascination in their purest form

The two new models not only represented the summit of their model series in March 1962. They also set the general standards for two highly exclusive bodywork forms behind each of which a particular interpretation of the fascination for cars stood: the premium-class coupé and the cabriolet.

Driving a luxury-class coupé is an expression of automotive culture that is as exclusive as it is elegant: the two-door, closed touring car combined flowing forms and sporty ambience with powerful drive systems and fine appointments.

The luxury-class cabriolet, on the other hand, open to the sky, breaks down the boundary between passenger compartment and its surroundings. In particular with the top drawn back, this type of vehicle combines originality of automotive travel with distinguished yet sporty motoring. In addition, the sturdy convertible top offers the protection of a coupé if wished.

Luxury-class coupés and cabriolets from Mercedes-Benz realize these special values in an exemplary manner over and over again, for which reason the brand and model culture of Mercedes-Benz has given proof of understanding and appreciation for both vehicle concepts through a large number of models.

Luxury coupés and cabriolets of the Stuttgart-based brand are not just grounded in this great tradition, they always look towards the future as well. In the 1962 300 SE Coupé and 300 SE Cabriolet this particular aspiration found its expression in consonance with its time. This was understood by “auto, motor und sport” magazine in its 7/1962 issue, that hailed the two new 112/3-series cars as the “non-plus-ultra of modern automotive construction”.

Closely related to the “tailfin”, yet independent

For all their technical and stylistic affinity with the saloon, the two-door vehicles were convincing original, independent vehicle designs. Thus Mercedes-Benz did not use a single central body-in-white part from the four-door model for the coupé and cabriolet. And for the design the developers explored their own paths, for instance, the saloon’s tailfins were merely suggested in the coupé and the cabriolet.

On the other hand, the two-door vehicles were closely related to each other: except for the missing roof and the necessary bodywork reinforcements the cabriolet was similar to the coupé in all details. The coupé even offered the potential for further models, as shown by a modified version of a 300 SE Coupé in 1962: for this singular vehicle the Mercedes-Benz research department removed the rear roof edging together with the rear window and installed a retractable folding top, creating a particularly exclusive landaulet (landau). However, this version was never produced in series.

The two 3-litre models were modified in many details in the course of their construction period. For example, from March 1963 a 4-speed manual transmission became available for the 300 SE Coupé and Cabriolet. And January 1964 brought the replacement of the injection system by a 6-plunger injection pump, which increased the engine’s output by 10 bjp (7 kW) to 170 bhp (125 kW).

Already a timeless classic during the time of its manufacture

The luxury-class coupés and cabriolets from Mercedes-Benz already revealed themselves as classics in the 1960s. In the summer of 1965 the W 111 and W 112 “tailfin” saloons were superseded by model series W 108, and only the 230 S model, created by reworking model 220 Sb, continued to be built until 1968, among other things as the 230 S Universal estate saloon. The coupés and cabriolets, on the other hand, remained in the programme: these exclusive two-door cars appeared fresh and elegant, in no way outdated, even when standing next to the saloons of the more recent generation. For the two-door models there were, however, alterations in some details, based on the engineering of the new saloons. In the case of the 300 SE, these included, for example, larger-dimensioned disc brakes and 14-inch wheels.

Production of the 300 SE Coupé and 300 SE Cabriolet was discontinued in December 1967. In September 1969 280 SE 3.5 series Coupé and Cabriolet were ready as their worthy successors, powered by an entirely re-engineered 3.5-litre V8 engine delivering 200 bhp (147 kW). With a total of just 708 units produced, the open version of the 300 SE is the most exclusive variant of all Mercedes-Benz coupés and cabriolets of this luxury class, while 2419 units of the 300 SE series coupé were built from 1962 to 1967.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

TRIVIA: Fresh and modern - Mercedes-Benz coupés of the C 124 series

2012-02-12T15:21:00.000+02:00

Sporty-elegant, two-door and with seductively modern lines: this is how the new Mercedes-Benz upper medium-class coupé presented itself at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1987. Model series C 124, which was to be designated “E-Class Coupé” from 1993 onwards, was – after the saloon and the estate – the third body variant of the 124 series. The A 124 Cabriolet, based on the coupé, was to follow only in 1991.

Today, the C 124 series presents itself just as fresh and modern as it once did in Geneva, which is why the four-seater, two-door touring car has long since become a coveted Young Classic. Mercedes-Benz understands the significance of this particularly vibrant fascination and is thus especially committed to fostering this still recent automotive history. That’s why, for instance, the C 124 was present at the stand of Mercedes-Benz Classic at the “Retro Classic” trade fair in March 2011 as a sale car.

The tradition of upper intermediate class coupés

The C 124 series stands in the living tradition of four-seater intermediate-class coupés from Mercedes-Benz. The exclusive coupé coachwork design originally established itself in the upper-range and luxury vehicle segments in particular. However, since the 1960s, an attractive range of two-door, four-seater touring cars based on the corresponding upper-intermediate-class cars has thrilled the aficionados of this exclusive body format.

The W 114 series coupés (“Stroke/eight” series, 1968 to 1976) made the start, and was then followed by the C 123 series (1977 to 1985). Exactly ten years after the début of the C 123 series, the third generation of intermediate range coupés from Stuttgart was launched, having been awaited with great expectation by the automotive public.

As they had done with its predecessors, the engineers and designers took the saloon as their technical foundation, basing the design of the coupé on that of the four-door vehicle. At a glance, though, the C 124 series reveals itself as a vehicle in its own right – as a sporty, elegant, individual interpretation of the 124 model series.

For the coupé the floor plan was shortened, the wheelbase reduced by 85 millimetres, all of which underscored the compact-sporty lines of the coupé. Sides, roof and rear were also redesigned, so that only the front end of the saloon was retained basically unchanged.

Elegance without compromise

Even though the coupé design required significant interventions and modifications to the body of the four-door vehicle, the C 124 series made absolutely no compromises in terms of passive safety standards: for instance, reinforced A-pillars, side sills and doors as well as a particularly high proportion of high-strength sheet steel compensated for the absence of the B-pillars. The engineers broke new ground when designing the end section of the roof: they extended the interior panelling of the roof slightly over the rear window, which benefited both the safety and the comfort of the rear seat passengers.

A characteristic design element underscoring the independence of the coupé design compared with the other body variants of the series were the rub strips combined with integral side skirts. Between the wheel cut-outs, at bumper level, they created an optical link between front apron and rear apron and, like these, were painted in contrasting metallic colours.

Where the engineering was concerned, Mercedes-Benz consistently applied a modular principle, so that the coupés adopted from the saloon unchanged the independent multi-link rear suspension and their shock absorber strut independent front suspension as well as the braking system. The model range initially comprised models 230 CE (97 kW/132 bhp) and 300 CE (132 kW/180 bhp), whose engines were those of the corresponding saloon model. Both units featured a regulated exhaust gas aftertreatment system with three-way catalytic converter.

Together with all the other variants of the 124 series, as from September 1988 the coupés were equipped with extended standard equipment, now including a heated, electrically adjustable nearside exterior mirror and a windscreen washer system with heated washer fluid reservoir, nozzles and hoses. The ABS Anti-lock Brake System, with which all the 124 series were equipped as standard, was already standard equipment in the 300 CE from the outset and in the 230 CE from February 1988 onwards.

In September 1989 Mercedes-Benz presented a fully revised upper medium class model programme at the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA). The refinements focused on changes to the styling of the bodywork and redesign of the interior, while on the outside the Coupés presented themselves practically unchanged since they had been equipped from the start with the side rub strips which were the most conspicuous feature of the facelifted 124 model series, and in a way represented the model for the revamping of the other body variants.

The vehicle flanks were now optically upgraded with fine polished stainless steel trim strips that continued along the top of the front and rear aprons. These were complemented by chrome-plated trim elements on the door handles and modified wheel hub caps. The interior featured improved front and rear seats as well as numerous improvements to details.

Together with the facelift Mercedes-Benz presented a new coupé variant: the 300 CE-24, powered by the 162 kW (220 bhp) 3.0-litre four-valve engine of the 300 SL-24 sports car. The 300 CE-24 became the new flagship model of the intermediate class coupés. Its equipment included light-alloy wheels, power windows, leather-clad steering wheel and shift lever knob, burr walnut wood trim and courtesy lights in the doors. From June 1990 the coupé was produced with the tried-and-tested 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine: the 200 CE (90 kW/122 bhp), which was exclusively reserved for export to Italy, later to Greece and Portugal as well.

In September 1992 Mercedes-Benz presented a revised model range for model series 124. The entire engine range of the coupé models was converted to four-valve technology. The new engines were distinguished by increased output and higher torque over the entire engine speed range while featuring lower fuel consumption. With the introduction of the new engines the model designations changed: the 230 CE became the 220 CE (110 kW/150 bhp); the 200 CE export model (now 100 kW/136 bhp), which was also equipped with the four-valve-per-cylinder engine, was able to retain its name because its displacement remained virtually identical. The six-cylinder models, the 300 CE and 300 CE-24, were replaced by the 320 CE (162 kW/220 bhp), whose 3.2-litre four-valve engine had been providing good service in the S-Class for the previous one-and-a-half years.

Apart from the new engine range, the facelift included significantly upgraded standard equipment and appointments with driver airbag and electrically adjustable exterior mirrors on either side. Central locking and a 5-speed transmission, which were included in the basic equipment of the saloon and estate at this time, had been standard equipment items in the coupés from the very start of their production.

In June 1993 all series 124 models were stylistically revised, the most striking feature of the modified vehicles being the radiator grille and the light units with colourless glass covers for the front turn indicators and bichromatic covers for the tail lights. In addition, the wheels were fitted with new hub caps with a six-hole design, and the protective mouldings on the bumpers were now painted the same colour as the other detachable parts.

In June 1993 a new nomenclature came into effect for the intermediate class, too, which was now called the “E-Class” for the first time. According to this new system the two-door cars of the 124 series were now called the E 220 Coupé and E 320 Coupé.

For the coupé aficionado with sporting ambitions the E 36 AMG, a particularly powerful variant with a 200 kW (272 bhp), 3.6-litre four-valve engine from AMG was available from September 1993. With discreetly enlarged chassis fairings, the new flagship coupé of the 124 series also contrasted stylistically with its less dynamic sister models. In December 1994 the E 200 Coupé, delivering 100 kW (136 bhp) and which had previously been built exclusively for export to Italy, Greece and Portugal, was incorporated into the general product range.

Production of the 124-series E-Class coupés came to an end in March 1996, nine years after their debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The most sold in that time was the 300 CE, bought by exactly 43,486 customers between 1987 and 1992. In all, 141,498 units were produced in Sindelfingen, around 40 percent more than previous model of the C 123 series. While the CLK-Coupé of model series C 208 continued in the tradition of the upper-intermediate class two-door touring car, the C 124 series E-Class coupés quickly established themselves as popular, coveted Young Classics.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

TRIVIA: On the road in style - the Mercedes-Benz Type 320 (W 142, 1937 to 1942)

2012-01-24T12:58:00.000+02:00

The Mercedes-Benz Type 320 (W 142 series) celebrated its premiere at the International Automobile and Motorcycle Exhibition (IAMA) in Berlin in February 1937. With it, the brand closed a gap in the market between medium-sized vehicles and vehicles of the largest format. At least, this is what the renowned “Allgemeine Automobil-Zeitung” (AAZ or “General Automotive Magazine”) felt upon the presentation of the new 3.2-litre motor car. With this model Mercedes-Benz broke new ground in this particular vehicle class, which in those days was characterised by extreme competitiveness. Its traditional strong rivals were Horch with its 930 V and 830 BL models, Opel with the newly presented Admiral model and Ford with its 3.6-litre V8.

Initially, Mercedes-Benz offered two wheelbases. For the short-wheelbase versions – 2880 millimetres – the following bodies were available:

Chassis 6,500.00 RM
Cabriolet A 11,800.00 RM
Combination coupé with removable roof 12,300.00 RM

However, the version with a regular chassis and a wheelbase of 3300 millimetres was the one that found the greater acceptance with customers. The following bodies were available for this variant:

Saloon with 4 doors & 4 windows 8,950.00 RM
Cabriolet B with 2 doors & 4 windows 9,800.00 RM
Cabriolet D with 4 doors & 4 windows 10,400.00 RM
Pullman saloon with 4 doors & 6 windows 9,800.00 RM
Cabriolet F with 4 doors & 6 windows 12,500.00 RM
Open touring car with 4 doors & 6 windows 9,900.00 RM
Cabriolet A with 2 doors & 2 windows 13,500.00 RM
Roadster with 2 doors & 2 windows (only 1937) 13,500.00 RM
Streamline saloon (until 1938) 14,500.00 RM
Chassis 6,800.00 RM

The Mercedes-Benz 320 was a further development of the 290 model (W 18), which was offered from 1933 to 1936. Its M 18 engine delivered a modest output of 68 bhp (50 kW), which only permitted a moderate driving performance. When the engine was re-worked for the car’s successor, the focus was on achieving a high level of handling comfort and a significantly greater engine output, without however abandoning the concept of the vertical valve, 6-cylinder pushrod engine.

In order to boost the engine’s output, the Untertürkheim engine designers under the direction of Albert Heeß made use of well-known methods. By increasing the cylinder bore from 78 to 82.5 millimetres, the engine’s displacement was increased from 2.9 to 3.2 litres. Its smooth running characteristics were further enhanced by adding 12 counterweights to the crankshaft – a measure that was resoundingly successful. Another step taken towards increasing output was the change from a simple updraught carburettor to a dual downdraught carburettor. Thanks to all these modifications, the engine’s output was raised to 78 bhp (57 kW). The downdraught carburettor additionally led to a more spontaneous throttle response when accelerating.

With the transition from model series W 18 to model series W 142 the four-speed transmissions used until then were also abandoned. These were in actual fact three-speed transmission systems with overdrive, and were replaced by fully-synchronised four-speed transmission systems with a direct-ratio fourth gear – a transmission that found general acceptance and praise in contemporary opinion because of its gearshifting comfort.

The suspension was taken from the W 18 and re-adapted. The front axle featured special independent wheel suspension, with a transversal leaf spring underneath. At top the wheel was attached to a suspension arm that rested on a helical spring on the inside. The rear dual-joint swing axle had two helical springs on each side, one behind the other. The two compensating springs under the differential in model 290 were no longer featured by the 320 model. Dual-action hydraulic lever-type shock absorbers were installed on both front and rear axles. Both the driving comfort and the handling safety were highly praised by contemporary testers, at a time when many competitors were still using rigid front and rear axles. The box-type frame with cross-beams was in line with the standard designs of the time.

Mercedes-Benz offered a great variety of vehicle bodies on the occasion of the premiere of model 320, whose short-wheelbase version was designated Type 320 n. One particularity was the so-called combination coupé that could be built up on it: a cabriolet with an early example of a removable hardtop. However, only one roof version could be used at a time, while the other had to remain in the garage. Type 320 n was designed as a short, sporty-elegant variant of the model series, in a similar manner to the Mannheim 370 S six years before. In spite of its very handsome bodies, the 320 N did not fulfil the expectations set in it, for between 1937 and 1938 only 19 units were built in the Untertürkheim factory. On the price list of February 1939 it no longer appeared. A strengthened chassis with the same dimensions was used as the basis to build 202 “Kuebelwagen” jeeps for the German Army in 1938.

The long-wheelbase version, on the other hand, did meet with success. The four-door saloon and the “B” and “D” cabriolets had boots accessible from the outside, whereas in the Cabriolet A, the combination coupé and the roadster the luggage spaces could be accessed from inside. The Pullman saloon, the Cabriolet F and the open touring car had no boot at all. Luggage was carried on a folding luggage rack. Special containers for luggage, available as optional extras, could be mounted on the luggage rack.

The response to the Type 320 was overwhelmingly positive. It was deemed a comfortable, convenient and safe touring car enabling long-distance travel without fatigue. A particularly interesting assessment came from the strongest competitor, Horch, whose sales management had acquired a Mercedes-Benz Type 320 and a Maybach SW 38 for study purposes in late 1937. The sales management reached the following verdict concerning the model 320: “Advantages of the 3.2 DB Sport Cabriolet over our 930 V sports cabriolet: the engine of the 3.2 l DB acquires a remarkable smoothness after only a few kilometres. Apart from this, the gear changes when accelerating are very elastic and energetic in every gear, so that the general impression is created that the DB unit will be superior to our 3.5-litre machine up to a speed of around 60 km/h. We reckon that the top output of both engines is the same. When running in idle, the DB engine is considerably better than ours, for it runs absolutely silently. Furthermore, the clutch pedal is significantly easier to operate. As for the body, the main advantage compared with our sports cabriolet is that the Daimler-Benz motor car allows all the windows to be pulled down completely. Sealing of the two rear front panes appears to be more rustic, but is better than ours. The upholstery on both the front and rear seats has been solved extremely skilfully, so that one sits perfectly firmly. Disadvantages: the cabriolet has small, badly fashioned trunks and no luggage rack. Mudguards are cheap. Nor is the paint finish of the same quality as ours. Moreover, the front seats are narrower than ours. The petrol tank cover beneath the mudguard is impractical. There is no oil thermometer. The metal upright between the two panes in the divided windscreen is too wide.”

The Mercedes-Benz 320 (W 142 series) with a 3.4-litre engine

At the IAMA in February 1939, Mercedes-Benz presented a revised version of the 320 model. Although no particular emphasis had been placed on the fact, the car was already available with the larger engine from the autumn of 1938. The background was the increasingly inferior fuel quality with lower octane numbers, something that began to be felt in 1938. Other manufacturers, such as Maybach and Horch, were also forced to take similar measures in order to maintain engine output levels.

The cylinder bore was increased to 85 millimetres, so that a displacement of 3405 cubic centimetres was now available. Output and torque values remained unchanged.

The innovation this engine presented consisted in an additional high-speed gearbox from ZF (Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen), called the “ZF high speed box”. This gearbox, which could be connected by means of a separate lever to any of the gears, reduced the rev speed by 26 per cent and was mainly intended for long motorway journeys in order to reduce the rev speed and consequently fuel consumption.

Apart from streamline saloon and the roadster, no longer offered, the most conspicuous innovation in the new model was the integrated boot in the Pullman Saloon – something that was not only an objective improvement but an advance in terms of design as well.

The last Mercedes-Benz Type 320s were built in 1942 at the Untertürkheim and Mannheim plants. Between 1937 and 1942 a total of 6861 vehicles were made, 1764 of which were bucket seat vehicles for the German Army.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Classic at Rétromobile 2012: A meeting of the Le Mans winners

2012-01-24T12:39:00.003+02:00

At the 2012 Rétromobile, Mercedes-Benz Classic commemorates a very special victory this year: 60 years ago the legendary 24-hour Le Mans race ended with a spectacular double victory, achieved with 300 SL (W 194 series) racing cars. The impressive racing successes of the “gullwing” became the basis for the worldwide fascination for the SL model series from Mercedes-Benz which has continued undiminished to the present day. The trade fair presentation is organised in coordination with Mercedes-Benz France.

“At the Rétromobile in Paris we are showing three original vehicles from our collection, cars that achieved success at Le Mans” says Michael Bock, head of Mercedes-Benz Classic and manager of Mercedes-Benz Museum GmbH. “The race is one of the most gruelling in the world. Winning the race was a great distinction.” Next to an original 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 194 series), the brand is showing a 1931model SSK and a Sauber-Mercedes C9 from 1989 at its 400-square metre fair stand in Hall 3.

Famous vehicles at the Rétromobile

300 SL – that was the designation of the competition vehicle with which in 1952 Mercedes-Benz returned to international motor sports for the first time since WW II. The development of the 300 SL can be traced back to the year 1950: the engineers pushed forward the development of the new racing car, some of whose components came from the Mercedes-Benz 300 representative saloon, the so-called “Adenauer Mercedes”. In June 1951 the Board decided to renew participation in racing sports, starting in 1952, and commissioned the construction of the 300 SL. The letters in its designation stand for “Super Light”.

In 1952 the Hermann Lang/Fritz Rieß team won the 20th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in their Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 194 series), ahead of Theo Helfrich and Helmut Niedermayr. The entire 1952 racing season was exceptionally successful for Mercedes-Benz. The other racing results reaped by the 300 SL that year: second and fourth places in the Mille Miglia rally, a triple victory at the Bern Sports Car Grand Prix, a fourfold triumph at the Great Jubilee prize at Nürburgring and a double victory in the third Carrera Panamericana in Mexico. Thus, the brand made its comeback to motor sports – and through the publicity effect generated, to the international markets – with a mighty fanfare.

The 300 SL (W 194 series) on show at the Rétromobile 2012 is an original vehicle with chassis number 06. In all, 10 racing vehicles were made. The first 300 SL, the premiere car from 1952, no longer exists; it remained in company ownership and was eventually scrapped. The second car still exists and was painstakingly restored at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Fellbach in 2011. It is the oldest extant SL and, together with two other W 194s, belongs to the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection.

Racing sports as a driving force of innovation

The other Mercedes-Benz vehicles on exhibition at the Rétromobile 2012 underscore the innovation capacity of the brand as well as its competitive zest: the silver-coloured 1989 Sauber-Mercedes C9 was specially developed for the Group C series. Because, after more than 30 years’ abstinence from racing, Mercedes-Benz officially resumed its position at the starting line in 1988. Under the carbon-aramide-fibre reinforced synthetic bodywork, throbbed the heart of the featherweight 870 kilo Sauber-Mercedes C9: a water-cooled V8 engine delivering 720 bhp (520 kW). The 24-hour race that took place at Le Mans on 10-11 June 1989 was won by Mercedes drivers Jochen Mass/Manuel Reuter/Stanley Dickens and Mauro Baldi/Kenny Acheson/Gianfranco Brancatelli with a double victory – 37 years after the first– and until then, only – victory on that legendary racetrack.

The Mercedes-Benz SSK also on show at the Rétromobile 2012 is considered the summit of a six-cylinder series which debuted in the 1920s, in the times of the DMG (Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft or Daimler Engine Company). For many years the S, SS, SSK models and the lightweight variant SSKL dominated international racing – often with Rudolf Caracciola at the wheel. On 13 and 14 June 1931 the duo Boris Iwanowski/Henri Stoffel drove the fastest lap at Le Mans, 7 : 03 minutes (139.2 km/h), going on to reach the second place in the overall result of the 24-hour race.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

The corporate history of Daimler AG: The stories

2011-09-11T21:32:00.002+03:00

The corporate history of Daimler AG: Subsidiaries and brands

2011-09-11T21:15:00.003+03:00

Daimler AG is a multi-layered company that operates in the market with several subsidiaries and brands with global reputation that are divided into corporate divisions.

Classical brand: Mercedes-Benz

The Mercedes-Benz brand came into being in 1926 as a result of the merger of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and Benz & Cie.

The first vehicles were sold by the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG), which had been founded in 1890, but not under the name Mercedes. This brand name only came into being around the turn of the century, when the businessman Emil Jellinek, who starting dealing in Daimler vehicles in 1898, took part in the Nice Race Week in 1899 under the pseudonym Mercedes. This was based on the name of his daughter Mercédès Adrienne Manuela Ramona Jellinek. The driver’s name became known in connection with DMG, and in 1900 Jellinek signed an agreement on the development of a new, powerful engine model for the ‘Daimler-Mercedes’ – the first time the name Mercedes had been used as a product name.

Following the racing success of several of these ‘Mercedes’ vehicles in 1901, the name became so well known that DMG had it protected as a brand name in 1902. On 24 June 1909, the company applied for protection of the familiar Mercedes star as a registered design. And on 6 August 1909 Benz & Cie gained legal protection of the logo ‘Benz’ surrounded by a laurel wreath.

Looking back, the fact that both manufacturers registered their new brand logo in the summer of 1909 has a certain symmetry with the year 1886, when Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, without being aware of each other, both invented an automobile powered by a high-speed combustion engine. 23 years on, the two – still competing – companies each set an example by creating new logos for their respective vehicles.

Finally, on 18 February 1925, the two brands registered a new joint logo – the Daimler Mercedes star inside the Benz laurel wreath. It was a highly symbolic act that foreshadowed the merger that would come into effect on 28 June 1926. Over the decades, the world-famous symbol has changed little and to this day can be found on all Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The ‘good star’ – which as part of a design development since mid-2010 has taken the form of a three-dimensional chrome star – identifies the world’s highest value automobile brand and has become a symbol of quality and safety on the roads. Mercedes-Benz has always stood for tradition and innovation, for the future of the automobile – in other words for ‘The best or nothing’, as the brand campaign launched in mid-2010 puts it.

Incidentally, the term ‘Daimler’ used in some parts of the world to refer to a
Mercedes-Benz vehicle is not correct: Gottlieb Daimler sold the rights to the name ‘Daimler’ for automobiles. That is why, since 1907, Daimlers have been manufactured in Coventry, UK, by the Daimler Motor Company. Since 1960, they have been identical to Jaguars. Currently, having acquired Jaguar in 2008, Tata Motors possesses the rights to the Daimler brand. In 2007, DaimlerChrysler AG acquired the rights to use the Daimler name from Ford, at the time the owner of the Jaguar and Daimler brands, so that the company could rename itself Daimler AG.

In the crisis year of 2009, the Mercedes-Benz brand sold just under 975,000 vehicles, some 150,000 fewer than in 2008. But not least, the launch of the E-Class (212-model series) in 2009 enabled the company to look forward, with justification, to better results in 2010: in the first six months of the year Mercedes-Benz sold 15 per cent more passenger cars (556,700) than during the corresponding period in 2009.

2010 also saw Mercedes-Benz post the best figures for June in the company’s history: global sales of 113,300 units represented an increase of 13 per cent. This meant that in June 2010, sales increased by a double figure percentage for the eighth time in succession. The main growth drivers are currently the E-Class and S-Class, and developments are particularly positive in the two major overseas markets – the USA and China.

The Mercedes-Benz brand is now responsible for about half the sales revenues of Daimler AG, and – logically enough – Dieter Zetsche is not only chairman of the Daimler Board of Management was also, as head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, responsible for the future of this traditional brand.

Leading-edge innovation: smart

Just how leading-edge the research carried out at Daimler AG is can be seen from the example of the company’s smallest car – the smart. The beginnings of this vehicle, which is designed to meet all the mobility requirements of the industrial nations, date back almost 40 years: in the early 1970s, Mercedes-Benz began work on a study of the future of the automobile in the year 2000. One of Mercedes-Benz’s greatest assets is its forward-looking research and development – or more precisely, the creative minds working in and for the company who use their extensive knowledge of future transport developments, an eye for trends and a good deal of imagination in their work.

The project to develop a special type of compact car was born of the oil crisis, which had even led to the introduction of driving bans in Eurosope. It was this experience and an assessment of future trends in traffic growth that made the engineers and designers in the Mercedes-Benz project team realise the need to develop a particularly low-consumption, environmentally friendly and compact vehicle for the urban centres of the future – but without making any concessions in terms of drive comfort and safety. In 1981, nine years later, the NAFA (short distance vehicle) study was presented. Based on the original idea from 1972, the vehicle represented a response to the problems of crowded streets, scarce parking places and long tailbacks. After going through countless design studies on paper and in modelling clay, a functioning 1:1 prototype was finally built. New features included the lightweight construction with a high degree of rigidity, the vehicle’s dimensions – 2.5 m long, 1.5 m wide and high – and the fact that it weighed in at a mere 550 kg. Ideas developed for the NAFA would be incorporated in the four-seater A-Class and the two-seater smart.

With the MCC (Mercedes City Car), as it was called during the development phase, the team solved one of the biggest challenges in Mercedes-Benz vehicle development: how to design a micro-compact electric vehicle a mere 2.5 m in length that had all the virtues and qualities of a genuine Mercedes-Benz, including passenger protection and a full range of innovations. The basic problem of how to get the City Car to comply with the high Mercedes-Benz crash safety standards was solved with a unique safety construction – later patented – developed in conjunction with the Sindelfingen safety specialist Karl-Heinz Baumann.

The company smart was set up in 1994 under the title of Micro Compact Car AG in Biel, Switzerland, as a joint subsidiary of Daimler-Benz, SMH SA (Société Suisse de Microélectronique et d’Horlogerie) and Swiss entrepreneurs Nicolas G. Hayek – inventor of the Swatch watch. During the development of the smart fortwo, which at the time was still called the ‘City Coupé’, Hayek left the project and on 1 November sold his share to Daimler-Benz. In September 2002, Micro Compact Car Smart GmbH was renamed smart GmbH. The administrative headquarters of smart were in Böblingen, and production was in Hambach, France, near the border with the Saarland, and for a while in Born in the Netherlands. On 1 October 2006 the workforce was integrated into the Stuttgart company, and smart GmbH was disbanded on 31 December 2006.

The two-seater became increasingly popular, and by 2008, a mere 10 years later, the one million threshhold for annual production was reached. During the course of 2009 the smart fortwo was also launched in China, Brazil, Denmark, and Serbia, bringing to 41 the number of countries all over the world in which it is sold. In September 2008, the second-generation smart fortwo electric drive was introduced, and since late 2009, a small series of the electric car has been equipped with an innovative lithium-ion battery.

Automobile luxury has a name: Maybach

The product strategy developed in Stuttgart aimed not only to satisfy the new austerity but also the need for luxury: at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show Mercedes-Benz presented its study for a chauffeurs-driven Maybach limousine that offered all the luxury imaginable in a mobile environment – right down to a reclining seat and state-of-the-art in-car entertainment and communication system for the rear passengers. The vehicle was a tribute to Wilhelm Maybach, the technical wizard and partner of Gottlieb Daimler in the early days of the automobile and his no less talented son Karl Maybach, who built luxury saloons with a reputation for exquisiteness in the 1920s and 1930s. From 2002 onwards, the first saloons were delivered to customers from the factory in Sindelfingen. Instead of the well-known star they bore a double M. on the radiator: Mercedes-Benz had decided to revive the brand as a separate entity.

At the end of 2007, 10 years after the Maybach had first been presented in public, the landaulet version was presented as a study. The reaction was so positive that from early 2008 onwards it was built exclusively to order. The first vehicle was delivered to its new owner in November 2008.

From engine tuner to partner: Mercedes-AMG

In 1967, former Daimler-Benz employees Hans-Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher set up a tuning business for Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Burgstall near Stuttgart. They called it AMG – A standing for Aufrecht, M for Melcher, and G for Großaspach, Aufrecht’s birthplace. From the very outset they concentrated on tuning Mercedes-Benz models. In October 1990, Daimler-Benz and AMG signed a contract of cooperation for the development, production, marketing and servicing of cars and car components. And in 1993, the first jointly developed AMG high-performance car was presented – the Mercedes-Benz C 36 AMG.

In 1999, AMG Motorenbau und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH became Mercedes-AMG GmbH, with Daimler holding a majority 51 per cent of the shares. And since 2005, Mercedes-AMG has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Stuttgart company. For the C-Class and above, AMGs represent the top models in the Mercedes-Benz portfolio and can be ordered directly from Mercedes-Benz dealers.

The AMG concept no longer just involves engine tuning and minor modification of the bodywork – comprehensive alterations to the entire vehicle are now undertaken. ‘AMG — throughout the world, these three letters embody cutting-edge technology, dynamism and exclusivity. The experience of driving an AMG cannot be compared to anything else. After four successful decades, the brand now more than ever symbolizes a unique driving experience,’ said Volker Mornhinweg, head of Mercedes-AMG GmbH on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Daimler subsidiary in 2007.

The high-performance AMG brand celebrated the best year of its history in 2008, with unit sales rising by 19 per cent to 24,200 vehicles. ‘Despite an extremely challenging environment, AMG grew in nearly all of its markets, thereby further consolidating its leading position among high-performance automobile brands,’ stated the Annual Report of Daimler AG in 2008, ‘China and Brazil are among the most important growth markets for AMG. The brand was also able to buck the trend in its German home market by selling more cars in 2008, whereby the new C 63 AMG and the completely revised SL 63 AMG made a major contribution to this success.’

Heavy-duty vehicles: Daimler trucks

On 1 October 1896, an entry in the records of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) in Cannstatt reads as follows: ‘Motor truck order no. 81, vehicle no. 42, 4-hp 2-cylinder engine, overall weight 1,200 kg for 1,500 kg payload, Factura British Motor Syndicate Ltd. London.’ This laconic entry represented a historic moment: ten years after the birth of the motor car, Gottlieb Daimler had built the world’s first truck.
In 1896, Benz and Daimler were once again working on similar ideas. In the year of Daimler’s first truck Benz also presented a ‘combination delivery car’ – the precursor of today’s delivery van. The payload of the four-wheeled vehicle was 300 kg including the driver. At the end of 1897, Daimler got back with his own version of a light truck. The ‘Daimler Business Car’ would today also be classified as a van. And in 1900, Benz produced an entire family of what at the time would have been regarded as heavy trucks, the heaviest model having a 5-tonne payload.

Today, the products manufactured by Daimler Trucks range from light, medium and heavy trucks for long-distance freight, local delivery operations and construction site use to special vehicles for local authority operations. The brand names are
Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Western Star, and Mitsubishi Fuso. Daimler Diesel and the North American school buses from ‘Thomas Built Buses’ also belong to Daimler Trucks, whereas Mercedes-Benz, Setra and Orion buses form a separate segment and are listed in the financial report under ‘Vans, Buses, Other’. With revenues in 2008 of almost 28.6 billion Euros and a workforce of some 80,000, this division represents a major company within the company. In 2008, Daimler Trucks sold 472,074 vehicles and retained its position as the world’s biggest manufacturer in the heavy and medium weight truck segment.

One of the major factors in the increase in overall sales for Daimler Trucks in 2008 was the company’s performance in Brazil, Indonesia, and the Near/Middle East. This contrasts with declining sales in the USA, Canada, and Japan because of the extremely difficult market situation in the wake of the financial crisis. 2009 proved an extremely difficult year for Daimler Trucks because of the situation in the global economy: revenues and profits declined.

However, 2010 started promisingly: during the first quarter, Daimler Trucks sold 70,600 vehicles – a good 5,000 more than in the first quarter of 2009. A strong performance in Latin America and Southeast Asia in particular compensated for weak sales in Germany, the Near/Middle East, and Japan. EBIT was also positive at the start of 2010.

Go west: trucks in America

Daimler-Benz had been delivering trucks to North America since 1956, but only sporadically and in small quantities. It was not until 1969 that exports began to increase and in 1971 as many as 532 medium-duty trucks were sent cross the Atlantic. However this all ended in 1973, when devaluation of the US dollar against the deutschmark meant that every truck sold would make a loss. Despite the fact that the Mercedes-Benz plant in Brazil stepped into the breach, this could not offer a permanent solution to the problem. In January 1979, a plant was therefore built in Hampton, Virginia/USA, with a potential annual output of 6,000 trucks weighing between 9 and 15 tonnes.

But big enough for Eurosope was not necessarily big enough for America: the market for vehicles in the 16-tonne and above category for long-distance freight transportation was bigger than the market for medium-sized trucks and offered greater potential for the Stuttgart company. But heavy trucks from Daimler-Benz were not comparable with American models. Their outward appearance did not suit American taste, and in addition customers wanted to be able to choose for themselves what engine, what transmission and what axles their vehicle would have. This meant that American truck builders usually installed components manufactured elsewhere and only a few parts such as the frame came from their own production. For a company like Daimler-Benz, whose reputation was partly built on the fact that the purchaser could rely on the quality of every single unit and component in his vehicle, these were insuperable obstacles. There were two further drawbacks: one of the selling points, especially for heavy trucks, was the existence of as dense as possible a service network; and the approval regulations were different in the USA. In other words, entry into the American market was only possible by purchasing an established American manufacturer. In 1977, Daimler-Benz started by acquiring Euclid, a manufacturer of heavy trucks especially for ore and coal mining as well as for large-scale construction sites ad quarries. But the company sold it again in 1984 as it was making a loss.

Finally Daimler-Benz found its dream partner in the heavy truck category. In 1981, it acquired truck builder Freightliner, which had a similar reputation in the USA as Mercedes-Benz brand trucks in Eurosope and was especially strong in the long-distance segment. The company’s headquarters are in Portland, Oregon, with further production facilities elsewhere in the USA and in Mexico. Today, Freightliner is North America’s biggest heavy truck manufacturer.

In the year 2000, Western Star was added. Since 1968, this had been a model name used by the American truck – and formerly car – manufacturer White Motor Company. When the company went bankrupt in 1980 and was taken over by Volvo, Canadian entrepreneurs acquired the subsidiary, which then operated as an independent manufacturer under the name of Western Star Trucks Inc. After a further sale, in 1992, to Australian Terrence Peabody, the company was broken up in 2000 and Western Star Trucks was taken over by Daimler. Since 2002, Western Star vehicles have also been produced in Portland. Daimler Trucks positioned the Western Star Brand as a premium manufacturer, covering the heavy truck segment both for long-distance freight and also for the construction sector.

Between 1997 and 2009, the American truck brand Sterling also belonged to Daimler Trucks. In October, Daimler Trucks North America decided on a comprehensive plan for optimizing and re-orienting its operational business. Amongst other things, the plan included termination of the Sterling production program in March 2009. The decision was made ‘in order to concentrate our development and distribution resources on the Freightliner and Western Star brands,” stated the Annual Report in 2008. ‘That will allow us to create more innovations to promote safety, environmental friendliness and customer utility.’ From 2011 on, this consolidation measure is expected to improve the annual results by US$900 million.

In addition to this, Daimler Trucks North America also includes Thomas Built Buses in its portfolio. With these school buses, Daimler – as before in the German truck market – was putting its faith in a classic vehicle, and one that perfectly complemented the Freightliner chassis. The roots of the school bus manufacturer go back to the year 1916 in High Point, North Carolina/USA, when engineer Perley A. Thomas lost his job and was commissioned by the Southern Public Utilities Company to service various vehicles. In 1918, he set up Perley A. Thomas Car Works, Inc., and over the years this developed from a repair shop into a leading manufacturer of bodies for buses as well as commercial bus bodies. In October 1998, Daimler acquired Thomas Built Buses (TBB), which by then was producing almost 12,000 school buses per year and had a market share of 33 per cent. Sales revenues were US$350 million. The complete range of TBB bodies in the school bus and commercial bus segments perfectly complements the Freightliner FS-65 school bus chassis. The headquarters of Thomas Built Buses remain in High Point, with the main production facility, along with an assembly plant and spare parts warehouse also located in North Carolina. The other two TBB plants are in Woodstock (Ontario/Canada) and Monterrey (Nuevo León/Mexico).

Mitsubishi Fuso

Asia is a market with considerable potential – and high growth rates require strong support systems. In 2001, DaimlerChrysler took over the ailing Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi, and in 2005 sold its share again. However Daimler AG retained the commercial vehicle subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso – hived off from the parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in 2003 – and now owns 85 per cent of the shares. In the wake of the Asian crisis at the end of the 1990s, the Japanese market had been shrinking, but the location provided a good base from which the Eurosopean company could operate in the Asia region. With appropriate restructuring measures, Fuso was able to increase its export share from 52 per cent in the year 2003 to 78 per cent in 2008. The German importer of Mitsubishi Fuso Brand commercial vehicles is Mitsubishi Motors Deutschland GmbH. In Germany only the Canter model series has been marketed since 1981. Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), based in the Japanese city of Kawasaki, sold a total of 197,700 light, medium and heavy trucks and buses in 2008.

Detroit Diesel Corporation

Founded in 1938 as the diesel division of General Motors, Detroit Diesel Corporation is a US manufacturer of diesel engines based in Detroit, Michigan. In those days Detroit Diesel was divided into two divisions: Off-Highway and On-Highway. The Off-Highway division bore the name MTU Detroit Diesel and has belonged to Tognum AG since 2006. The On-Highway division belongs to Daimler AG. In 1988, Penske Corporation acquired a share of Detroit Diesel and hived it off from the GM Group as Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC). In 2000, Daimler acquired DDC and merged it with MTU Friedrichshafen to form a company called MTU Detroit Diesel. Today, the Daimler subsidiary Detroit Diesel is responsible for the design, manufacture, sales and servicing of medium and heavy diesel engines as well as alternative drive systems for the commercial vehicle industry. It has 800 authorised distributors.

Mercedes-Benz Vans

The van division operates as a separate business unit – and can look back on a varied history. In 1977, Daimler-Benz launched a small van on the market which it named ‘TN’ (‘Transporter neu’). Weighing in at between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes – and soon also with a 4.6 tonne version – this new, extremely versatile model series was intended to offer the levels of driving comfort and ease of handling associated with a passenger car. It was available as a panel van, minibus or platform truck. After 18 years of production, the TN was replaced in 1995 by a completely new design – the Sprinter –, a second generation of which has been available since 2006. In the USA and Canada the Sprinter is marketed under the brand names Dodge and Freightliner for legal reasons.

Today, the Mercedes-Benz van segment, which can be found in the annual report under ‘Vans, Buses, Others’, also includes the Vario, Viano and Vito. The versatility of these vehicles meant that in 2008 Mercedes-Benz Vans was able to virtually maintain the record sales levels achieved the previous year despite the difficult market conditions in the wake of the financial crisis. Global sales amounted to 287,200 vehicles – the second highest volume of sales of this vehicle type in the company’s history. High demand in the early months of 2008 meant that the plants in Düsseldorf, Ludwigsfelde and Vitoria/Spain were operating at the limits of their capacity.

The global financial and economic crisis in 2009 also impacted on sales, revenues and profits for Mercedes-Benz Vans. Sales of 165,600 units of the Sprinter, Vario, Viano und Vito models were well below the very strong performance of the previous year (287,200 units). In the key western European markets of the UK, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands the crisis resulted in an average drop of 50 per cent in sales compared with 2008. On the other hand in Germany, the most important market for Mercedes-Benz Vans, the company benefited from the ongoing market success of the Sprinter, which continued to set new standards in terms of technology, safety, and economy, as well as performance. The decline in sales in 2009 was much more moderate, at 21 per cent. The only positive aspect of the crisis was that Mercedes-Benz vans were able to increase their market share.

At the start of 2010, there was a distinct improvement in the situation. Revenues for Mercedes-Benz Vans during the first quarter were up 31 per cent and sales increased by 62 per cent compared with the corresponding period in the previous year.

Passenger transportation in style: the bus

Since 1894, Benz had offered a landau version of his motorcar, with room for a total of eight people. The vehicle either had a removable hood or a glazed upper part with a solid roof. It was used mainly by hotels to bring guests to and from the train station. The first regular motorised passenger service was set up by Netphen and Siegen in order to link their two towns, and Benz was requested to build two motorised buses, which he delivered in March 1895. The buses took one hour 20 minutes to cover the 15 km route between Siegen, Netphen and Deuz, with its five stops and 80 m height difference. In 1898, Gottlieb Daimler also started to build buses.

In the years that followed, large numbers of bus services were set up at home and abroad. The biggest breakthrough in Germany happens when the Württemberg and Bavarian postal services ordered a number of automobiles for carrying packages and (shortly afterwards) also passengers. Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft delivered some 350 buses up to the start of the First World War, mainly to the Royal Bavarian Postal Administration, which bought a total of 250 vehicles. Daimler dominated the market with a share of 43 per cent, followed by Benz with 18 per cent and Büssing with 12 per cent. Daimler-Benz subsequently pioneered the use of diesel engines in buses.

From 1935 onwards, when the first autobahns (motorways) started to be built, extravagant futuristic plans were drawn up for overland coaches of hitherto undreamed of dimensions. However the outbreak of the Second World War quickly destroyed these ambitious dreams. Nevertheless, as early as March 1948, Daimler-Benz was able to introduce the new O 4500 omnibus – a vehicle with bodywork that no longer bore the mark of an age of wartime austerity. Between 1949 and 1954, the O 3500 dominated the market in its class. The O 6600, which appeared in 1951, was the first
Mercedes-Benz bus with forward control and a rear engine, and a precursor of the highly successful O 321 H. The latter was launched in 1954 and by the end of its 16 year career had sold almost 30,000 – more than any other bus in history.

The history of modern bus manufacturer in Germany and Eurosope begins with the launch of the first Setra Type S 8 in April 1951 at the International Motor Show, which took place that year on the premises of Kässbohrer’s general representative Kahl in Frankfurt am Main. The Setra enabled the former Karl Kässbohrer Fahrzeugwerke to grow into a company of international importance whose buses quickly became a hit worldwide. The company went on to develop subsidiaries in Europe and the USA, together with licensed partners across the globe, including China.

In 1995, 100 years after the invention of the omnibus by Carl Benz, Daimler-Benz AG took over the Setra Brand, hived off Mercedes-Benz Omnibusse and merged both brands into a new subsidiary called EvoBus GmbH. Both brands, with their long traditions, were able to contribute their particular strengths, and the new concept was a huge success, with EvoBus becoming profitable within a relatively short time. The vehicle shells for both brands are put together in the Mannheim plant and then transferred by rail directly to a new facility built in the early 1990s in Neu-Ulm, where they are assembled and painted.

In 2000, Daimler made a strategic acquisition of a manufacturer of environmentally friendly urban buses in North America when it took over Ontario Bus and Truck Inc., which had been founded in 1975 in Mississauga, Ontario/Canada, and renamed Ontario Bus Industries two years later. For decades, more than 230 towns and cities in the United States have relied on Orion brand buses. The company’s product portfolio includes hybrid city transit buses. Orion is a world leader in this segment, and its environmentally friendly buses are used in major cities such as New York City, Ontario and San Francisco.

By 2009, the product range supplied by Daimler Buses, the world’s leading manufacturer of buses over 8 tonnes, with its Mercedes-Benz, Setra and Orion brands, covered city and intercity buses, coaches and chassis. The most important of the 15 production sites are in Germany, Turkey, Latin America, France, Spain, and the NAFTA region (North American Free Trade Agreement). In 2008, 48 per cent of the division’s revenue was generated in Western Eurosope, 15 per cent in the NAFTA markets and 19 per cent in Latin America (excluding Mexico).

A special kind of sales model: authorised dealership

Sales of Mercedes and Benz automobiles at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century were largely in the hands of independently operating representatives or partners. One particular example was the Austrian businessman Emil Jellinek, who was resident at the time in Nice. Having sold a large number of Mercedes cars to well-heeled customers in the early days, he became increasingly important for DMG and ultimately purchased and sold on most of the company’s vehicle production. Jellinek also had the right to sell the vehicles at home and abroad at prices and conditions that he set himself. But DMG eventually decided to take action over his excessive self-confidence and started to consider how it could exert a more direct influence on sales.

The German economy was also going through a crisis in 1906 and 1907, and sales of luxury goods, including automobiles, were declining. It was important for Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft to have complete freedom to take action and it therefore made preparations to terminate existing agreements – especially with Emil Jellinek – and pave the way for developing its own sales organisation. At roughly the same time, similar considerations were leading the managers of Benz & Cie. in Mannheim to the same conclusion: both companies now began to draw up plans for developing their own dealerships.

Such an approach offered a number of advantages: firstly it was no longer the salesman who determined the prices – it was now the manufacturer who could decide how, where and at what price his vehicles would be marketed. Consistency was the name of the game, and list prices were established. Secondly, the new system meant manufacturers had direct contact with the wishes and needs of the customers via their sales outlets and were better able to design their products to meet the tastes of the public.

In addition, they were also able to guarantee the quality of service and maintenance – a crucial sales factor for a brand manufacturer of an expensive item like an automobile. And last but not least, manufacturers saved money by cutting out the intermediary. By establishing their own sales operations, companies were, incidentally, ahead of their times: all the points just mentioned are still a matter for discussion between manufacturers and traders in other sectors of industry.

For foreign sales, Benz & Cie. as well as DMG still relied on representatives or business partners, but after the Second World War this changed too: from the currency reform of 1948 to around 1960, sales of Mercedes-Benz cars were almost exclusively in the hands of independent wholesalers and importers who invested their own capital in the process. This enabled Daimler-Benz to use its own resources to build up and expand its domestic plants.

The 1960s were used for consolidation and careful development of the company’s own sales structures in important markets. In 1965, for example, a sales subsidiary was set up in the USA – Daimler-Benz had had little joy with its previous sales partners Studebaker and Packard hat – and this was followed by Canada and France in 1969. In the 1970s, sales operations in Western Eurosope were reorganised and later on in Japan as well.

By the end of 2008, Daimler AG was operating some 7,300 sales outlets all over the world. The 2008 Annual Report recorded sales expenditure of 9.2 billion Euros, which represented 9.6 per cent of sales revenues.

It is perhaps not surprising that Daimler AG is particularly well represented in Germany. By the end of 2008, the Mercedes-Benz sales organisation in Berlin – Mercedes-Benz Vertriebsorganisation Deutschland, or MBVD – was responsible for sales and service in the German market for the Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, smart and Mitsubishi Fuso brands, as well as operating used truck centres (Transporter-Gebrauchtwagen-Centers – TGC), AMG Performance Centers and TruckStore Centers, which remarket used trucks.

With some 1,200 sales and service centres, customers are offered a comprehensive aftermarket network throughout Germany. A workforce of some 17,250 in
Mercedes-Benz dealerships, 39,000 licensed Mercedes-Benz partners and 1,650 employees in smart centres and subsidiaries ensures their efficient operation.

New divisions: Financial Services

In the latter half of the 20th century, many vehicle manufacturers discovered the marketing potential offered by the provision of financing options. In 1967, Daimler-Benz AG also launched its first leasing activities, in 1979 the company set up Mercedes Leasing GmbH, and in 1987 Mercedes-Benz Finanz GmbH was founded. It was integrated into Daimler-Benz InterServices AG – now Daimler Financial Services AG – in 1990.

In 1992, the Group also set up Mercedes-Benz CharterWay GmbH and became involved in the field of commercial vehicle fleet management. In 1997, it added cross-brand passenger car fleet management as well. In 2000, the value of contracts signed by its subsidiaries for leasing and finance reached the 10 billion Euros threshold for the first time. In 2002, Mercedes-Benz Bank AG also became involved in deposit banking, offering a range of products including savings accounts, savings plans, fixed interest deposits, investment funds, certificates, and credit cards.

Today, Daimler Financial Services is one of the world’s leading captive financial services providers and the biggest global supplier of financial services for commercial vehicles. More than a third of corporate vehicles around the world are now financed or leased by Daimler Financial Services. With a broad range of services that includes financing, leasing, insurance, and fleet management, Daimler Financial Services handled a total contract volume worth 63.4 Euros in 2008 and employed a global workforce of some 7,100.

The sales partners for vehicle-related financial services are the dealerships for the various Daimler AG vehicle brands. In 2008, the value of leasing and financial services provided by the Mercedes-Benz Bank rose 6 per cent to 9 billion Euros and the balance sheet total was 18.8 billion Euros. The volume of deposits grew some 50 per cent to 6 billion Euros, and by the end of February 2009 had reached 10 billion Euros.

Ideas for the future

In 2007, Daimler AG set up its Business Innovation department with a view to finding and developing new, profitable fields of business. The idea was to identify unused potential within the company and also develop new ideas around the company’s core business.

One clever idea turned out to be the innovative mobility concept entitled ‘car2go’. This was the first project to come out of the new division and was swiftly implemented in practice.

It is a mixture between car rental and car sharing that involves a simple mobile phone call: a registered driver simply holds up a specially coded membership card to a card reader, gets into the car and drives off. He can drive for as long and as far as he wishes, and when he reaches his destination he simply parks the car and walks away from it.

At the end of October 2008, Daimler made a fleet of 50 smarts available for the local care-sharing operation in Ulm. This initial pilot project involved some 500 employees at the Ulm plant being given access to the blue and white cars, but shortly afterwards a further 150 vehicles were made available to all-comers.

Within a year the Ulm project had 18,000 customers, by the beginning of 2010 one in ten inhabitants of the city was a car2go customer, and one year after the project was first launched there were up to 1,000 fully automated rental operations taking place every day. Since November 2009, Austin/Texas has been the second city to test the car2go system, also with 200 smarts. iPhone® apps are now available that enable the location of the vehicles to be identified and provide the driver with vehicle status information such as the amount of fuel in the tank.

In 2010, car2go GmbH was officially registered as a company with its headquarters in Ulm – underlining the intention of Daimler AG to play a leading role in the field of urban mobility and permanently establish car2go as a new business model in the market.

Other steps taken by the Business Innovation department include the marketing of exceptional pre-owned vehicles as part of the Young Classics project, and the renting out of well-equipped, as-new Mercedes-Benz vehicles via its own subsidiaries or dealerships as part of the Mercedes-Benz Rent project.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

The corporate history of Daimler AG: Riding out the crisis

2011-09-11T21:09:00.003+03:00

There have been several crises in the history of the company, but ultimately it has always pulled through. Let us take a look at two examples of difficult situations – the period immediately following the First World War and the 1970s oil crisis.

The First World War had a devastating impact on the German economy. In the second half of 1917, the food supply in the country collapsed completely, and this was followed by calls for political reform that culminated in industrial action at the end of January 1918. Thus, shortly before the end of the war, action was required on the part of employers. In 1917, Benz & Cie. changed the company’s employee’s relief fund into a relief and pension fund and also spent 1.5 million marks on setting up a workers’ welfare fund, which was henceforth financed from annual profits.

After the First World War, foreign markets disappeared, and some international subsidiaries were expropriated. German automotive manufacturers not only lost the state as a major customer but also had to stand by and watch the military sell off large quantities of vehicles on the open market. At this point, mass vehicle ownership had not yet taken off in Germany – an automobile was still regarded as a luxury purchase. The luxury tax of 15 per cent imposed in 1906 was not reduced until 1925. And compared with the pre-war years, vehicle tax had quadrupled.

In the annual report for 1919, the DMG board nevertheless expressed its optimism about opportunities for exports: ‘Demand for our products has been buoyant; there are again signs of interest and confidence from abroad.’ But output was low: ‘Working time reductions, frequent strikes and other forms of disruption to production, as well as problems with coal supplies and transportation and a lack of materials have delayed a full return to levels of peacetime manufacturing and reduced output at our plants. Despite all our efforts it has not reached a level that reflects the capacity of our production facilities and size of our workforce. As a result we have only been able to partly satisfy our customers.’

The response of Daimler and Benz to economic crises was to diversify. Thus it was not just automobiles that were produced but also typewriters in Untertürkheim and bicycles in Marienfelde. In the former aircraft factory at Sindelfingen, vehicle bodies and furniture were produced in a bid to fully utilise capacity.

But the transition from war to peace also led other companies to diversify – and competition within Germany was growing. Many factories saw civilian automobile manufacture as a way of keeping their production processes running. After the war no fewer than 86 companies found themselves competing in a market whose needs Daimler and Benz could easily have met on their own. By 1927, following an initial process of concentration, there were fewer than 30 manufacturers left.

During the course of 1919 there were repeated strikes at all three DMG plants, where employees were calling for wage increases to keep pace with inflation. This was a general problem during the post-war period: the money you earned one day was hardly worth anything the next. Inflation was ruining the German economy. In October 1922, operating costs were around 500 million marks, but less than a year later they had reached 22 trillion 600 billion marks. Germany money had also lost its value abroad, endangering companies’ ability to purchase raw materials.

At Benz and Daimler – as elsewhere – a succession of capital increases now started to run parallel to devaluation of the currency. In 1920, DMG increased its capital stock from 32 million to 100 million marks. Benz & Cie. followed in November 1920 and January 1922 with a capital increase to 68 million marks initially and then also to 100 million. In terms of capitalisation, both were Germany’s biggest companies.
With so many new shareholders, the two companies took measures to avoid the danger of hostile takeovers. For example Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and Maschinenfabrik Esslingen exchanged preference shares with 16-fold voting rights. Benz also issued ‘protection shares’ which could not be sold for a period of ten years, as well as two million marks’ worth of preference shares with 12-fold voting rights that remained in the hands of the emission consortium.

Schapiro the speculator

When the economy starts to falter, the speculators move in. In addition to all their economic woes, Benz & Cie. also had to deal with a Berlin-based wheeler-dealer called Jakob Schapiro who almost managed to bring the company to its knees. Schapiro bought up large numbers of automobiles from Benz as well as other manufacturers, but only paid for them when the money had already lost value and the price could easily be covered by what he made from reselling them. His first order from the Benz plant came in spring 1921, when he purchased 200 chassis for the 8/20 hp.

Schapiro hoped to use this trick to gain exclusive distribution rights from the Benz plants. By November 1922 he had managed by means of secret purchases to acquire nearly half the shares – and Benz & Cie. were forced to make concessions to him. In 1923, he forced his way on to the supervisory board, where he did his best to pursue his own private interests. In the end, Benz had to grant him a right of disposition over up to 30 per cent of production.

When the financial situation in Germany returned to normal in 1924 as a result of the introduction of the Rentenmark and from 30 August 1924 the Reichsmark, Schapiro’s exchange manoeuvres no longer worked. The exchange dealings collapsed and the insolvency of the man who for a time had been Germany’s biggest car dealer nearly brought ruin to a large proportion of the domestic car industry. It was only after the merger with Daimler in 1926, which Schapiro as a member of the supervisory board had done his best to prevent, that the speculator was at last forced to retreat.

Long-term planning during the oil crisis

Another major challenge was the oil crisis in the 1970s. Although it had far-reaching consequences, its impact was hardly reflected in Daimler-Benz’s accounts: ‘Only one German company in this sector continued to record rising production figures during 1974: Daimler-Benz,’ wrote Max Kruk and Gerold Lingnau in their book ‘Daimler-Benz. The Company’. ‘All over the world, automobile manufacturers – with very few exceptions – recorded a dramatic drop in revenues and a massive collapse in profits, with some even ending the year in the red. But not Daimler-Benz. The company published year-end accounts that hardly showed any impact of the dramatic events in the market.’

The secret of success was once again long-term planning – the fact that the company had ‘focused on long-term requirements rather than short-term peaks in demand,’ as the 1973 annual report put it. In addition, Daimler was pursuing an anti-cyclical investment policy. In 1974, despite the poor state of the economy, the company invested DM169 million more than the previous year, and the following year it increased investment by a further DM197 million.

The first oil crisis of modern times began in the autumn of 1973, when the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced that it was going to reduce oil output by some 5 per cent. This was a politically motivated decision designed to put pressure on the oil-dependent West to distance itself from Israel in the so-called Yom Kippur War (6 to 24. October 1973) – the fourth Arab-Israeli war within the framework of the Middle East conflict.

On 17 October 1973, the price of oil rose from around US$3 per barrel (159 litres) to more than US$5 – an increase of around 70 per cent. During the course of the following year, the price rose again to more than US$12. In the Federal Republic of Germany an increase of around DM17 billion in the cost of oil imports in 1974 further exacerbated the economic crisis and resulted in a significant increase in short time working, unemployment, social benefit payments and company insolvencies.

At Daimler-Benz the idea was revived of adding a ‘small’ car to the company’s range of models. The decision was partly triggered by an American policy decision: in 1975, in the wake of the first oil crisis of 1973/74, the American Congress introduced strict regulations for fleet owners in a bid to reduce energy consumption. At the time, the larger models from Daimler-Benz could not meet these requirements, which were based on the average consumption of the entire range of imported models.

Expanding capacity without too much risk

Despite the crisis, Group management took a long-term view and decided it was important to launch a limited expansion of capacity. The Board of Management initially took a cautious approach, expanding capacity at its Sindelfingen plant to 30,000 passenger cars per month from 1977. The company’s medium-term plan for the 1970s was to increase output from 340,000 in 1972 to 360,000 units by 1976. But capacity in Sindelfingen turned out to be inadequate and it was clear that new structures had to be developed for the future.

This was done. In what was known internally as the ‘Long-term Production Order’ (LPO), it was decided that trucks would be exclusively produced in Wörth and Düsseldorf and passenger cars in Sindelfingen and Bremen – a basic organisational structure that has largely survived to the present day. The aim of the LPO was to achieve balanced capacity utilisation, improve responsiveness to market trends and flexibility for program modifications, and optimise costs.

This new capacity planning had become necessary because in the late 1960s and early 1970s the Group had taken a significant leap forward: between 1965 and 1973, Group revenue almost trebled from DM4.9 billion to DM13.8 billion. Truck production alone increased more than threefold from 73,000 to 216,000 units, making
Daimler-Benz the world’s biggest truck manufacturer. There was also a lot happening in the passenger car segment in the 1970s. The compact Mercedes-Benz 190 was designed, the 123-T-model series became the first estate car to bear the brand name, the range of diesel vehicles was expanded, and the first oil crisis in 1973 demonstrated that flexibility could secure long-term employment. At the start of the 1970s, Daimler-Benz’s medium-term plan catered for increasing output from 340,000 cars in 1972 to 360,000 in 1976. But the executive was concerned that the plant at Sindelfingen would not be big enough.

In addition to the four ‘LPO assembly plants’ – Sindelfingen and Bremen for passenger cars and Wörth and Düsseldorf for trucks, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and B-Class are now built in Rastatt, Mercedes-Benz minibuses in Dortmund, the Vario and Sprinter in Ludwigsfelde and buses in Mannheim as part of the EvoBus production partnership. The Ludwigsfelde plant, a former GDR state-owned factory, was taken over in 1994. Other domestic production facilities such as Berlin, Hamburg, Gaggenau, Rastatt, Untertürkheim, Kassel, Mannheim and Ulm operate as important suppliers. Since production of the first estate started in spring 1978, more than 5 million Mercedes-Benz passenger cars have been manufactured in Bremen. Today the North German plant builds the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (saloon and estate), CLK (coupé and convertible), SLK, SL and GLK.

Daimler also survived a more recent global financial and economic crisis: 2009 saw a decline in global economic output for the first time since the Second World War, with many automobile markets shrinking temporarily by between 20 per cent and 40 per cent, and an even more dramatic decline in commercial vehicle markets.

The figures for Daimler initially reflected this market collapse. EBIT amounted to minus 1.5 billion Euros and the Group posted a net loss of 2.6 billion Euros.

‘That is unsatisfactory – yet the loss would have been even bigger if we had not taken enormous countermeasures. We systematically streamlined our business processes increased efficiency, reduced costs, cancelled bonuses and otherwise left no stone unturned. Those who could bear more sacrifice were required to make one,’ wrote Dieter Zetsche to shareholders in the 2009 annual report, in which he also suggested that no dividend should be paid out. ‘No-one enjoys strict savings, short-time working or waiving a portion of one’s income. But the exceptional nature of the market crisis left us with no alternative. And management, along with our represented employees, often worked together in co-ordinated actions.’

The rigorous cost savings introduced by the company rapidly took effect. By April 2010, the group was able to double its profits forecast for the current year, and a publication like ‘Stern’ magazine featured the euphoric headline ‘Daimler powers its way out of the crisis.’ Following positive figures for the second quarter of 2010, Daimler further increased its forecast at the end of July.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

The corporate history of Daimler AG: Major shareholders exert influence

2011-09-11T21:01:00.005+03:00

A public limited company (plc, Aktiengesellschaft) is dependent, amongst other things, on its shareholder structure. Major shareholders play an important role simply on account of the quantity of shares that they hold. This is demonstrated by a particular episode in the history of Daimler-Benz. In the 1950s, two major shareholders – Friedrich Flick and the Quandt family – hit the news and later on, in the 1970s, there was even concern that this archetypal German company located at the very heart of Eurosope might be sold off to multinational oil companies.

In 1952, Friedrich Flick began secretly to buy shares in Daimler-Benz AG, stepping up his efforts in 1954 to such an extent that the stock market became aware of what was going on and the value of the shares began to rise. By the end of the year, Daimler-Benz shares had virtually doubled in value to the equivalent of some DM250 compared with the previous year – ‘equivalent’, because up till August 1960 the value of shares was expressed as a percentage of the nominal value rather than in deutschmarks. The chairman of the Board of Management, Fritz Könecke, guessed that the unusual rise in share value was the result of a strategy by persons unknown and therefore welcomed the fact that this was counterbalanced by the brothers Herbert and Harald Quandt, who wished to expand the holding of 3.85 per cent they had inherited from their father, Günther Quandt. The latter, who had been well disposed towards Daimler-Benz ‘was perhaps the only corporate architect in the post-war period who could match Flick in terms of sheer guile and persistence’, wrote Thomas Ramge in his book ‘The Flicks’.

At the AGM of Daimler-Benz AG on 18 July 1955, the cat was finally let out of the bag: Flick had acquired a blocking minority of 25 per cent of the company’s share capital worth a total of DM72 million and was elected to the supervisory board. At that point the Quandt Group officially held 3.5 per cent and also nominated Herbert to the board. In the years that followed, both Flick and Quandt bought up shares whenever the opportunity arose. A fourth major shareholder was bought out: former timber trader Hermann Krages from Bremen succeeded in putting together an 8 per cent package of Daimler-Benz shares, which he then offered to Flick and Quandt for DM770 per-share – twice the quoted value. After consultation, the two major shareholders agreed to ignore the offer, Flick officially opted out and the Quandts – who were now the only interested party – were able to buy the shares for DM450 each, which was little more than the quoted value. Later on, they split up the package with Flick on a 3.5 (Flick) to 2.5 (Quandt Group) basis.

By the early 1970s, some 14 per cent of the share capital, which had now reached DM1,189 million, was in the hands of the Quandt Group. That was why the public was shocked by the news that broke on the 28 November 1974: the majority of the shares held by Quandt had been sold abroad – though no-one knew precisely who the buyer was. Even Herbert Quandt himself claimed not to know who had acquired the shares, which had been handled by the Dresdner Bank. Finally, on 2 December, pressure from the supervisory board, the German government and the Bundesbank (Federal Bank of Germany) led to the mystery being solved: it was revealed that the sheikhdom of Kuwait had bought into Daimler-Benz, but had declared that it wished neither to occupy a seat on the supervisory board nor to interfere in the business – and this proved to be the case in the years that followed.

The public was rapidly reassured, given that Deutsche Bank still held 28.5 per cent and Flick 39 per cent of the shares – so nobody needed to fear a ‘foreign sell-out’. But what nobody knew at this point was that Friedrich Flick was also negotiating to sell his shares to an oil-producing country – Iraq. When Deutsche Bank boss Franz Heinrich Ulrich, who was chairman of the Daimler-Benz supervisory board, was told this by Flick during his Christmas vacation in St. Moritz, he managed to persuade the latter to retain 10 per cent of his shares and promised that Deutsche Bank would buy the remaining 29 per cent for DM2 billion. The intention, stressed Ulrich, was not to expand the bank’s involvement in the company but rather to keep the share package in the market.

This was achieved by the creation, in 1975, of an entity called Mercedes-Automobil-Holding AG (MAH), whose shares were owned 50 per cent by major institutional investors, with the remaining 50 per cent available on the stock market to private investors. This enabled the stock exchange to handle an attractive paper and at the same time avoided unpleasant surprises like a sell-out by two major investors: MAH shareholders could only determine the destiny of MAH, not of Daimler-Benz.

Deutsche Bank pulls out

In fact, Deutsche Bank pulled out almost completely shortly after the turn of the millennium: starting in 2002, Board of Management chairman Josef Ackermann gradually sold the bank’s industrial holdings in order to concentrate on its core business. In 2004 the bank reduced its shareholding in DaimlerChrysler AG from 11.8 per cent to 10.4 per cent; and by the end of 2006, Deutsche Bank had only 4.4 per cent of Daimler shares, reducing to 2.5 per cent in April 2009.

By mid-2009, Daimler AG had a broad base of around 1.3 million shareholders. Many members of the workforce now had a small stake in the company as a result of a handout of employee shares, and around two thirds of shares were in European hands.
The involvement of Aabar Investments PJSC from Abu Dhabi caused a stir in March 2009. Daimler increased the company’s share capital by some 10 per cent, partly by gaining the approval of the AGM on 9 April 2008 for an issue of no-par-value bearer shares against cash contributions. Aabar acquired all these new shares, giving it 9.1 per cent of the company’s capital.

The 1.95 billion Euros thereby generated strengthened the equity basis and liquidity of Daimler AG. In times of economic turbulence such as the period after 2008, the company was determined to be well capitalised – partly because the banks’ lending restraint meant that bottlenecks could not be ruled out and partly also as a defence against hostile takeovers. A press communiqué on 22 March 2009 announcing the involvement of Aabar reported that at the end of 2008 the equity ratio of the Daimler Group as a whole had been 24.3 per cent. Thus, from mid 2009 onwards, Daimler had two major shareholders – Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. The unchanged number of shares held by the Kuwait Investment Authority, which amounted to 7.6 per cent of Daimler AG at the end of 2008, represented 6.9 per cent following the capital increase.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

The corporate history of Daimler AG: After the Second World War

2011-09-11T20:39:00.006+03:00

For Daimler-Benz AG, the period from the end of the war up to the introduction of the Deutschmark was described by the Board of Management at the time as: ‘complete breakdown and yet the beginnings of a renaissance’. For with the occupation of the plants by the victorious powers, society had ‘practically ceased to exist. After the war circumstances meant that links between individual plants and even to company-owned sales and service outlets were initially impossible.’

The first company plant to be occupied by American troops was that of Mannheim on 23 March 1945. The in April that year, French troops occupied the plants at Gaggenau and Untertürkheim. During the night of 24/25 April, Red Army soldiers entered the Berlin-Marienfelde plant, seized all available machinery and began dismantling it in early May.

But the Western Allies soon authorised operation of the production lines once again, so that Daimler-Benz could start contributing to the economic reconstruction of the country. The Untertürkheim plant was provisionally reopened on 20 May, and 1,240 workers and employees made a start on restoring the buildings and production facilities. Production of the three-tonne L 701 truck was resumed at the Mannheim plant in June – a replica of the Opel Blitz, this vehicle had been built here under licence even before the outbreak of war. In May 1946, the Untertürkheim plant completed production of the first Mercedes-Benz 170 V units, initially commercial vehicle variants. Then in 1947, production started up again at the Sindelfingen plant.

In August, the American military government ordered Board of Management chairman Wilhelm Haspel to prepare saloon car production. Then in November the Allies granted Daimler-Benz permission to produce the 170 V as a pick-up, panel van and ambulance. In August the Gaggenau plant saw production start-up once again of the 4.5-tonne L 4500 truck, with no fewer than 290 units being built before the end of the year. By the end of December 1945 the workforce at all five plants in the Western zones had risen to 12,850 employees; by the end of 1946 it numbered 17,850 employees.

Above all, there was enormous demand for commercial vehicles, which although vital to the reconstruction of Germany were anything but profitable for the manufacturer, since vehicles were allocated to customers and the prices were fixed. ‘As the pricing authority only allowed us to sell the 170 V, for example, at a maximum price of 6,200 Reichsmarks, this production start-up naturally brought significant losses. During this period a new 170 V, which we were obliged to sell at the price mentioned above, could be resold second-hand for anything between 100,000 and 120,000 Reichsmarks,’ explained a summarised annual report covering the years from 1945 to the currency reform introduced on 20 June 1948.

Necessity proved the mother of invention, however. In summer 1945, engineers from the former Daimler-Benz aero-engine development department and a graduate agriculturist formed a working party under the leadership of Albert Friedrich to develop a motorized universal appliance for use in agriculture. The result was the Unimog, short for the German term ‘Universal-Motor-Gerät’ – a universal motor appliance that remains as successful today as ever.

Growth through acquisitions and new plants

Eventually the company and its Mercedes-Benz brand overcame the years of reconstruction after a process of consolidation and successfully picked up where the company had left off before the war, with the introduction of new passenger car and truck models. During the so-called economic miracle that followed, the Mercedes-Benz brand sparkled with new lustre – and just as before the war considerable status was attached to being seen driving a vehicle with the three-pointed star. The company underwent a renaissance and embraced new plans for expansion.

And not just in Eurosope: by 1949, Daimler-Benz had made initial contact with Brazil and from there the first large-volume orders were received shortly after the war. These had an impact on capacity at the Mannheim plant, where export of around 3000 trucks meant the plant could be enlarged to create more space. However, shipping costs were so high as to make trade with Brazil appear unprofitable for the Germans, so in 1950 Daimler-Benz AG founded Distribuidores Unidos do Brasil and acquired an assembly hall in Rio de Janeiro. Local production started up here shortly after the final large-scale imports of trucks from Germany. Mercedes-Benz do Brasil was established in 1952.

Soon after the war Daimler-Benz also restarted operations in Argentina. In 1950, the German carmaker and general distributor Jorge Antonio established Mercedes-Benz Argentina. Jorge Antonio imported huge numbers of Mercedes-Benz 180 D passenger car modesl, which mostly were used as taxis and were called hormigas negras, black ants, by the locals. With the profits amassed he built a truck assembly plant near Buenos Aires. When the country’s dictator Juan Perón was overthrown in 1955, Antonio was forced to flee – and shortly after opening the truck plant Daimler-Benz AG had to fight for its property. For a government decree put the company under ‘ intervention and interdiction ’ – how this was to be construed was not decided either by the government or by the courts. Truck production did not really begin until 1959, following the return of the shares in 1958.

Daimler-Benz also invested in a local production facility in India at a relatively early stage. In spring 1954, Daimler-Benz concluded a framework licence agreement with Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (Telco) in Bombay (Mumbai). The plant had a monthly output of around 600 vehicles by 1958. The company’s presence in India was expanded through various activities in the years that followed.

The first significant domestic acquisition of the post-war years was in 1958, when Daimler-Benz took a majority shareholding in the Auto Union GmbH, established in Ingolstadt in 1931, a purchase urged by major shareholder Friedrich Flick. This was where the DKW Junior was built from 1959 onwards. In 1964, Daimler-Benz sold Auto Union to Volkswagen and used the profits to build the truck plant at Wörth. Moreover, Auto Union was focused on the lower market segment; for Daimler-Benz AG to enjoy success in the lower mid-range would have meant too great a financial investment.
Auto Union’s Düsseldorf production facility remained in the hands of Daimler-Benz AG, however, and this plant continued production of the Mercedes-Benz L 319 light van launched in 1961. Today Düsseldorf is responsible for production of the
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.

Another majority investment in Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH of Friedrichshafen in 1960 saw the start of activities at Lake Constance. Then, following the establishment of Mercedes-Benz Motorenbau GmbH in 1963, the two Friedrichshafen plants were merged in 1966 to form Maybach Mercedes-Benz Motorenwerke GmbH.

Acquisition of Hanomag-Henschel and Krupp to become world’s leading truck manufacturer

Berlin Wall, Cuba Crisis, the end of the Adenauer era: the early 1960s were highly turbulent years in political terms – and no less so economically. For the world began to experience hitherto unknown currency fluctuations. Although the German Mark remained very stable, other currencies such as the US Dollar showed inflationary tendencies. Moreover, in 1966/67 the boom period suddenly came to an end. For while jobs were increasingly offered to foreign labour – so-called ‘guest workers’ – and women during the first half of the decade as a means of combating the labour shortage during the economic upturn, it was not long before growth rates were sinking again, signalling the end of the ‘fat years’. The noticeable weakness in economic activity in 1966 revealed a growing unwillingness to invest, which inevitably led to wage cuts and redundancies. For the first time the Federal Republic of Germany even experienced ‘negative economic growth’ in 1967. Gross national product fell by 0.2 per cent, whereas unemployment increased from 0.7 to 2.2 per cent.

Daimler-Benz AG came through the crisis relatively unscathed. Despite the rise in the value of the Deutschmark, vehicle export sales tripled during the decade from 1959 to 1969, from just over DM1 billion to DM3.12 billion. Domestic sales also increased from DM1.44 billion to DM4.32 billion. While the German automotive industry as a whole was forced to face a 19 per cent collapse in production in 1967, Daimler-Benz only felt the drop in demand in the commercial vehicle sector; in fact the demand for passenger cars actually rose by 5 per cent.

Once again Daimler-Benz showed the value in preparing for the future by making the most of the opportunity for new acquisitions. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, for example, Hanomag-Henschel and Krupp – two famous competitors that had suffered as a result of the economic downturn – were integrated into the Group.

Although Krupp enjoyed an outstanding reputation as an industrial corporation and truck manufacturer, the truck division had become chronically loss-making and the mother company was also suffering financial problems. As a consequence, Krupp had already ceased truck production. So although there was no plant for Daimler-Benz to integrate in 1968, it did take over the famous brand’s sales and service outlets. The Stuttgart company was fortunate in that the economy experienced a new upturn in 1968 and once again there was steady growth in demand for trucks.

The second strategic purchase during this period was the acquisition of the two companies Hanomag and Henschel, which were amalgamated by the Rheinstahl Group in 1969. Daimler-Benz initially took a majority shareholding, before taking Hanomag-Henschel over outright at year-end 1970/71. The acquisition now meant that Daimler-Benz owned the Borgward parent plant in Bremen, the former Tempo plant in Hamburg-Harburg and the Henschel plant in Kassel.

The takeover enabled Daimler-Benz to offer several all-new model series: Hanomag’s light vans with front-wheel drive and 2.4 to 3.3 and later 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight underwent minor modifications to become the Mercedes-Benz L 206 D and L 306 D. And Henschel trucks such as the tipper variants expanded the truck range. Both vans and trucks were equipped with Mercedes-Benz major assemblies; over the years, however, the original brand names disappeared altogether.

With the recent opening of the truck plant at Wörth in 1965 and the takeover of truck activities at Krupp and Hanomag-Henschel Daimler-Benz was able to take a great leap forward. From 1965 to 1973 Group sales increased by a factor of three from almost DM4.9 billion to DM13.8 billion. Commercial vehicle production even increased more than threefold from 73,000 to 216,000 vehicles, making Daimler-Benz the world’s leading truck manufacturer. Annual truck production at the 1.5 square kilometres Wörth plant and the neighbouring plants at Gaggenau and Mannheim rose to 40,000 trucks in 1965. By 1969, Wörth was already working at full capacity of 48,000 trucks per year. By steadily developing its production facilities, Daimler-Benz increased capacity to 105,000 units by the year 1975. By 2010, the plant premises in Wörth covered an area of 2.4 million square metres.

MTU Motoren- und Turbinen Union was founded in 1970, the company created out of the merger of the MAN Allach plant and the Friedrichshafen joint plant complex belonging to Daimler-Benz AG; initially both MAN and Daimler-Benz had a 50 per cent interest in MTU.

State-of-the-art: integrated technology group

In the mid-1980s, the Board of Management and Supervisory Board agreed significant domestic investments that would not only bring the size of the company to a new level but also lead to a new structure. Edzard Reuter, the new chairman of the Board of Management at Daimler-Benz AG since September 1987, pursued a strategy aimed at turning the purely automotive manufacturer into an integrated technology group. To do this would involve gaining expertise from the electronics and aviation industries, which would naturally yield benefits for the technology of Mercedes-Benz cars. The group purchased companies from several sectors of industry.

In March 1985, Daimler also acquired the holdings MAN had retained in MTU Motoren- und Turbinenunion GmbH, by this time a highly reputable manufacturer of turbines, aeroengines and high-speed diesel engines. Then in June came the majority stakeholding in the long-established aviation and aerospace company Dornier GmbH in Friedrichshafen. Pending authorisation from the German Federal Cartel Office, in October 1985 Daimler-Benz bought an initial 25 per cent share in AEG AG, whose business activities encompassed energy, industrial and rail technology, communications systems and household appliances.

As a result of these acquisitions, but also thanks to ongoing businesses, in 1985 the Daimler-Benz Group recorded significant growth over the previous year. The number of employees rose to 231,000, an increase of 16 per cent. Sales rose to DM52.4 billion and annual net profits to approximately DM1.7 billion – an increase of 52 per cent over the previous year.

Once authorisation had been received from the Federal Cartel Office, Daimler-Benz increased its stake in AEG in February 1986 to 56 per cent. The integration of AEG increased the Group’s total workforce by 33 per cent; sales were boosted by 20 per cent.

Management follows structure

That same year, a new management structure was introduced to take account of Group expansion: The Daimler-Benz AG Board of Management had overall responsibility for the Group’s five divisions – passenger cars, commercial vehicles, AEG, MTU and Dornier. Then in 1987, the decision was taken to combine several research areas into a single Daimler-Benz research centre based in Ulm.

With support from the annual meeting of shareholders, the restructuring process of the entire Group began in 1989. The vehicle business was integrated into the new Mercedes-Benz AG. From now on, only its products – in other words the vehicles – would bear the three-pointed star. The aviation and aerospace activities of Dornier and MTU and also Telefunken Systemtechnik were pooled under the umbrella of Deutsche Aerospace AG, or DASA for short. The company was renamed Daimler-Benz Aerospace on 1 January 1995.

Deutsche Aerospace was granted permission from Germany’s Minister for the Economy in late 1989 to take a majority interest in Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm GmbH (MBB), a company with over 24,000 employees. The business activities of AEG AG continued to be run on the same corporate model as previously.

Then in 1989, the decision was taken to develop a fourth Group division, Daimler Benz InterServices (debis) AG. This supplied high-end services to customers both within the company and outside, including software products, computer communication services, financial services and insurance, mobile phone and marketing services. Daimler-Benz AG acted as the holding company with responsibility for Group management functions and Group research.

Strategic development of AEG continued in 1991 with the acquisition of the rail vehicle manufacturer Lokomotivbau-Elektrotechnische Werke Hennigsdorf GmbH and the decision to pull out of office and communications technology at AEG Olympia. DASA and the French company Aerospatiale jointly set up Eurosocopter S. A., in which the two companies anchored their helicopter activities on a parity basis. In 1991, debis also bought a 34 per cent stake in Sogeti S. A., the parent company of Cap Gemini Sogeti, Eurosope’s largest software and systems company.

In 1993, Jürgen Schrempp, chairman of the Daimler subsidiary DASA, also successfully negotiated the purchase of Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. By taking a majority shareholding in Fokker of 51.4 per cent, Daimler-Benz Aerospace became the global market leader for regional aircraft in 1993. On 22 January 1996, however, the Supervisory Board of Daimler-Benz AG decided to separate from the loss-making manufacturer Fokker, largely because no agreement could be reached with the Netherlands Government on corporate restructuring.

But the international economic upturn slowed in the early 1990s, and even the special boom resulting from German reunification was almost over. As a result, from 1992 onwards comprehensive restructuring and cost-cutting measures were implemented in all Group divisions. At DASA the activities of MBB and Telefunken Systemtechnik were subsumed into the core business, and the microelectronics business unit was integrated into the TEMIC (Telefunken microelectronic GmbH) joint venture, co-founded with AEG. The strategic realignment of AEG led to a decision to pull out of household appliances, lighting technology and meters, and from April 1994 to change the company name to ‘Daimler-Benz Industrie AG’.

These rationalisation measures and divestments across the entire Daimler-Benz Group from 1992 to the end of 1994 resulted in the reduction of 70,000 jobs. In May 1995, Reuter handed control of the Group to his successor, Jürgen Schrempp, who radically altered the course set by his predecessor. Schrempp abandoned the vision of an integrated technology group and focused on the core business of vehicles. In 1996, the general meeting of shareholders of Daimler-Benz AG, under the chairmanship of Jürgen Schrempp, agreed the closure of AEG, which was struck from the register of companies, although the name and individual brands continued to be used by licensees.

Global company: Jürgen E. Schrempp

When Jürgen Schrempp took over as Chairman of the Board of Management in 1995, he once again restored the corporate focus to the vehicle business. He also gave the company a more international orientation. In the late 1990s, for example, he presided over Group investments in the Asian automotive manufacturers Mitsubishi Motors (37 per cent) and Hyundai Motor Company (10 per cent).

In 1997, attention then turned to a further restructuring. There was great turbulence on the international currency markets, in particular between the US Dollar and German Mark. For that reason, Schrempp opted for a globalisation of Group activities. The management and organisation structure of Daimler-Benz AG was redesigned in 1997. The chairman of the Board of Management was given direct control of all divisions and Group activities so that decisions could be implemented more quickly. In addition to the Passenger Car and Commercial Vehicle divisions, therefore, these now included debis, DASA AG and the rail and microelectronics division (Adtranz, TEMIC, EHG and MTU Friedrichshafen). As with human resources, finance, research and technology, these were all corporate departments of Daimler-Benz AG.

1998 saw the birth of DaimlerChrysler AG. In mid October 1999 it joined with the French Lagardère Group to establish Europe’s leading aeronautic and aerospace enterprise, the European Aeronautic, Defence and Space Company (EADS). In the process, DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (DASA) was combined with Aérospatiale Matra to create the world’s third-largest aeronautic and aerospace group. In 2007, DaimlerChrysler sold 7.5 per cent of its shares in the Airbus parent group EADS to an investment consortium. Several German states, as well as private and public banks, paid 1.5 billion Euros to acquire one third of the car manufacturer’s total 22.5 per cent share in the European aeronautics and aerospace concern. But DaimlerChrysler – and later Daimler AG – retained 22.5 per cent voting rights, in part to maintain the Franco-German balance of power among EADS shareholders.

Pan-Atlantic: DaimlerChrysler AG

The concept of a ‘Welt AG’ (World plc), as it was later dubbed by the German media, was floated in the late 1990s as a way of developing new markets and synergies as part of a larger network. Daimler-Benz created the necessary access to the US investment market – a key prerequisite for a merger – as early as 1993, by issuing share certificates, so-called American Depositary Receipts (ADR), on the New York Stock Exchange. That same year Daimler-Benz also presented for the first time a balance sheet according to the accounting principles of the United States (US-GAAP). This meant the financial reporting of the German company Daimler-Benz would be more comprehensible internationally and comparable with other companies using US-GAAP.

Preliminary discussions between Jürgen Schrempp, chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler-Benz AG, and Robert Eaton, CEO of the Chrysler Corporation, on 12 January 1998 took place in Detroit with regard to a possible merger between the two automotive manufacturers. The two company leaders announced the merger in London on 7 May. The financial markets reacted very positively to the news: following the announcement of the merger Daimler-Benz shares peaked 12 per cent higher than the previous day’s trading, closing at DM205.10. Having added 18 per cent to their value the previous day, Chrysler shares rose almost a further 10 per cent following the official announcement of the merger.

Once the EU Commission and the American competition authorities had authorised the merger, the shareholders of both companies also voted in favour at the annual meeting of shareholders on 18 September. The merger was achieved by means of a share conversion into shares of the new company, DaimlerChrysler AG. This had the advantage that the merger of the two companies involved no cash exchange. For each Daimler-Benz share shareholders received 1.005 DaimlerChrysler shares, and each Chrysler share was converted into 0.6235 DaimlerChrysler shares. DaimlerChrysler AG began operating on 17 November 1998 and began trading shares on the stock exchanges. In the first complete business year Chrysler contributed around half of Group profits, making over US$5 billion.

Initially management of the new company was split equally between Daimler-Benz and Chrysler. There was equal representation on the Board of Management, which had two chairmen in Jürgen Schrempp and Robert Eaton. Board of Management meetings were held alternately in Stuttgart and at Chrysler in Auburn Hills. From the outset, the registered head office was Stuttgart: DaimlerChrysler AG was established as a public company in accordance with German law. By the end of 1998, DaimlerChrysler had a workforce of around 441,000 employees. With a transaction volume of US$92 billion, the proposed project was then the biggest industrial merger in commercial history.
Two years later Robert Eaton announced his departure, leaving Jürgen Schrempp as the sole chairman of the Board of Management.

But the financial position of the American carmaker, which had already faced imminent bankruptcy once before in 1979 and only survived thanks to state intervention, worsened. Although in the late 1990s even the stock markets were calling this the ‘merger of two giants’, since in 1998 and 1999 Chrysler had enjoyed high profits, the chickens were now coming home to roost for the Americans for having made too little provision for the future. Sales and therefore operating profit collapsed, in part because in terms of technology and fuel consumption the products were not attractive enough for American customers.

In November 2000, Jürgen E. Schrempp sent Dieter Zetsche to take over as the new boss at Chrysler. The first rescue plan cost around 4 billion Euros and 26,000 Chrysler employees lost their jobs. In addition, six plants were closed.

Chrysler recorded losses for the years 2000, 2001 and 2003, with profits in 2002, 2004 and 2005. Then, despite high reductions, Chrysler sales collapsed again in 2006. Chrysler recorded an operating loss of 1.1 billion Euros. Finally, on 14 February 2007, Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management at DaimlerChrysler since 1 January 2006, announced he would be ‘considering all options’ for Chrysler. The Work’s Council and shareholder representatives feared that Chrysler could drag the entire Group under.

And so it came to the clean break: in 2007, DaimlerChrysler chairman Dieter Zetsche sold 80.1 per cent of the hived-off Chrysler Holding LLC to Cerberus Capital Management LP., New York, retaining initially a 19.9 per cent holding. In addition, Daimler’s financing support for the takeover was ‘a strong sign of its overall determination to make sure that, under the majority of Cerberus, Chrysler has a good start as a successful stand-alone car company,’ as a press release of August 2007 put it.

Daimler AG gave up its remaining investment of 19.9 per cent in Chrysler in 2009 and waived the loans made to the American carmaker, which had already been written off in the year-end accounts for 2008.

When talks between the US Treasury Department and Chrysler’s creditors, represented by over 40 hedge funds (special, highly speculative investment funds), broke down on 29 April 2009, Chrysler filed for insolvency in accordance with Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code. The Italian automotive manufacturer Fiat announced it was buying a 20 per cent interest in Chrysler. Fiat was only allowed to take a majority holding in Chrysler once all state laons had been repaid. In 2010, Fiat decided to merge the Chrysler and Lancia brands in Eurosope: everything that had been Chrysler hitherto, now ran under the Fiat brand Lancia. And with that, the name Chrysler disappeared in Eurosope all together.

Daimler AG: a global network

In October 2007, an extraordinary general meeting approved the change of name from DaimlerChrysler AG to Daimler AG. Approximately 99 per cent of the 5,000 assembled shareholders voted in favour of this change. The renaming of the company involved renaming also of production facilities and sales organisations both in Germany and overseas. The guiding principle behind this name change was the need to make a clear distinction between the company brand Daimler and the Group’s various product brands.
Today Daimler AG is one of the world’s most successful automotive companies. With the divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the automotive manufacturer is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world’s biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles. In addition, Daimler Financial Services offers a comprehensive range of automotive financial services, including financing, leasing, insurance and fleet management.

Dieter Zetsche is Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and at the same time Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. He has consolidated the Group, creating a kind of network in which the visions of both Edzard Reuter and Jürgen Schrempp have been eradicated. Daimler AG continues to pursue its traditional business model – that of producing safe and high-quality vehicles that fascinate and inspire customers – as a pioneer of innovative technologies.

Under Zetsche the company also succeeded in establishing a presence in the mobility-hungry but – from the economic and political perspective – not always straightforward Chinese market. In March 2010, for example, Daimler AG announced a comprehensive technological partnertship with BYD Company Limited for the development of electric vehicles; moreover, in July 2010 the Group entered into a joint venture with the Chinese truck manufacturer Foton Motor. The Group is therefore continuing to develop its market present in China in all segments of the automotive industry.

In April 2010, Daimler AG also agreed a far-reaching stratgeic cooperation with Renault-Nissan Alliance. The two companies aim to develop rapid benefits from a series of concrete projects, including a common architecture for small cars, expansion of the engine portfolio and further development of the van segment. Moreover, the the two Groups also agreed a mutual equity exchange that will give the Renault-Nissan Alliance a 3.1 per cent stake in Daimler and Daimler a 3.1 per cent stake in Renault and a 3.1 per cent stake in Nissan.

The Group completed its network with a series of strategic investements and joint ventures. The manufacturer of Formula 1 engines, Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines Ltd., formerly Mercedes-Ilmor, became a 100% subsidiary of Daimler AG, and the company also acquired 45 per cent and one share in Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.

Through Daimler Financial Services AG, the Group also took a 45 per cent stake in Toll Collect GmbH, which collects truck tolls in Germany.

The Stuttgart company kept a 28.4 per cent stake in diesel engine manufacturer Tognum as well as 3.56 per cent in Indian vehicle constructor Eicher Goodearth. It also established a joint venture with Sutlej Motors, an Indian bus manufacturer.
Daimler also has an interest in the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. (EADS), the parent company of Airbus and Eurocopter. The Stuttgart company retained a 15 per cent stake in the aerospace company for itself as well as the voting rights for a further 7.5 per cent on behalf of a consortium of investors.

The Group also took a 5.46 per cent interest in Tesla Motors, a Californian manufacturer of electric vehicles. The Stuttgart company retained a 50.1 per cent stake in the Automotive Fuel Cell Corporation (AFCC), in which the American carmaker Ford Motor Company and Ballard Power Systems Inc. are also investors.

In a joint venture with Evonik Industries AG from Essen, Daimler AG aims to develop the ‘energy storage of the future’. For this reason the company kept a 49.9 per cent stake in Li-Tec Vermögensverwaltung GmbH, and Evonik Industries the remaining 50.1 per cent. The two companies established the Deutsche Accumotive GmbH joint venture, which develops and produces battery systems for automotive applications. Daimler AG will hold 90 per cent of this joint venture and Evonik Industries 10 per cent. The partners are currently building Europe’s largest facility for the production of battery cells based on lithium-ion technology in Kamenz, Saxony. Production start-up is scheduled for early 2011, and from 2012 the first lithium-ion battery systems are to be offered in vehicles from Mercedes-Benz Cars. Once again, Daimler is seen to be breaking new ground when it comes to the series production of electric cars and therefore alternative drive systems.

Daimler has also invested in the development of alternative drive systems with a view to enabling zero-emissions mobility in the long term. At the same time, the inventor of modern mobility is not putting all its eggs into one basket, becoming the only carmaker in the world to invest in both the hybrid and electric motor and the fuel cell.

‘One could say that we make exciting cars greener and green cars more exciting,’ said CEO Dieter Zetsche in the 2009 Annual Report. ‘This can only be done with pioneering technologies – and we have them. At Mercedes-Benz Cars, we were able to reduce the average CO2 emission value for our fleet by a full 13 grams to 160g/km in 2009.’
The compnay also continues to invest in new plants. In 2009, for example, Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) opened a new production facility in Saltillo, Coahuila, in northern Mexico, built and run to the latest environmental standards. And the next generation of Mercedes-Benz A- and B-Class vehicles will no longer be built solely in Germanty but also in Hungary: the company is investing around 800 million Euros in the new plant in Kecskemét, Hungary Puszta, with the topping-out ceremony scheduled for 2010.

In 2009, the Group sold 1.6 million vehicles and employed a workforce of more than 256,000 people; sales for the period totalled 78.9 billion Euros. As of the reporting date of 30 September 2010, the Group employed a workforce of just under 260,000 people, sold almost 1.4 million vehicles between January and September and in the third quarter of 2010 alone turnover increased by 30 per cent to 25 billion Euros compared with the same period the previous year.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

The corporate history of Daimler AG: From community of interests to Daimler-Benz AG

2011-09-11T20:33:00.003+03:00

As early as 1916, during the First World War, the DMG Board of Management member Ernst Berge attempted to convince the DMG Supervisory Board of the benefits of merging the two great car manufacturers Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and Benz & Cie. But the chairman of the Supervisory Board of DMG, Alfred von Kaulla from the Württembergische Vereinsbank, put an end to early plans for a merger, fearing this would hand too much influence to Benz & Cie.’s bank, the Rheinische Creditbank, whose director, Carl Jahr, also had a seat on the Supervisory Board of Benz & Cie. In 1919, Carl Jahr once again made efforts to attempt to pool the forces of DMG and Benz during the difficult post-war years. But again he was unsuccessful, his plans once again thwarted by von Kaulla. This merger sceptic died in January 1924.

Shortly afterwards, Carl Jahr presented a memorandum in which he explained how a merger would enable the two car manufacturers to safeguard their competitiveness and cut costs at the same time. In his opinion, the only way the two historic companies could survive the economic and political upheavals of the 1920s was through rationalisation. In 1924, Carl Jahr, the Supervisory Board member at Benz wrote, ‘the figures reduced to gold values spoke a sad language’. It was now high time for the two southwest German companies to start working together in order to restore them to competitiveness. Jahr urged them now to ‘dedicate to a common cause the financial and material sacrifices they formerly made in fighting one another – the more so now that they both belonged to the same banking group’.

For in the meantime the banking sector in Germany had also been forced to rationalise: following mergers with the banks used by DMG und Benz & Cie., the Deutsche Bank was now represented on both Supervisory Boards and therefore had considerable interest in pooling its investments in a single large and healthy company.

In the contract declaring a community of interests dated 1 May 1924, DMG and Benz & Cie. set the seal on a joint venture ‘while retaining their legal autonomy’ – and in a form which ‘excluded the pursuit of any special commercial interests’. In that sense, the community of interests, which was a common cooperative model in Germany at the time, bore a very close resemblance to a merger. This was also born out in the almost irrevocable term of validity of the community of interests contract, which was valid until the year 2000. Although a complete merger was the ultimate goal from the outset, for tax reasons this was not the preferred option in 1924.

Stock capital was fixed at 600 DMG to 346 Benz shares. From now on, profits would be split accordingly. A ten-man board was established as the supreme authority, which was chaired by the director of Deutsche Bank, Emil Georg von Stauß. Board of Management and Supervisory Board members were appointed deputy members of the boards of the other company; in this way, Carl Benz also had a seat on the Supervisory Board of Daimler. The contract regarded the two companies as a single business entity and empowered the new management to make sweeping changes to the corporate structure. The company of interests was obliged to have in place joint policies on programmes and models and to harmonise dividend policy.

On 8 May, one week after the signing of the contract, the two Supervisory Boards also approved the community of interests between DMG and Benz. In late May
Mercedes-Benz Automobil AG was created as the joint sales organisation. And in November 1924 the two boards also agreed an integrated approach to materials procurement.

In terms of strategic alignment, however, the two companies initially went their separate ways. Whereas the Board of Management at DMG aimed at rapid mass production in line with the American model, the Benz directors were looking for cautious modernisation. The Stuttgart company intended to diversify into marine and aero engine construction and hoped to expand by adding a steelworks and a coal mine, in order to get mass production under way as soon as possible.

The immediate goal of the Mannheim company, on the other hand, was to become competitive again in the automotive sector, preferring to develop series production rather than start up costly mass production. Costs could be cut by buying all components and significantly reducing the number of models. This concept, the option ultimately agreed, was proposed by Carl Jahr in a memorandum. Ideally a plant should produce just one car – ‘as precisely worked through and as high-volume as possible’.

At least there was agreement at the start of the community of interests on standardising and simplifying models. In future each plant would produce only one model. Mannheim started building the 2-litre engines, and Untertürkheim the 4- to 6-litre engines. Gaggenau became the production facility for trucks under 4 tonnes, and Marienfelde turned out the heavy duty vehicles. In addition, the design departments were merged and body building concentrated at Sindelfingen.

Merger: the birth of a company with an illustrious name

By 1900, Benz & Cie. was already producing over 600 vehicles per year, six times more than DMG. Although Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft managed to narrow the gap drastically by 1925, when it built 2,287 vehicles, its production figures still fell some way behind the competition from Mannheim, which produced 3,624 vehicles in the same year. By the time of the merger, however, the companies’ key economic indicators were almost identical. In fact, with sales totalling 52.1 million Reichsmarks, Benz & Cie. was even lagging slightly behind DMG, which achieved sales figures of 52.8 million Reichsmarks. At this point Benz had a workforce of 7,250 employees and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft 7,855.

Daimler-Benz AG (DBAG) resulted from the merger between Benz & Cie. and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft agreed by the annual meeting of shareholders of the two companies on 28/29 June 1926. This union between the two companies was formally established through a 1:1 stock swap, with Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft acting as the receiving company and changing its name to Daimler-Benz AG.

Berlin was deemed the site of company headquarters under commercial law, as had previously been the case for DMG, although the main administrative headquarters were located in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim. The new Board of Management was made up of an equal number of members from the boards of the two predecessor companies, so that there was no discernible leaning to one side or other. This was underscored by the fact that no board chairman was appointed.

It would be some time before the emergence of Daimler-Benz AG’s first leading figure – the former Benz employee, Wilhelm Kissel.

New vehicle models lead the way out of the Great Depression

The Great Depression of the late 1920s forced Daimler-Benz to make savings wherever possible also. This meant, for example, that company management returned increasingly to the policy of producing parts in-house instead of having them supplied by outside companies. Expanding the vertical range of manufacture would in this way compensate for insufficient utilisation of capacity.

Circumstances during this period also necessitated fundamental changes to the model policy: Mercedes-Benz launched a relatively small passenger car, since the general trend was towards smaller cars. The 170 model with 1.7-litre displacement was presented at the Paris Motor Show in autumn 1931. With a price tag of 4,400 Reichsmarks, it was roughly 25 per cent less expensive than the next cheapest model from Daimler-Benz. And it proved a great success, for with the other passenger cars in the 2.1-litre class it was able to compensate for the slump in sales in the prestige car and truck segments. In 1932, Daimler-Benz achieved total sales of approximately 5,800 passenger cars, 1,500 more than the previous year. Commercial vehicle sales, on the other hand, fell from around 2,000 to less than 1,600 during the same period.

Although Daimler-Benz produced more vehicles during the general economic upturn of the 1930s, the 7,970 units turned out in 1933 were almost doubled to around 15,000 passenger cars in 1935. At the same time, the company experienced below-average growth, for domestic vehicle registrations for the same period fell from 9.6 per cent to 6.4 per cent. Only with the advent of the 4-cylinder Mercedes-Benz 170 V did the company begin once again to earn market share from 1936 onwards. With sales totalling 90,000 units, the 170 model was the most successful Mercedes-Benz in the run-up to the Second World War.

In addition, the banker Emil Georg von Stauß, from Deutsche Bank, saw joint ventures as a way of surviving the economic crisis. In the early 1930s, for example, the Sindelfingen plant also produced bodies for BMW. There was even a strengthening of ties at management level. For although Franz Popp, BMW’s managing director, had been a member of the Supervisory Board of Daimler-Benz AG since 1926, the 1930s even saw a personal union between the Supervisory Boards of BMW and Daimler-Benz. This meant that DBAG was henceforth represented on the Supervisory Board of BMW and BMW at DBAG. It is not particularly surprising that Deutsche Bank should have had such influence on the companies, since the credit institute’s financial support played a significant part in enabling Daimler-Benz to survive the financial crisis.

At the lowest point of the Great Depression, the American car manufacturer Chrysler made an approach to Daimler-Benz. An employee of the Deutsche Bank Board of Management, a man named Lewinski, drafted a memo on behalf of his superior Emil Georg von Stauß and Daimler-Benz Board Chairman Wilhelm Kissel. This stated that Chrysler was looking for a German partner to assemble the 4-cylinder, 38 hp (28 kW) Chrysler model that had proved so successful in the US and offer it with a price tag of 4,500 Reichsmarks. However, Daimler-Benz had just brought out a vehicle in this price category in the form of the 170 model, and in addition Chrysler was unwilling to commit financially to a German company. Consequently nothing became of the German-American alliance at this stage.

Run-up to the Second World War

The profound social, economic, social and political crisis of the early 1930s helped the National Socialists to seize power on 30 January 1933. A raft of job creation measures and public investment set Germany aside from the rest of Eurosope. While other countries continued to battle with the impact of economic depression, the Germans could take pleasure in an “economic miracle” – albeit one for which they would pay a very high price. Armaments-related industry was controlled and financed by the state; support such as this became completely overt from 1935/36 onwards.

By late 1932, the German automotive industry was already experiencing the green shoots of recovery and could look to the future once again with greater optimism. In other words, the upturn arrived of its own accord – not with the advent of the National Socialists. Nevertheless, Adolf Hitler regarded general motorisation as critical for the ‘technological war’ of the future. Consequently, soon after the Nazis came to power the many facets of car manufacturing received relief and benefits in the form of tax breaks, a reduction in liability tariffs, and state sponsorship of motorsport events. The ‘Volkswagen’ or ‘people’s car’, designed in 1938 by Ferdinand Porsche, a former director at DMG and Daimler-Benz, was also born out of this concept of mass mobilisation.

The automotive manufacturers had sufficient capacity to meet rising demand. In 1933, passenger car production rose to 92,300 units, more than twice that of the previous year. In December 1933, Daimler-Benz became Germany’s third largest automotive manufacturer, with a market share of 11 per cent. By 1936 annual production in Germany had reached 250,000 passenger cars. The workforce employed in the motor vehicle industry increased threefold between 1932 and 1936, and by 1938 the German automotive industry had an 8.2 per cent share of global car production – but twice that of the 3.7 per cent achieved in 1933. Moreover, the manufacturer’s succeeded in selling more and more cars for export, while at the same time the German government restricted imports: in 1938 66,600 passenger cars were exported, with just 8,090 cars imported.

As with the boom in the German economy as a whole, the upturn at Daimler-Benz was driven chiefly by domestic demand initiated by the state. Exports at Daimler-Benz AG rose between 1933 and 1937 from 7.5 to 11.3 per cent; but in 1938 they fell again to 8.7 per cent. For Daimler-Benz the export business brought unavoidable losses, so that in 1936 for example there was a deficit of 7 million Reichsmarks for an export volume of 26 million Reichsmarks. A shortage of foreign currency and restrictions in the supply of raw materials were presumably the reason why the company nevertheless kept the export business going.

In the pre-war years, foreign trade was subject to authorisation. While the regime had no problem with exports to allied countries such as Spain, Italy, or Japan, business dealings with France or the US were frowned upon. Since this basically resulted in the loss of Western industrialised nations as export markets, Daimler-Benz began looking increasingly to sales markets in southeast Europe, South America and the Far East.

Shortage of materials

Growth in the industry slowed markedly from 1936 onwards on account of arms manufacture. Materials became scarce. After significant increases in the previous years, passenger car production increased by only 28,000 units from 1936 to 1938. The reason for this was a bottleneck in supplies such as rubber tyres in 1936. In addition, on 1 May 1937 a quota system was introduced for iron and steel.

Following the attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941 the National Socialists (Nazis) told German industry to step up armaments production. Even before the outbreak of war, the regime had prescribed for companies which products were to be given priority mrpduction status. The ‘total war’, as it was labelled, called for a ‘total war economy’. And since the army dispatched an increasing number of men from the factories to the front line, the companies were forced to look to women and forced labourers as replacements. The latter group included prisoners-of-war and internees from the concentration camps, deprived of their rights by the Nazi regime and forced to suffer inhumane working conditions.

War-time economy

From 1937 onwards, Daimler-Benz AG increasingly turned to armaments manufacture, including the LG 3000 truck DB 600 and DB 601 aeroengines, because that was what the Nazi leaders demanded. In 1936, the Genshagen plant was built at a well-hidden site in the forests south of Berlin in order to create additional capacity close to the Marienfelde plant for aeroengine production. In the run-up to the war arms production increased steadily as a fraction of company turnover. By summer 1941, no one on the Board of Management at Daimler-Benz AG under Chairman Wilhelm Kissel believed the war would be a short one with a swift return to the production of civilian vehicles. The largest corporate division was truck production; on the other hand, passenger car production – which since the start of the war had been restricted to vehicles for military use – went into decline and by late 1942 had virtually ceased altogether. The company now accelerated the production and assembly of military components for the German Army, Air Force and Navy. Also the parts production and repair of military vehicles and engines gain great importance. Increased armaments production also called for new workers, since many employees were already fighting as front-line soldiers. To begin with the company employed women in order to meet the required unit numbers. But since this new workforce was insufficient, Daimler-Benz also use forced labour. These prisoners-of-war, abducted civilians and prisoners from the concentration camps were accommodated close to the plants: forced labourers from Western Eurosope were housed in hostels, private quarters or schools. ‘Eastern workers’ and prisoners-of-war were interned in poor conditions in barrack camps. Prisoners from the concentration camps were guarded by the ‘Schutzstaffel’ (SS) of the NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers Party) in degrading and inhumane conditions. They were ‘loaned’ to companies for a fee. By 1944, almost half of the 63,610 Daimler-Benz employees were civilian forced labourers, prisoners-of-war or concentration camp prisoners.

After the war Daimler-Benz admitted its complicity with the Nazi regime and worked closely with the initiative ‘Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft’, a foundation of German industry, which called for humanitarian compensation for former forced labourers.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

The corporate history of Daimler AG: Benz & Cie. and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft

2011-09-11T20:23:00.003+03:00

Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz invented the automobile independently of one another in 1886. But there were also parallels in their lives as entrepreneurs. For example, both inventors had problems with investors – the two founders left the companies that bore their names because their business partners became overly interfering and even conspiratorial.

Life had not exactly been a bed of roses for Carl Benz, born in 1844. He was two years old when his father died. In spite of a shortage of money, however, his mother considered it important that her son should have a good education. After working for a number of employers, in 1871 the engineer and August Ritter, a mechanical specialist, decided to make a go of it alone and opened a workshop in Mannheim. It turned out, however, that Ritter was not exactly the most reliable of partners, and the fledgling company only survived thanks to the dowry brought by Carl Benz’s young wife Bertha Ringer, whom Benz married in 1872. Even then, business failed to pick up significantly and the automotive pioneer was forced to seek out new financiers in the Bühler brothers and the banks. But investors always want a share in the success of a business, so in 1882 the Gasmotoren-Fabrik Mannheim was converted into a joint stock company. Carl Benz held just 5 per cent of the shares, and when his investors attempted to exert influence on his designs, the inventor opted to leave the company just a year later.

That same year Benz found new financiers and on 1 October 1883 he set up Benz & Co. Rheinische Gasmotoren-Fabrik, Mannheim, a general partnership, with the industrialist Max Kaspar Rose and commercial agent Friedrich Wilhelm Eßlinger. The gas engines sold well and Benz could at last continue researching his car engines with a degree of financial security, presenting his first Patent Motor Car in 1886. Two new investors joined the company in 1890, Friedrich von Fischer and Julius Ganß, and by the turn of the century Benz & Co. had grown to become the world’s leading car manufacturer.
In 1899, the Gasmotoren-Fabrik became the joint stock company Benz & Cie. Rheinische Gasmotorenfabrik. Julius Ganß was made a member of the Board of Management alongside Carl Benz. Whereas 50 workers had been sufficient for car production in 1890, now Benz needed a workforce of 430. Internal dispute arose when sales took a dramatic downturn with the launch of the Mercedes competitor product in 1901 and when Carl Benz refused to agree to new models and design principles: Carl Benz ended his active involvement in the company. The management appointed the French designer Marius Barbarou to the Mannheim plant in an attempt to counter competition from Daimler.

But the new model series did not significantly improve the business situation, and Ganß and Barbarou left the company in 1904. At this, Benz returned to the Supervisory Board. The new investor Georg Diehl and Fritz Erle, in his position as plant manager, asked the incumbent chief designer Hans Nibel to comprehensively revise the model range, and in 1905 he succeeded in returning the company to economic prosperity – particularly with the prestige and luxury class of vehicles. But the company’s racing and record-breaking vehicles also achieved worldwide notoriety, cars such as the ‘Lightning Benz’ of 1909. Benz himself established C. Benz Söhne in Ladenburg in 1906. The company also produced automobiles, at least until 1923/24, whereupon it continued operations as an automotive supplier.

Benz remained a member of the Supervisory Board of Benz & Cie. and subsequently Daimler-Benz AG until 1927. When Dr. Carl Benz died at the age of 84 on 4 April 1929, Daimler-Benz AG was already well established as a leading international company in the automotive sector. In 1929, exports already accounted for 15 per cent of total sales and its workforce of around 15,000 employees were turning out well over 11,000 cars each year.

The inventor is ousted: Gottlieb Daimler

Born in 1834, the engineer Gottlieb Daimler started work as a designer for the metalworking company Straub in Geislingen an der Steige in 1862. He was appointed director in 1865 of the engineering workshop at the Bruderhaus orphanage in Reutlingen, and it was here that he met Wilhelm Maybach for the first time, forming one of the most congenial partnerships in automotive history. In 1869, Daimler took over as director of the workshops at Karlsruher Maschinenbaugesellschaft, having persuaded Maybach to go with him as his technical draftsman. Three years later the pair moved to Gasmotorenfabrik Deutz, where Daimler was appointed technical director of the workshops by Nikolaus Otto. In 1872, Daimler and Maybach developed the spark ignition engine (Otto engine) to production standard.

Daimler quit Deutz in 1882 following a dispute with Otto and used his severance pay to purchase a large townhouse in Bad Cannstatt with a sizeable garden, where he set up a test workshop in the greenhouse. His aim was to develop small, high-speed combustion engines to drive all types of vehicles on land and water. In 1883, the two men – Maybach was still employed by Daimler – applied for a patent for their jointly developed and now revolutionised single-cylinder four-stroke engine.

But their private capital did not go far among a workforce of around 25 employees, and Daimler was forced to look for wealthy partners. In November 1890, he founded Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) with Max von Duttenhofer and Wilhelm Lorenz. But the strings in the background were pulled by banker Kilian Steiner from the Württembergische Vereinsbank. There was trouble from the outset, however. The contract modalities offered to Daimler’s confidant and intended technical director, Maybach, were unacceptable and he therefore quit the company on 11 February 1891. Daimler, too, became increasingly uneasy about the commercial policies of his partners. Whereas Duttenhofer wanted to build stationary engines, Daimler was more interested in vehicle production. Finally they reached a compromise which enabled Daimler to continue his research work with Maybach and independently of DMG.

Despite this, however, the relationship between Daimler and his DMG business partners grew increasingly tense and Duttenhofer and Lorenz ultimately threw the inventor out of the business altogether. After a period of power play, Daimler eventually disposed of his shareholding and the rights to his inventions in 1894 for 66,666 Reichsmarks. Obviously this was not without a struggle: his business partners threatened him with insolvency, saying that if he stayed, the Württembergische Vereinsbank would demand payment of debts. Gottlieb Daimler left the company that bore his name, and together with Wilhelm Maybach moved into temporary residence in the Hotel Hermann to dedicate himself to further development of the automobile.

His departure had no impact on the patents and their application in France, however – a fact already ascertained by Daimler in 1890. His excellent relations with fellow campaigners in Eurosope ultimately restored his reputation: the Englishman Fredrick Richard Simms, who became acquainted with Daimler and his engines in 1890 and who reserved the marketing rights for the entire British Empire, found a powerful financial consortium which bought the Daimler patents in 1895. The backers were shrewd enough to realise, however, that these were worth little without the automotive pioneers Daimler and Maybach on board, and so it exerted pressure on DMG: Daimler would get back his 178 shares – equivalent to approximately 19.8 per cent of the nominal share capital – as well as 5 per cent of the annual profits of DMG. Maybach was appointed technical director and received 30 shares. Duttenhofer and Lorenz financed an increase in share capital.

The internal wrangling continued, however. In 1898, Duttenhofer and Lorenz by-passed Daimler to establish Motorfahrzeug- und Motorenfabrik Berlin (MMB), a company that also built vehicles under licence from Daimler, predominantly trucks and mostly powered by electric engines. When Gottlieb Daimler died in March 1900, his heirs were disempowered. They retained merely the status of minor shareholders with no influence. Two years later the two companies in Cannstatt and Berlin merged to form a single entity under the name that had existed since 1890 – Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft – and operations in Berlin developed into DMG’s commercial vehicle plant.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

The corporate history of Daimler AG: An internationally operating group

2011-09-11T20:18:00.003+03:00

The history of Daimler AG goes back to 1886 – the year Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler invented the automobile independently of one another, one in Mannheim, the other in Stuttgart. The companies founded by the two men merged in 1926 to form Daimler-Benz AG, which has since given rise to the present company, Daimler AG. The passenger car as a business division has guided the fortunes of the Group since its beginnings, and it will continue to do so through many innovations to come. ‘We are currently experiencing the second invention of the automobile’, said Chairman of the Board of Management Dieter Zetsche in 2010, ‘and as the inventor of the automobile we bear a particular responsibility for its future.’

The history of Daimler AG is diverse. It not only encompasses 125 years of automotive history, but also an equally lengthy period of corporate history, which you'll be able to read about in the following, dedicated 'Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA' articles.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

The history of modern Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: The stories

2011-09-11T12:28:00.003+03:00

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: Announcing a new compact class - Concept A-Class

2011-09-11T11:53:00.006+03:00

The Facts

- Vehicle: Concept A-Class
- When: April 2011
- Where: Auto Shanghai 2011, Shanghai
- What: new-generation compact class from Mercedes-Benz
- Drive system: four-cylinder 2-litre internal combustion engine with 155 kW (210 hp), 7-speed dual-clutch transmission

Technical highlights

- New 270 model series turbocharged four-cylinder internal combustion engine with direct injection, up to 200 bar injection pressure with fast-response pìezo injectors
- COMAND Online multimedia system, use of smartphone functions such as Internet radio, E-mail and social networks as applications on a 17.8-centimetre display, operated via rotary-push control knob
- LED high-performance headlamps, daytime running lamps and tail lamps with glass fibre elements in aluminium sheaths
- Radar-based collision warning with Adaptive Brake Assist as a world premiere for compact class vehicles

A long bonnet, low silhouette and slim window areas: the proportions of the Concept A-Class presented at the Shanghai Motor Show stand for concentrated dynamism. Its sporty appearance is given particular depth by the interplay between lines and surfaces. ‘The Concept A-Class introduces the new Mercedes-Benz design idiom into the compact class in a sculptured, light and expressive interpretation,’ said Professor Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Mercedes-Benz. ‘We use the term “captured energy” to express the sheer dynamism exuded by the Concept A-Class. Our formal sources of inspiration were the wind and waves, as well as aviation engineering, resulting in this “cool” look.’

Not only visually, but also technologically, the Concept A-Class was set to usher in a new compact class era at Mercedes-Benz. This front-wheel drive model was powered by a four-cylinder petrol engine from the new M 270 series. It was designed for transverse installation, and thanks to direct injection and turbocharging it offered a high performance potential together with minimal emissions and fuel consumption. Other highlights of the all-aluminium engine include injection pressures of up to 200 bar and fast-responding piezo injectors.

The Concept A-Class was equipped with the two-litre variant of the new engine, delivering 155 kW (210 hp). This BlueEFFICIENCY unit was combined with the new Mercedes-Benz dual clutch transmission. As a three-shaft transmission, it featured seven forward gears, shifted automatically without any interruption in tractive power, making the new transmission particularly economical, sporty and comfortable.
One major characteristic of the new design idiom at Mercedes-Benz was the expressive interplay between lines and surfaces – which the designers refer to as a ‘clean’ concept. Concave and convex surfaces with the resulting light modulation create a unique sculpture-like presence. The Concept A-Class emphatically continued this theme of defined edges and interacting surfaces, which Mercedes-Benz first showed in the F 800 Style.

Three prominent lines structured the side view: the front structural edge formed a dropping line towards the rear, while the pronounced shoulder muscle over the rear axle emphasised the car’s coupé-like character. A further line extended upwards in front of the rear wheel arch in a sweeping curve. These lines lent depth and dynamism to the side profile. The door handles were recessed into the doors, emerging electrically at the touch of a button.

The unusual, wing-like shape of the exterior mirrors embodied flow and lightness. Another prominent feature is the open side skirt, which created an unusual light-and-shadow effect. Reminiscent of a turbine rotor, the large 20-inch wheels reinforced the impression that the Concept A-Class was shaped by the wind.

The front end of the Concept A-Class is a real eye-catcher. The brand emblem appeared to be surrounded by a starry sky. Where there are otherwise apertures or louvres, the radiator grille consisted of numerous metallic silver ‘dots’ on black stems a theme also reflected in the design of the wheels.

The visually wide rear end radiated power and athleticism, and was likewise enlivened by an interplay between convex/concave surfaces and pronounced edges. The tail lamp clusters continued the muscular shoulders towards the rear emphasising the car’s width with their horizontal orientation. The aerodynamic spoiler lip in the tail lights improved efficiency, while the diffuser created a downforce to aid roadholding.

The interior of the Concept A-Class, which is flooded with light from the large panoramic roof, likewise appears to be from another planet. Many of the unusual features were inspired by aircraft engineering, at the same time reflecting ideas from the ‘Mercedes-Benz Aesthetics No. 2’ interior sculpture of 2011. Various component groups were reduced to a minimum, for example the dashboard and centre console are merely brushed aluminium structures. The result is a transparent, light, bionic design effect.

As an extremely eye-catching detail in the Concept A-Class interior: the dashboard in the form of an aircraft wing with a translucent, stretchable textile lining. Thanks to this sophisticated fabric, vapour-coated with chrome particles, the bionic cellular structure of the dashboard remained visible – its design reminiscent of a canvas-covered aircraft wing whose underlying struts were discernable. Dramatic backlighting made this instrument carrier appear particularly futuristic. Thanks to the translucent high-tech lining and lack of a conventional support structure, the dashboard appeared to be free-floating. Its lines continuing into the door panelling like vapour trails from the winglets of a jet.

The form of the air vents in the dashboard was likewise inspired by the engines of a jet aircraft. The translucent, backlit vents changed colour depending on the temperature the occupants selected for the climate control system: blue if cool, fresh air was vented into the interior, but red if the airflow was heated. The prominent displays in the instrument cluster, which were inspired by the afterburner of a jet engine, were likewise in red. The central control unit was designed as a high-tech flight panel with a shift lever in the shape of a ‘thrust control’. With their moulded-over head restraints and very pronounced lateral support, the seats were reminiscent of the pilot seat in a jet fighter.

Titanium and silver tones were combined with a light, elegant beige in the interior. Magenta was used to produce highlights that contrasted with the car’s ALU-BEAM silver paint finish, which followed the dynamic contours of the exterior like liquid silver.
The Concept A-Class made use of modern materials such as the high-tech lining on the dashboard, or metallised leather where semi-aniline is dyed with metallic pigments and embossed, and also high-grade nubuk leather. This built a bridge between 125-year tradition of the Mercedes-Benz brand and its claim to progressiveness.

A smartphone featuring all the applications, services and contents of the digital lifestyle was fully integrated into the operating concept of the Concept A‑Class. When the phone was inserted into the recess provided in the centre console, it was automatically synchronised with the COMAND multimedia system. All the functions of the smartphone, including internet radio, email and social networks such as Twitter or Facebook, were shown as applications on the 17.8 centimetre display and could be operated via the rotary/push control.

The visual presentation of the screen elements was revolutionary and unique, with a deep, three-dimensional look created by laser-like, magenta-coloured lines. The user could dive intuitively into the spatial depth of the menu structure through flowing movements and animated transitions. This near-series display concept was designed and realised by designers and engineers at the Mercedes-Benz development laboratory in Palo Alto, Texas/USA. The menus in the Concept A-Class were in both Mandarin and English.

A very special effect was created by the lights of the Concept A-Class, as the innovative full-LED high-performance headlamps repeat the starry sky motif of the radiator grille with numerous lighting points. The daytime running lamps consisted of 90 optical fibres with aluminium sleeves, arranged in a wing-shape within the headlamp. The tentacle-like fibres formed individual, diffused light sources to create a dramatic contrast between soft and harsh.

The LED turn indicators also created an unusual effect from any perspective: the lights appeared to float freely within the headlamps like an enclosed air bubble in a perfume bottle. The indicators were mounted in six chambers at the top of the Perspex headlamp unit, their vapour-coated reflectors remaining invisible.

As had already been brought to series production maturity in the Mercedes CLS, the LED high-performance headlamps of the Concept A-Class combined the Intelligent Light System with LED technology. The projection module of these LED headlamps was no longer round, but flatter and thus more sporty. This sporty impression was reinforced by the matt carbon-fibre housing, contrasting with the aluminium surround of the projection module.

Optical fibres with aluminium sleeves were also used in the tail lights. 120 optical fibre lighting points formed each C-shaped tail light cluster to create a unique visual effect with their subtle glow. They lit up appropriately for the brake light function. When braking, the continuous light band between the two tail light clusters also lit up to make the Concept A-Class appear even wider. The indicators are self-contained elements in the centre of the tail lights. The base unit of the tail light is of carbon-fibre, with the numerous red elements providing visual depth.

In the Concept A-Class, safety pioneer Mercedes-Benz showed another milestone in the democratisation of automotive safety technology: the concept car was equipped with a radar-based collision warning system with adaptive Brake Assist – a world first in the compact class. This system gives a visual and acoustic warning to a possibly inattentive driver, and prepares Brake Assist for an absolutely precise braking response which is initiated as soon as the driver decisively operates the brake pedal.

In contrast to other systems available in the market for the compact class, the new Brake Assist Collision Prevention Assist was not merely an urban driving system designed to minimise the effects of minor collisions. Instead this innovative solution aimed to provide protection against typical rear-end collisions in all driving situations. Mercedes-Benz expected the new safety system to have a significant, positive effect on accident statistics. Following detailed analyses of accident data, Mercedes-Benz safety specialists estimated that this radar-based technology could help to prevent around 20 per cent of all rear-end collisions, and mitigate the severity of a further 25 per cent.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: Visionary coupé variant - Concept Shooting Break

2011-09-11T11:40:00.005+03:00

The Facts

- Vehicle: Concept Shooting Break
- When: April 2010
- Where: Auto China 2010, Beijing
- What: four-door coupé with steeply-angled sloping tail end
Drive: V6 internal combustion engine with 60° cylinder angle, 3.5 litre displacement, 225 kW (306 hp) output, maximum torque 370 newton metres, direct injection; load monitoring enables enhanced expanded lean operation

Technical Highlights

- Full-LED headlamps, offering for the first time all the known dynamic light functions in LED technology. Series-production introduction in 2010 in the 218 model series CLS
- V6 engine as a forerunner of the coming V-engine generation from Mercedes-Benz, spray-guided direct injection allows multiple injection and expanded lean operation

Wide, low-silhouette, with a long bonnet and a roof which follows through to the rear: the Concept Shooting Break presented at the Auto China in Beijing in 2010 showed surprising proportions, that at the same time awakened reminiscences of that deign icon, the Mercedes-Benz CLS. The name of the concept car is taken from a British automobile type: shooting breaks, exclusive cross-over vehicles that combine the luxury and style of a coupé with the luggage space of an estate.

The front design was completely new, and used elements mindful of the SLS AMG super sports car: the radiator grille with its large central star and striking bionic louvres was not integrated into the bonnet but separate. The grille was flanked by full-LED headlamps which for the first time offered all the usual dynamic light functions in LED technology. The side profile of the Shooting Break was characterised by the high waistline and the feature line running all the way to the muscular hip joints at the rear, while the coupé-like side aspect was underscored by the low window design with polished aluminium trim, highlighting the entire ‘greenhouse’, to say the total window areas.

The interior was dominated by natural wood and leather materials. One eye-catching feature was the large full-length centre console. It highlighted the four-seat layout as well as the high levels of comfort afforded by the Shooting Break concept car. The wooden floor of the luggage compartment reflected the true interpretation of this area of the vehicle, where the dark-stained silky oak contrasted against inlaid aluminium protective loading strips.

Under the bonnet of the Shooting Break concept car was the forerunner to the forthcoming new V-engine generation from Mercedes-Benz. The V6 benefited from a 60° cylinder angle and a displacement of 3.5 litres, and was characterised by direct injection featuring a control system that enables lean-burn operation. The six-cylinder engine delivered 225 kW (306 hp) with a maximum torque of 370 newton metres and in line with the BlueEFFICIENCY criteria of Mercedes-Benz also set new standards among the competition in terms of fuel consumption.

The proportions were clearly those of a coupé: the long bonnet, narrow-look windows with frameless side windows, and dynamic roof sloping back towards the rear, all created a basic stance with which it looked ready to sprint. Only when taking a second look did it become clear that the Shooting Break concept car actually had four doors and an estate rear. This way, the design study revealed its philosophical kinship with the four-door CLS Coupé, which established a new market segment in 2004 and by 2010 had already taken up a very special place in automotive history as a design icon. In retrospect, this groundbreaking importance might one day be attributed to the Concept Shooting Break too, which adopted ideas of the FASCINATION concept car, presented in 2008, and projected these into the future.

‘The Shooting Break concept car is based on the great tradition of a stylish, cultivated sportiness which has always characterised the great Mercedes coupés, and it takes this unique legacy an exciting step further,’ explained Professor Gorden Wagener, chief designer at Mercedes-Benz upon the presentation of the concept car in April 2010. ‘At the same time it points the way towards the future design idiom of Mercedes-Benz.’

The design idiom included a contrasting interplay between lines and spanned areas, combined to create an animated area of interaction. The expressive design of the front immediately catches the eye, using elements mindful of the SLS AMG super sports car, and a radiator grille which for the first time was not integrated into the bonnet. This contributed to better pedestrian protection and at the same time also helped to improve the focus on the long, sporty bonnet. The grille was dominated by the large central star, highlighting its relationship to the other Coupés of the Mercedes brand. It was supported by a bionic, curved grille louvre. The curved design was reflected in the expressive look of the front apron and air intakes.

Particularly eye-catching: the full-LED headlamps which for the first time offered all dynamic light functions in LED technology. The LED lamps were divided into three arrow-shaped layers from top to bottom: the upper layer contained an LED indicator, beneath which a striking LED side light offered LED low beam functions. The side light were also visible when the dipped beam function was switched on, thereby creating a novel and separate night-time design and distinctive look. The lowest level of the headlamp housed the main beam and nightview functions. A total of 71 LEDs not only provided an unmistakable appearance, but also a significantly enhanced view of the road compared with previous systems.

The dynamic full-LED headlamps combined the exciting daylight colour impression of LED technology with the performance, functionality and energy efficiency of the bi-xenon light generation. The new light system featured the Intelligent Light System – already tried and tested in Mercedes models with bi-xenon headlamps – with its five light functions: country lights, motorway lights, enhanced fog lights, active curve lights and cornering lights. The Mercedes-Benz engineers were also able to combine LED technology with the innovative Adaptive High-Beam Assist system for the first time, leading to a completely new level of safety for night driving.

The side profile of the Shooting Break concept car was dominated by the low, frameless side windows. Thanks to the positioning of the outside mirrors on the beltline, the side line was emphasised and all-round visibility improved in the region of the A-pillars. The side windows were supported on a high beltline, which sloped towards the rear in a fresh interpretation of the classic ‘dropping line’ of iconic Mercedes Coupés. An additional exciting touch was made with the prominent, muscular hip points which forcefully supported the side line. This interaction gave the impression of a sprinter, poised in the starting blocks, ready to release an explosive forward surge of energy. The roof followed through to the rear and also dropped away in typical coupé fashion. Another special feature was the recessed, filigree door handles, which – with the aid of sensors – emerged on being touched to allow access to the interior.

The side view was rounded off with wide wrap-around tail lights featuring LED technology. They formed a linking element to the low, steeply-angled estate car rear end with top-hinged tailgate. The shape was underscored by the broad shoulderline, clearly visible from the rear, which provided the base for the visually narrower greenhouse. The twin pipe exhaust system, with two polished exhaust covers, was integrated into the rear bumper, which featured an elegantly curved wing.

Also contributing to the special appearance of the Shooting Break concept car was its exceptional paint finish. A satin-finish clear coat was used, giving the vehicle’s allanite grey magno colour a mysterious glint, at the same time bringing out the Coupé’s exquisite lines even more clearly.

The sporty look of the Shooting Break concept car was rounded off with large 20-inch sterling silver wheels, featuring a special bionically arranged five-spoke filigree design, allowing a glimpse of the large brake discs behind. The front wheels were fitted with 255/30 ZR 20 tyres, while the rear of this exceptional vehicle sat on 285/25 ZR 20 tyres.

A large panoramic sunroof provided a view of the premium quality, masterfully crafted interior, which was dominated by natural materials, wood and leather: wood was used on the trim elements and door pulls, the instrument panel and centre console, and especially on the luggage compartment floor in the rear. When it came to choosing the wood, the interior designers opted for silky oak on account of its unusual, lens-shaped grain. The wooden floor in the luggage compartment has inlaid aluminium protective loading strips, and is reminiscent of finishes normally seen in yacht building.

Four saddle bags along the sides of the luggage compartment provided convenient storage for small implements. These saddle bags were finished in leather, a material used extensively throughout the Shooting Break concept car: in fact, almost ten square metres of leather, that is, almost five complete hides, went into the making of each car. Light sections of porcelain-coloured nappa leather formed an attractive contrast to the dark-brown aniline leather in the colour tone called ‘nature’, and to the perforated metallic-silver-finish seat cushions and door centre panels as well. Extensive double-lapped stitching and sophisticated, colour-coordinated seat upholstery piping bore witness to the hand-crafted perfection and careful attention to detail, as did the tuck stitching on the instrument panel, door sill covers and seat backrests, all of which highlighted the contours of the components extremely well.

Perfection and loving attention to detail were evidenced in the treatment of the trim elements, too. Whereas the exterior trim was polished to a high gloss finish, in the vehicle interior it had a satin sheen finish. A total of seven steps, from grinding to polishing by hand were necessary to transform the aluminium elements milled from the solid into the jewel-like trim parts that graced the vehicle interior. The matt finish of the interior trim was at the same time inspiration for the metallic silver leather of the seats, door centre panels and saddle bags in the luggage compartment. The deep-pile carpeting in the footwell – in porcelain tone – was a sumptuous material from the Maybach Manufaktur. Finally, light-tone roof lining in silk rounded off the feeling of homelike elegance.

The Shooting Break concept car was clearly a four-seater. The four identically shaped leather seats had a touch of the sports car about them thanks to their integrated head restraints. Openings in the upper area of the backrests made it possible to see through the seats. A large full-length wood console on the transmission tunnel provided a visual divide between driver and front passenger and at the same time indulged the occupants with two large leather-covered armrests. It also housed two cup holders as well as controls for the rear-compartment air conditioning. The centre console was finished off at the rear with inlaid work: curved Mercedes lettering which hearkened back to the style of the 1920s. The striking cursive-script lettering was also repeated on the front door sills.

The central screen was integrated into the upper part of the instrument panel, giving the cockpit a ‘wrap-around’ effect. The elegant verve and bionic details of the exterior were captured, among other things, in the dynamic wave-design air vents in the instrument panel, with an analogue clock in the centre. The instrument cluster comprised three tubes for dial-type gauges as well as a colour display for service indications.

In April 2010, the Shooting Break concept car was powered by the forerunner to the forthcoming new V-engine generation from Mercedes-Benz. The special features of the spray-guided direct injection engine included the latest generation of piezo-electric injection valves which enabled multiple injections. Better lean operation was possible thanks to load monitoring of the pressure information. Even the operation of the ancillary components had been made efficient and there was also a start-stop function. The V6 with a 60° cylinder angle and displacement of 3.5 litres developed 225 kW (306 hp) with a maximum torque of 370 newton metres.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: The luxury class car consuming 3 litres per 100 km - Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID

2011-09-11T11:25:00.004+03:00

The Facts

- Vehicle: Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID
- When: September 2009
- Where: IAA International Motor Show, Frankfurt am Main
- What: luxury class car with a consumption level of three litres per 100 kilometres, achieved through the use of a hybrid modular system
- Drivetrain: 3.5-litre V6 internal combustion engine with next-generation direct injection, combined with a hybrid module (44 kW/60 hp) as well as a lithium-ion battery with a storage capacity of more than 10 kWh

Technical highlights

- Powerful hybrid module integrated in the housing of the 7G-TRONIC 7-speed automatic transmission
- Additional clutch between internal combustion engine and hybrid module for even greater efficiency
- Plug-in battery could be recharged at charging station and made it possible to drive up to 30 kilometres under electric power alone. In the rapid charge mode with 20 kW charging power the process took less than 60 minutes

Shortly after the successful market launch of the S 400 HYBRID model as the most economical luxury saloon with an Otto-cycle internal combustion engine, Mercedes-Benz presented the Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID at the 63rd. International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/Main in 2009, the first luxury-class model in the ‘three-litre per hundred km’ category. This technology carrier was developed on the basis of a 221 model series S-Class, and showed the future of the hybrid system modular design principle from Mercedes-Benz. It had the capacity to travel up to 30 km powered exclusively by electricity, thus creating no local emissions. Thanks to its efficient drive system and the carbon dioxide bonus for battery electric powered operation it achieved a certified consumption level of just 3.2 litres of petrol fuel per 100 kilometres. With carbon dioxide emissions of only 74 grams per kilometre in the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle), the experimental vehicle demonstrated the future-compatibility of coming S-Class generations. These exceptional levels were achieved thanks to the combination of a plug-in hybrid drive system with efficiency-enhancing BlueEFFICIENCY measures.

At the same time, the Vision S 500 plug-in HYBRID featured all the typical strong points of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class: top-level comfort, exceptional safety and effortlessly superior performance. The concept vehicle’s drive system consisted of three main components: a powerful V6 internal combustion engine featuring next-generation direct injection, a hybrid module delivering 44 kW (60 hp), and a lithium-ion battery with over 10 kWh storage capacity, which could be recharged at a charging station. The vehicle was able to accelerate to 100 km/h from a standstill in 5.5 seconds.

The electrical drive system components demonstrated the versatility of the Mercedes-Benz scaleable hybrid drive system modular principle. In its design, the hybrid module presented only minor differences from the 15 kW electric motor with which the S 400 HYBRID was equipped, although it was three times as powerful as the latter. For this reason it was possible to integrate it elegantly in the housing of the 7-speed 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission. This hybrid variant left the generous interior of the experimental vehicle intact, as did the S 400 HYBRID – an important guide for future model generations.

Whereas the extremely compact lithium-ion battery of the S 400 HYBRID with a capacity of 0.9 kWh in fit easily in its engine compartment, the lithium-ion battery of the Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID, at 10 kWh considerably stronger, requires more space. The accumulator is therefore located in the boot behind the rear seats and above the rear axle. This installation location offers decisive benefits: the weight distribution in the vehicle is balanced and the petrol tank retains a volume compatible with an extended range. In addition the position offers the best possible protection in the event of a collision.

In consonance with the modular design concept, the drivetrain of the Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID was in principle designed exactly like that of the S 400 HYBRID. A feature specific to the system was the additional clutch integrated between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor. It decoupled the two assemblies when driving under electric power alone, so that the highest efficiency was guaranteed in electric mode. As it was possible to fully integrate it into the torque converter housing, the separating clutch did not need any additional installation space.

A further important difference from conventional hybrid vehicles was its plug-in battery, which could be recharged at charging stations. This enabled the Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID to be driven up to 30 kilometres under electric power alone. The rapid-charge mode with a charging capacity of 20 kW took less than 60 minutes. A standard recharge of a totally discharged battery at a conventional wall socket, 3.3 kW took around four and a half hours.

The compact on-board charger was located behind the lateral boot wall; it regulated the charging process and was protected against short circuit, polarity reversal and overvoltage. At the same time the charging system monitored the voltage, charge intensity and charging time for the protection of the battery. The total weight of the electric components in the experimental vehicle was 215 kilograms, towards which the lithium-ion battery contributed around 130 kilos, considerably less than a conventional nickel-metal-hydride battery of similar capacity, which would have weighed 180 to 200 kilograms.

The hybrid module refreshed the battery while driving, too: through the so-called recuperation process, the use of braking energy. In this context, the separating clutch also enhanced efficiency, as it enabled full recuperation of the kinetic energy without losses caused by engine drag.

The high-performance battery and the around 44 kW (60 hp) hybrid module enabled electricity-powered trips of up to 30 km, sufficient for most drives into town. And the Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID offered swift, very comfortable and locally emission free driving in this mode. At speed or on very steep climbs, the internal combustion engine kicked in automatically. Before closing the clutch, the vehicle electronics synchronised the rev speeds of internal combustion engine and hybrid module, so that switching-in proceeded absolutely jolt-free and unnoticeably. The sophisticated interplay with the internal combustion engine made numerous additional functions possible: this exerted a positive influence both on emissions and agility. Like the system in the S 400 HYBRID, the hybrid module in the Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID also featured an ECO start/stop function. It enhanced safety and motoring enjoyment by means of the so-called ‘boost’ effect with which the electric motor powerfully assisted the internal combustion engine in the high-consumption acceleration phase. In a slightly modified configuration, the system had already proven its day-to-day practicality in the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.

The lithium-ion battery not only serves as energy storage for the electric motor, it is also connected via a DC-to-DC converter to the vehicle 12V on-board network that supplies the standard consumers such as the headlamps and the comfort systems. In order to guarantee a constant high degree of electrical efficiency, the DC-to-DC converters are cooled by water via an additional low-temperature circuit.

Special power electronics systems were required for the operation of the three-phase alternating current electric motor in the high-tension direct-current network; the inverter was located in the engine compartment. Since the power electronics also heated up through the electrical current created, the system was also integrated in the low-temperature cooling circuit. In terms of power electronics, Mercedes-Benz favoured a standardisation of all components, so that these could be combined efficiently cross-range with different electric motors and different types of batteries.

The Vision E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID diesel hybrid concept car, also presented at the 2009 International Motor Show, was an important milestone on the road towards the plug-in hybrid car. Like the S 400 HYBRID and the Vision S 500 plug-in HYBRID, it was based on the Mercedes-Benz modular hybrid design principle. In this near-series study, the 2.2-litre 4-cylinder diesel engine was combined with a 15 kW (20 hp) hybrid module, like the one used in the S 400 HYBRID, but which also made it possible to drive under electric power alone. With this drive configuration, the Vision E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID required only 4.5 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, representing carbon dioxide emissions of just 119 grams per kilometre for an output of 165 kW (224 hp) and an outstanding torque of 580 to 600 newton metres (in both cases urban/extra urban combined), of a level equal to that of contemporary six-cylinder diesel- powered cars.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: The variety of electric drive systems - Concept BlueZERO

2011-09-11T11:18:00.003+03:00

The Facts

- Vehicle 1: BlueZERO E-Cell
- Vehicle 2: BlueZERO E-Cell PLUS
- Vehicle 3: BlueZERO F-Cell

- When: January 2009
- Where: North American International Auto Show, Detroit
- What: Flexible platform for different electro-mobility solutions
- Drivetrain:
1) BlueZERO E-Cell: battery-electric drive, 100 kW (70 kW continuous output), energy supply via lithium-ion accumulators, a range of up to 200 kilometres
2) BlueZERO E-Cell PLUS: electric motor, 100 kW (70 kW continuous output), energy supply via lithium-ion accumulators and three-cylinder petrol internal combustion engine (50 kW/68 hp) as Range Extender, an overall range of up to 600 kilometres, up to 100 kilometres under electric-power alone
3) BlueZERO F-Cell: electric motor, 100 kW (70 kW continuous output), energy supplied via a hydrogen-powered fuel cell. Range with one tankfull: 400 kilometres

Technical highlights

- Modular drive concept based on the Mercedes-Benz sandwich-floor architecture
- Translucent surfaces in lightweight components such as the tailgate allow the aluminium structure to be seen
- Consistent integration of drive and energy storage technology represents a design advantage over other electricity-powered vehicles

With the Concept BlueZERO Mercedes-Benz showed the way ahead in environmentally responsible electromobility at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit in January 2009. This was a modular concept which, based on a common vehicle architecture, made three vehicles with different drive configurations possible. BlueZERO E-Cell led the way with a battery-electric drive, which permitted a range of up to 200 kilometres using electric drive alone. BlueZERO E-Cell PLUS also has a battery-electric drive system, with an additional internal combustion engine which acted as a generator (‘Range Extender’). The combination made a range of up to 600 kilometres possible (under electric power alone the range that could be achieved was 100 kilometres). The third concept was the BlueZERO F-Cell system with a fuel-cell that produced electric energy from hydrogen, enabling a range of up to 400 kilometres with one tankfull.

The three variants were based on the unique sandwich-floor architecture, which Mercedes-Benz introduced from the mid 1990s onwards, one of the aims being the integration of alternative drive systems for the A- and B-Classes. Advantages of the modified design included the fact that the relevant drive components were installed beneath the vehicle floor in a space-saving, protected location. In terms of lightweight construction, interior and bodywork design too, the five-seater BlueZERO studies also set standards.

All three variants shared the same key technical components, design and vehicle dimensions were also identical. Measuring just 4.22 metres, the BlueZERO models combined compact exterior dimensions with a generous interior and luggage compartment sizes. Five fully-fledged seats, a payload of around 450 kilos with a volume of 500 litres make for outstanding everyday practicality. Thanks to their sandwich construction with a raised seating position, they also offered extremely good crash safety for passengers and technical components as well as exceptional all-round visibility.

The Concept BlueZERO offered the following convincing advantages over electricity-powered cars based on conventional vehicle platforms and originally designed only for the use of internal combustion engines:

- Interior space offered by the vehicles was retained in full. Thanks to the integration of the drive components in the spacious sandwich floor, neither the passenger nor the luggage compartments had to suffer any reduction in size or variability whatsoever.

- The drive engineering components installed in the sandwich floor produced a low centre of gravity. This favoured a particularly reliable and agile handling.

- Thanks to the sandwich concept and the location of major drivetrain components between the axles, the vehicles’ crash safety was of the accustomed high level typical of Mercedes‑Benz.

- As a result, the BlueZERO models were very different from conventionally-built electricity-powered vehicles, which had to accommodate heavy, bulky storage batteries in the boot or in the rear seat area.

All three BlueZERO models featured front-wheel drive, which is typical for this class of car. They had identical components, stemming from a modular construction principle, among these the liquid-cooled lithium-ion accumulator with a storage capacity of up to 35 kWh. The liquid-cooled high-voltage operated with a voltage of 240 to 426 volts, depending on the configuration. The compact permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor with a maximum output of 100 kW and a continuous output of 70 kW achieved a maximum rev speed of 13,280 rpm. It delivered a maximum torque of 320 newton metres and a continuous torque of 180 newton metres. All three variants were able to accelerate from a standstill to 100 km/h in less than 11 seconds. In the interests of achieving an optimum range and energy efficiency, the top speed was electronically limited to 150 km/h.

With a charge of 15 kW the lithium-ion batteries of the BlueZERO E-Cell and the BlueZERO E-Cell PLUS were able to store energy for a distance of 50 kilometres within 30 minutes. Operating under purely electrical energy a charging time of one hour and two hours were necessary to cover distances of 100 and 200 kilometres, respectively. With a charge of 7 kW, as that provided by a normal three-phase current connection, requires twice these charging times. But it was also possible to recharge the vehicles using a conventional household socket. For both these vehicles electronic systems were also planned to support the intelligent charging stations and billing systems.

The BlueZERO E-Cell PLUS was also equipped with the same 1.0-litre turbocharged internal-combustion engine as the smart fortwo, as an additional range extender. The compact three-cylinder engine, installed in the rear of the vehicle, delivered a continuous output of 50 kW at an engine speed of 3500 rpm, recharging – via an alternator of the same output – the 17.5 kWh lithium-ion battery while driving according to requirements. This enabled the vehicle to achieve a maximum range of 600 kilometres with one tankfull. The range under electric power alone was of up to 100 km. NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) consumption was 4.5 litres per 100 kilometres. In conjunction with a plug-in battery the vehicle could achieve a carbon dioxide emission level of just 32 grams per kilometre.

The new fuel cell generation used in the BlueZERO F-Cell was more compact yet with a maximum output of 90 kW (continuous output 80 kW) at the same time more efficient than its preceding version. Its cold-start capability extended down to 25 degrees below zero. In addition, the system was characterised by low recharging times. The BlueZERO F-Cell was capable of attaining a range considerably in excess of 400 kilometres (NEDC, New European Driving Cycle) without generating any local emissions.
In practise this compact family car met high handling dynamics standards, but only consumed 2.9 litres of fuel (diesel equivalent) per 100 kilometres. In this variant of the Concept BlueZERO, too, the drive system components (in this case electric motor, high-voltage battery and hydrogen tank) were located in a space-saving manner beneath the passenger compartment. The system used the most efficient energy source in each handling situation, so that the electric motor operated using only battery current when parking or manoeuvring. When accelerating both the electric battery and the fuel cell together delivered the required energy. When braking the electric motor acted as a generator, recharging the battery. This way, the efficient system made use of the energy which in conventional braking systems is converted into heat, storing the energy in the lithium-ion battery.

In all three BlueZERO variants, the pioneering technology was attractively packed in a homogenous manner. The independent and therefore unmistakably Mercedes-typical design language of the vehicle body showed the advanced character of the concept vehicles at first glance.

The front end, radiating powerful elegance, characterised the radiator grille with its centrally-located star. Good aerodynamics were aided by, among other things, the vehicle’s closed front apron whose design allowed it to dispense with cooling air intakes. The 20-inch wheels were likewise aerodynamically optimised, while rolling-resistance-optimised light-running tyres reduced rolling resistance.

The striking feature line on the vehicle’s flanks lent it a very dynamic side line and underscored the bionic (biological and technical) structure as a model of biological functions borrowed from Nature. This stylistic feature of the Mercedes-Benz bionic car, which appeared in 2005, was adapted and further developed for the BlueZERO models. These elements gave the bodywork a feel of powerful tension.

The remarkable rear-end view of the concept vehicles was characterised by the tail lamps in the shape of an elegantly curved ‘L’. The designers implemented here a new quality of light production: transparent lenses created a light curtain that tapers smoothly towards the sides, creating a lightly diffused effect. This created a slightly diffuse effect. This effect was repeated in the headlamps, albeit in white. In addition, the front lights featured new lens technology and a plexiglass edge to produce ‘C’ shaped daytime driving lights with the help of state-of-the-art LED technology.

Translucent surfaces make the normally concealed technology visible. The light-gray tailgate is made completely from lightweight but highly robust Lexan, allowing a view of the aluminium structure that makes up the rigidifying frame, for example. At the same time, this transparent tailgate provides a view of the vehicle interior, making the advantages of the sandwich-floor platform obvious at a glance: for maximum customer benefit, the luggage compartment and passenger area remain fully usable, since there are no technical components that need to be accommodated here.

The comprehensive claims of the concept vehicles were underlined by the Mercedes-Benz designer– among other things – with the colour scheme in three new ALU-BEAM colour tones. Each one of the three variants had its own individual focus: the BlueZERO E-Cell had a fresh ALU-BEAM yellow paint finish, the BlueZERO F-Cell presented itself in ALU-BEAM green. And finally, the designers chose a self-assured ALU-BEAM orange for the BlueZERO E-Cell PLUS.

The vehicles’ wheel caps were transparent, as were many other design elements, allowing the wheel spokes to become visible with the three-dimensional light effects that highlighted them. In addition, all three variants were equipped with a semi-transparent lightweight panorama roof with integrated solar panels. The thin layer cells used in them allowed 20 per cent of incident light through into the vehicle interior. Under adequate insolation conditions a current could be generated that was sufficient to charge a mobile telephone or a mobile MP3 player.

The interior was designed with a fully new progressive form language: lines flowed curved and subtle in the organic surfaces. The Concept BlueZERO was coherently based on bionic design principles and on the Mercedes-Benz bionic car. Numerous structures borrowed from Nature, recreating organic growth, were to be found in diverse trim components: in the door stowage compartments, the dashboard, the centre console, the luggage compartment and in the loading sill protection.

The many coloured transparent surfaces lent the interior a feeling of lightness. This was achieved by semi-transparent surfaces whose edges produced striking light refractions. This interplay between transparence and surface edge refractions underscored in a contrasting manner the smooth design language. The fluorescent glowing conductor paths in the centre console represented the entry into a drive system concept of the future.

The front seats, of sporty design featured optical seat cushion inserts with dynamically-shaped seat backrests. The overall effect was of lightness and slenderness, making the vehicle interior perceptibly more open. The five-seater concept vehicles offered the same flexibility and functionality as contemporary compact cars.

The material concept was based largely on a tone-in-tone composition, enriched by colour highlights: for instance, the seat belt colour and the topstitching in the trim elements signalled a connection with the vehicle exterior. The leather strip insets in the seats formed a visual bridge to the steering wheel, clad in haptically high-class leather. Thanks to their high surface quality, the materials were extremely hard-wearing. A material mix between textiles and plastics combined high quality with high-tech appeal.

With the BlueZERO concept studies, Mercedes-Benz provided a very concrete view of the future prospects for electric drive systems. Basic components of the modular drive concept were conceived for future series-production vehicles from Mercedes-Benz. The modular building-block system enabled tailor-made drive solutions for individual requirements to be designed. A first result was the Mercedes-Benz B-Class F‑Cell with a fuel cell- powered drive system that started series production in 2009.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: Compact SUV - Vision GLK FREESIDE

2011-09-11T11:11:00.004+03:00

The facts

- Vehicle: Vision GLK FREESIDE
- When: January 2008
- Where: North American International Auto Show, Detroit
- What: compact Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
- Drivetrain: four-cylinder diesel engine, 2.2-litre displacement and an output of 125 kW (170 hp).

Technical highlights

- For the first time, Mercedes-Benz presented BlueTEC in conjunction with a four-cylinder engine
- Fourth-generation Common-Rail direct injection with a pressure of 2000 bar and a two-stage turbo-charging system
- ‘Diamond White Magno ’ paint finish with matt clearcoat

GLK – these letters awaken different associations. The ‘G’ alludes to the archetypal cross-country vehicle, the ‘L’ intimates luxury and, as in other Mercedes-Benz model series, the ‘K’ stands for compactness. At first sight these three aspects may appear to be mutually incompatible. But on closer inspection, the concept vehicle Vision GLK FREESIDE offered the perfect approach to carrying Mercedes-Benz’s SUV expertise into a whole new dimension. The study was presented at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit in January 2008.

The Vision GLK FREESIDE combined typical SUV characteristics such as robustness and off-road capability with refined motoring characteristics on ‘normal’ roads, where the AGILITY CONTROL suspension ensured exceptional handling dynamics and agility, coupled with exquisite ride comfort and pioneering active safety. A high-strength bodyshell formed the backbone of this model and ensured other key characteristics as well: driving stability, virtual absence of vibration and noise whatever the conditions, while the passive safety features were of the highest standard, typical for the brand. The comprehensive safety concept included front, side and window airbags, a driver kneebag and crash-responsive head restraints.

A four-cylinder diesel engine provided an appealing driving performance under all conceivable conditions, thanks to its 2.2-litre displacement and 125 kW output (170 hp). Among its particularities could be counted the fourth-generation common-rail injection system with an injection pressure of 2000 bar and a two-stage turbo-charging system. In the Vision GLK FREESIDE, Mercedes-Benz showed the BlueTEC exhaust gas purification system in combination with a four-cylinder engine – for the first time. The study thus showed a way for four-cylinder engine-powered vehicles, including compact ones, to meet the strictest emission standards. The engine combined with the seven-speed 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission.

In addition, the compact concept vehicle, with an exterior length of 4.52 metres, features technical details which had previously been reserved exclusively for higher vehicle classes. These include, apart from the PRE-SAFEÒ anticipatory safety concept and the ILS intelligent light system, the intuitive COMAND APS infotainment centre, a rear-seat entertainment system with two screens and the THERMOTRONIC three-zone automatic climate control system.

In terms of style the prospect of a compact, distinctive SUV model succeeded through the combination of the angular original design of the G-Class with typical design features from the contemporary Mercedes-Benz passenger car range. The clear design language with its bold interplay between taut lines and large expansive surfaces met with bodywork characteristics of a functional off-road vehicle such as short overhangs, upright front end, slender roof pillars, a steeply raked windscreen and taut roof lines. Specially manufactured 20-inch light-alloy wheels and muscular wheel arches lent the vehicle additional power and charisma. However, the bodywork design was by no means an end in itself: it made possible larger approach and departure angles as well as excellent ground clearance, and consequently, off-road driving as well. Good all-round visibility in conjunction with the raised seating position enhanced the vehicle’s suitability for everyday on-road use, making for more relaxed driving even in dense city traffic.

The design concept of the Vision GLK FREESIDE was reinforced by the special effect: ‘Diamond White Magno’ paintwork: here a matte clearcoat protects the surface. The detachable body parts, in high-sheen sterling silver, produced a charming contrast, lending the study vehicle an even more exclusive look.

The interior of the Vision GLK FREESIDE corresponded strikingly with the bodywork design, featuring premium materials as well as a coherent ergonomic concept. The dominant element here was the dashboard, lending the generous interior added width through its broad decorative elements that impressed with their emphatically three-dimensional design. The main focus was centred around an elegant trim tier in matte anthracite-coloured cebrano wood with white grain texture and a precision-tailored inlaid chrome strip. This element with its rich contrast, extended across the full width of the dashboard, dividing its main body into three horizontal planes. The upper area was trimmed in black leather and encompassed the instrument cluster and the central static COMAND APS display. The lower area, like the transmission tunnel and the footwells echoed the colour scheme of the exterior paintwork. The seats and the lower part of the door panels were trimmed in white leather, treated with a special coating process that gave it a matte gloss finish like that of the ‘Diamond White Magno’ exterior paint finish.

Apart from the stunning visual effect, the treatment gave the natural leathers a velvety, skin-friendly easy-grip surface. Black piping added to the interesting black and white contrasts. The driver’s armrest and the COMAND APS controller were both located in ergonomically optimum positions. Control of the individual menus was intuitive following the highly familiar control logic in the S-Class. Additional shortcut buttons simplified the access to the most important main functions.

The Vision GLK FREESIDE had a latest-generation 4MATIC all-wheel drive system which distributed drive torque in a ratio of 45 : 55 per cent ratio between the front and the rear wheels respectively, guaranteeing – in conjunction with the ESPÒ, ASR and 4ETS driving dynamics control systems – an effortlessly superior and predictable performance in all conditions, including optimum traction with the greatest driving stability. The newly-developed multiple disc clutch in the central differential assisted the system under conditions of particularly low friction between tyre and road, for instance on snow- or ice-covered roads. A basic partial locking torque of 50 newton metres between the front and rear axles resulted in a considerable increase in traction while maintaining unchanged the high level of driving stability.

The AGILITY CONTROL suspension of the Vision GLK FREESIDE resolved a conflict of objectives which particularly affected the SUV segment, where chassis engineers had the goal of creating a vehicle which was at the same time both sportily agile and comfortably smooth yet off-road-capable. If the focus is on sporty-active handling, the springs and above all, the shock absorbers, need to show a certain firmness which on the other hand bars the way to the desired brand-typical suspension comfort, and off-road capability. If on the other hand the vehicle is set up with softer dampers, trimming it consistently towards suspension comfort and off-road capability, dynamic handling naturally suffers. The solution found was the so-called ‘amplitude-dependent damping’: the damping forces of the shock absorbers were not rigidly set, but configured to respond flexibly instead. In a normal driving mode on a moderately contoured road or on slow off-road tours the system responds softly, enhancing both the comfort of the occupants and the vehicle’s off-road capability.

To ensure that this level of comfort is retained, even when applying a more dynamic style of driving or in the event of abrupt manoeuvres (e.g. when taking evasive action), in these situations the dampers deliver a harder performance, ensuring optimum driving stability. The driver of the Vision GLK FREESIDE is supported by speed-sensitive power steering which ensures the optimum steering force boost for the given situation. Parking or manoeuvring off-road become easy exercises because maximum steering power assistance is at hand. At higher speeds, on the other hand, assistance is reduced in favour of greater driving stability.

In the sum of its characteristics the Vision GLK FREESIDE signalled a breakthrough into a new dimension of compact SUVs. And it was a very realistic study: the corresponding series-production vehicle, model series X 204 Mercedes-Benz GLK, followed already in the summer of 2008.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: Luxury convertible - Concept Ocean Drive

2011-09-11T11:06:00.002+03:00

The facts

- Vehicle: Concept Ocean Drive
- When: January 2007
- Where: North American International Auto Show, Detroit
- What: Four-door luxury convertible
- Drivetrain: 12-cylinder four-stroke petrol engine, 5.5 litre displacement, 380 kW (517 hp), rear-wheel drive, five-speed automatic transmission

Technical highlights

- Headlamps and rear lights with LED technology
- Innovative soft-top mechanism, permitting a harmonious as well as rapid opening and closing sequence
- Novel AIRSCARF headroom heating on all four seats

At the North American International Auto Show 2007 (NAIAS 2007) in Detroit, Mercedes-Benz underlined its role as pioneer and design trendsetter by presenting the four-door Concept Ocean Drive convertible. With this design show car, the brand revived the tradition of large luxury convertibles with a specially manufactured one-off model. Without the constraints of technical and production specifications, the designers created the most comfortable and most elegant convertible in the world. Concept Ocean Drive is an intriguing jewel. A four-door convertible, the design study belongs to a category of luxurious automobiles which have vanished almost completely from our roads. Like the luxury convertibles of bygone days, the showpiece combines elegance with a refined lifestyle and exclusiveness at the highest level. In other words, it represents automotive culture at its most beautiful and desirable.

The one-off model stands out with its completely newly designed bodywork, an almost classic appeal, clean lines and an exciting two-tone finish that give the car outstanding charisma. It exudes the distinguished restraint of automotive nobility while at the same time arousing the yearning for gliding along the world’s most beautiful beaches with the top down. The show car with the star proudly boasts refined and at the same time out-of-the-ordinary materials which were processed at the highest level of craftsmanship – uncompromising perfection which turns this car into an unparalleled gem.

As a show car, the unique luxury convertible from Stuttgart places the idea of a dream car onto four wheels and at the same time reflects the high design competence and values of the Mercedes-Benz brand. These include traditional basic values such as soundness, quality, comfort, effortless superiority, value retention, and safety, complemented by the key messages of passion, fascination and innovation.

The special external features of the show car include four doors, a very large vertical radiator grill, headlamps and rear lights with LED technology, two-tone finish and an intriguing interplay of taut lines and large smooth surfaces. This gives the automotive solitaire a superior and powerful appearance, coupled with elegance and forward thrust.

The long lateral glazing, unmarred by B-pillars and window frames in typical convertible style, makes the exterior merge with the interior even with the roof closed. Generous use of valuable materials – high-grade leather, fabrics with a three-dimensional appearance and large bird’s eye maple surfaces used as trim and even soft-top compartment cover – and of host of lovingly designed detail features underline the show car’s luxurious and unique character in the interior.

The design study was based in engineering terms on the Mercedes-Benz S 600 with twelve-cylinder engine and long wheelbase. Its technical highlights include an innovative soft-top mechanism with a convincingly harmonious, as well as quick, opening and closing sequence, and the novel AIRSCARF headroom heating on all four seats, permitting open-top motoring pleasure even during the cold season.

In addition, the fully operational show car is equipped with production systems for a unique level of safety, including, among other things, PLUS Brake Assist, accident prevention system in combination with DISTRONIC PLUS and radar sensors, and the anticipatory occupant protection system, PRE-SAFE®.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: Impressive sports coupé - Maybach Exelero

2011-09-11T11:00:00.002+03:00

The facts

- Vehicle: Maybach Exelero
- When: May 2005
- Where: Nardo/Italy
- What: Test car for high-speed tyres
- Drivetrain: 12-cylinder four-stroke petrol engine, 5.9 litre displacement, two turbochargers, 515 kW (700 hp), rear-wheel drive

The Maybach Exelero is a very special concept car in that it was created in cooperation with tyre producer Fulda. For the testing of high-performance tyres, the company needed a car that was capable of exceeding the 350 km/h mark. A Maybach model had been built to serve as a test car for Fulda as early as the late 1930s – and this connection was revived a couple of years ago. The final result was more than convincing: on May 1, 2005, racing driver Klaus Ludwig drove the Maybach Exelero fitted with Fulda tyres in Nardo/Italy and attained a speed of 351.45 km/h – setting a new world speed record for limousines on series-production tyres.

The Maybach Exelero combines the elegance and first-class quality of a high-end limousine with the silky-smooth power of a sports coupé. It is a car which attains a top speed of over 350 km/h – with an unladen weight of 2.66 tons and the dimensions of a small van. For this car, a tyre was designed that not only coped with the above-mentioned weight, dimensions, and speed, but also gave the car safety, stability, and comfort.

The project team started working on the Maybach Exelero in 2003. It consisted of Mercedes-Benz engineers, who assumed responsibility for the engineering, of designers headed by Prof. Harald Leschke as well as two professors and four students from the Transportation Design department of Pforzheim Technical College. Nine months later, the draft of one of the students was selected for realization from a line-up of promising design proposals. This student had succeeded in creating the most elegant symbiosis of the related form languages of past and present car generations. After the model-building stage, the car was set up by the renowned producer of vehicle studies, Stola, based in Turin/Italy. It was then that it was given its final name: Maybach Exelero. The denomination is an invented word formed from the Latin-Italian terms ex-cello/eccelso = sublime/illustrious/outstanding, and accelero = accelerated. The interior is dominated by materials such as natural leather, neoprene, coated perforated aluminium sheeting and high-sheen carbon-fibre surfaces in black and red. The car was completed in the spring of 2005 – a period of just 25 months had passed between idea and finish.

The Exelero was based on the Maybach 57. However, the twelve-cylinder engine used in the Maybach sedan was not powerful enough for the envisaged top speed, despite its two turbochargers. Therefore, displacement was enlarged from 5.6 to 5.9 litres, and turbocharging was optimised. As a result, a power output of just under 515 kW (700 hp) and torque of around 1,000 newton metres were measured on the test rig – enough power for the car to reach the targeted 350 km/h mark.

Fulda looks back on a long tradition of special cars for testing tyres and for introducing them to the public. The streamlined Maybach SW 38, designed in 1938 and supplied in 1939, was a response to technical developments in those days, i.e. to the cars’ ever higher road speeds in the 1930s. Chassis and engine technologies, aerodynamically designed bodywork and the first motorways made high-speed driving possible. At the time, Fulda commissioned bodybuilder Dörr & Schreck in Frankfurt/Main with the manufacture of the test car – specifying a clear-cut condition: the car had to be capable of performing high-speed tests at over 200 km/h over longer periods of time. Dörr & Schreck accepted the challenge and chose Messrs. Maybach Motorenbau as cooperation partner for the project. With the support of Baron Reinhard Koenig-Fachsenfeld, an aerodynamicist renowned in professional circles, a streamlined three-seater based on the chassis of the Maybach SW 38 was created. The Fulda coupé with self-supporting bodywork and two-tone finish featured a long, downward-sloping rear end. Seen from above, the silhouette was a rectangle with rounded corners. Like the underfloor, the rear wheel arches were completely covered, and even the door handles were partly recessed.

To give the car a top speed of over 200 km/h, as demanded by Fulda, the engineers installed a powerful six-cylinder engine with 140 hp (103 kW). The top speed was equally made possible by an unusually low drag coefficient of cd = 0.25 (as opposed to 0.6 customary for contemporary series-production cars). Another pre-condition was that the chassis was not to weigh more than 1.6 tons. However, the car was used to a very limited extent due to the outbreak of the Second World War. It disappeared in the turmoil of war and has since been missing.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: Big in spite of being compact - Vision B

2011-09-11T10:54:00.003+03:00

The facts

- Vehicle: Vision B
- When: September 2004
- Where: Paris Motor Show
- What: Comfortable five-seater tourer combining features of a sedan, station wagon, MPV and sport-utility vehicle
- Drivetrain: Four-cylinder diesel engine, 103 kW/140 hp, front-wheel drive, AUTOTRONIC continuously variable automatic transmission

Technical highlights

- Sandwich floor introduced in 1998 in the A-Class (W 168)
- Prototype of an innovative, high-performance four-cylinder diesel engine
- Newly developed AUTOTRONIC continuously variable automatic transmission
- ALU-BEAM high-gloss paintwork
- New high-tech interior fabric

Finding out what the customer wants or needs, observing social trends, looking into the future, then turning the findings into new concepts and ideas – this approach has served Mercedes-Benz well over the years. As the product drive shows, it is an approach which brings successful results.

‘Vision B’, the vision for a ‘Compact Sports Tourer’, is a typical example. Vision B was presented at the 2004 Paris Motor Show alongside ‘Vision R’, the ‘Grand Sports Tourer’. This was appropriate since there were close affinities between the two vehicles, Vision B being a new interpretation of the themes first introduced in the Grand Sports Tourer. The spacious interior of Vision B catered for family and leisure use and was combined with the prestige factor of a sedan, the comfort of a tourer and the dynamism of a sports car.

While the external dimensions corresponded to those of a modern compact car, with a length of 4.27 metres and a width of 1.78 metres, on the inside Vision B offered space and comfort on a par with larger sedans or station wagons. This was down to an ingenious concept: the patented sandwich principle. The space-saving positioning of the engine, which sat partly in front of and partly underneath the passenger cell, meant that the passenger and load compartments were able to occupy almost 70 per cent of the vehicle’s total length – an excellent dimensional performance and an excellent basis for long-distance touring comfort. The distance between the front and rear seats measured 84 centimetres, with rear shoulder room of 1.38 metres and rear headroom of 98 centimetres.

Vision R and Vision B shared a common design language. The front end of both cars was defined by a radiator grille with three horizontal slats and integral Mercedes star, with headlamps which were located well to the outside and emphasised the sense of width. In the case of Vision B, the large headlamps echoed the bumper contouring, thus integrating all the various parts of the front end into a stylistic whole. Another styling feature common to both sports tourer concept vehicles was the styling of the bonnet. Its shape was somewhat raised, thereby standing out from the fenders and reinforcing the powerful front-end stance. Muscular ‘shoulders’ supported a rounded roof line which rose slightly towards the rear, stressing the wedge shape and thus the dynamic and powerful nature of the sports tourers. The unmistakable overall effect was one of strength, confidence and readiness to perform.

The special high-gloss finish and intense sheen of Vision B’s innovative ALU-BEAM paintwork was the result of a newly-developed process which Mercedes-Benz was the first manufacturer in the world to put into practice. In conventional metallic paints the metallic effect is created by tiny pigment particles with a diameter of just 100 to 300 nanometres. To produce the new ALU-BEAM paint, the particles were subjected to unusually intensive processing and are also very much finer, with a diameter of no more than 30 to 50 nanometres (30 to 50 billionths of a metre). This means they are integrated more evenly into the paint surface. As a result, the light is reflected more intensely, producing an enhanced metallic sheen.

Inside Vision B, glass was used as an important styling feature, contributing to an attractive, upbeat atmosphere. As well as creating a visual link between the exterior and the interior, it produced a light and airy ambience which was inviting and at the same time added to the agreeable impression of spaciousness.

In keeping with the car’s youthful, sporty character, the dashboard, seats and doors of the ‘Vision B’ Compact Sports Tourer were trimmed with a new, high-tech fabric whose airy lightness was reminiscent of high-quality sportswear. Polished aluminium meanwhile was used for the trim around the air outlets over the centre console, for the control console of the COMAND and automatic climate control systems and for the instrument cluster backplate.

Vision B’s state-of-the-art diesel engine was a passport to dynamic driving enjoyment. The newly developed four-cylinder unit delivered maximum power of 103 kW (140 hp) and with 300 newton metres of torque available from just 1600 rpm offered lively mid-range acceleration. A further innovation was the Mercedes-Benz AUTOTRONIC continuously variable automatic transmission, which made maximum power available more quickly than a conventional automatic transmission. Like a modern sports car transmission, AUTOTRONIC can be shifted using steering-wheel gearshift buttons. Fuel consumption was less than six litres per 100 km.

‘Vision B’ was a window onto the future but at the same time very much a car of the here and now. Like every other Mercedes-Benz concept car, it had all its four wheels planted firmly in the world of reality.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: The best of two worlds - Vision CLS

2011-09-11T10:46:00.004+03:00

The facts

- Vehicle: Vision CLS
- When: Fall 2003
- Where: Frankfurt International Motor Show
- What: Spacious four-door coupé
- Drivetrain: Six-cylinder diesel engine, 195 kW (265 hp), rear-wheel drive, 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission

Technical highlights

- Innovative coupé body with four doors and generous interior space
- Active Light System introduced in 2003 as bi-xenon headlamps with Active Light System in the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W 211)
- Cornering light
- Electrohydraulic brake system introduced in 2001 as Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC) in the Mercedes-Benz SL (R 230)

A highlight of the Mercedes-Benz stand at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) was a concept car which took new directions in both styling and engineering: Vision CLS. Never before had two distinct genres been combined so satisfyingly and so attractively as in this vehicle, which was a coupé and a sedan rolled into one. Once again, Mercedes-Benz had created a milestone in automotive history.

‘Vision CLS is a coupé generation ahead of the rest,’ was the verdict of Professor Jürgen Hubbert, former member of the DaimlerChrysler Board of Management and Head of the Mercedes Car Group. ‘The idea of a four-door coupé opens up exciting possibilities. It is aimed primarily at people who have a passion for motor cars and motoring.’

In recent years a whole succession of Mercedes-Benz concepts and show cars have courted debate on new, intriguing, and for the most part subsequently commercialised, vehicle concepts. Like them Vision CLS too, which went on show at the IAA, was looking to test the waters with the public. As ever, the product planning team felt that it should be the public's verdict which determined the future of this unique concept. As it turned out, that verdict was so positive that the decision could be taken right away: volume production would start in autumn 2004.

Vision CLS’ big attraction was its combination of coupé looks with the practical advantages of a sedan. Four doors and a capacious interior gave Vision CLS a clear edge over other coupés. At the front end, both innovative and familiar themes were on parade. Although the new-design headlamps created a Mercedes-Benz face which was intriguing and different, the centrally positioned star and the slatted radiator grille were established and typical Mercedes-Benz design features.

The side view exhibited the taut lines and naturally rounded forms for which modern Mercedes-Benz design is noted. One example was the high waistline. Emphasised by a clearly defined feature line, it added to the sense of security when sitting inside the Vision CLS. This was crowned by a striking roofline which extended above the body in a sweeping arc, then dipped gently away to the rear.

Bright colours made the interior of the Vision CLS inviting and cheerful. Wood and leather were much in evidence. The dashboard and A-pillars were finished in natural leather processed in accordance with traditional methods. Soft leather upholstery was also used on the seats and door panels. Hand-finished oak veneer meanwhile attracted the eye with a light colour and an interesting, open-pored grain, while the roof, largely made of glass, let in a lot of light and added to the pleasant sense of spaciousness.

The interior space of the Vision CLS set new standards for a coupé. The distance of 83 centimetres between the front and rear seats put Vision CLS firmly in sedan territory. The headroom in the rear of 92 centimetres went well beyond the usual dimensions for a coupé of this size. Trunk capacity too, at 470 litres (VDA norm), was significantly more than that offered by other coupés and some sedans, making the Vision CLS a fully-fledged tourer for four.

On the safety front, the vehicle was equipped with adaptive front airbags, window bags and side airbags, along with belt tensioners and adaptive belt force limiters on all seats. Other technical highlights of the Vision CLS included the Active Light System, cornering light and the electrohydraulic brake system Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC).

The powerful diesel engine meanwhile was typical of the concept vehicle’s combination of charisma and practicality. Maximum power of 195 kW (265 hp) and maximum torque of 560 newton metres provided an exciting driving experience. The power was transferred to the road by the world’s first seven-speed automatic transmission, the 7G-TRONIC. Zero to 100 km/h was accomplished in 6.4 seconds, with an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h. For all this impressive performance however, the six-cylinder unit was fully Euro 4-compliant and had a fuel consumption (NEDC, New European Driving Cycle) of just 7.5 litres per 100 km.

Vision CLS – this Mercedes-Benz was in a class of its own among coupés and defined a new market segment. Mercedes-Benz is confident this segment will see steady growth. After all, the company has always shown a knack for setting trends. And it has no intention of stopping now.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: Luxury touring in a distinctive format: Vision GST, Vision GST 2 and Vision R

2011-09-10T23:23:00.002+03:00

The facts

Vehicle 1: Vision GST
- When: January 2002
- Where: North American International Auto Show, Detroit

Vehicle 2: Vision GST 2
- When: January 2004
- Where: North American International Auto Show, Detroit

Vehicle 3: Vision R
- When: September 2004
- Where: Paris Motor Show

- What: Large, comfortable, six-seater tourer combining features of a sedan, station wagon, MPV and sport-utility vehicle
- Drivetrain:
1) Vision GST: eight-cylinder petrol engine, 5.5 litre displacement, 265 kW(360 hp), four-wheel drive, six-speed automatic transmission
2) Vision GST 2: hybrid drive – eight-cylinder diesel engine with 4.0 litre displacement and 184 kW (250 hp), combined with a 50 kWelectric motor – four-wheel drive, six-speed automatic transmission
3) Vision R: V-six-cylinder diesel engine with 3.0 litre displacement, 160 kW (218 hp), four-wheel drive, 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission

Technical highlights

- Hybrid drive (diesel engine and electric motor) in Vision GST 2
- ‘Butterfly’ doors without an intervening B-pillar, opening to a maximum angle of 90 degrees (Vision GST)
- Electrotransparent roof (Vision GST) introduced in 2002 in the Maybach (W 240)
- Interior lighting concept: luminescent films in the ceiling, doors and the lower areas of the transmission tunnel (Vision GST)
- ‘Floating’ interior: concealed mounting of the transmission tunnel and seats (Vision GST)
- Seats and doors upholstered in a combination of fabric and leather using a new technique (Vision GST)
- Rear-seat entertainment system comprising two eight-inch colour monitors with CD/DVD player and digital TV receiver for passengers in the second row of seats and a swivel-mounted colour monitor and additional CD/DVD player for passengers in the third row
- Four-wheel drive with 4ETS electronically controlled traction system
- Anticipatory occupant protection system PRE-SAFE® introduced in 2003 in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W 220)
- Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC®) electrohydraulic brake system introduced in 2001 in the Mercedes-Benz SL (R 230)
- Twin xenon projector-beam headlamps incorporating Fresnel lenses to focus the dipped and high beams
- LED daytime lights and turn signals illuminate the entire area of the headlamp (Vision GST and Vision GST 2)
- Active brake lights
- Sequential LED turn signals (Vision GST and Vision GST 2)

Since 2002, three different versions of a Mercedes-Benz concept car have been introducing the public to a new vehicle segment which looks all set for a promising future. The company presented Vision GST at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2002. Exactly two years later, also in Detroit, it presented a modified and further refined version, Vision GST 2. Thirdly, at the Paris Motor Show 2004, ‘Vision R’ made its debut. At the same time development of the series-production version was also in full swing. It is scheduled to start coming off the line at the end of 2004. This evolution is a good example of how thin the dividing line is between a Mercedes concept car and a marketable vehicle.

The three letters ‘GST’ stand not only for ‘Grand Sports Tourer’ – basically a large and comfortable vehicle with excellent touring qualities – but also for a new world and a new motoring experience. The fact that this vehicle was first presented in the US was intentional. The American market is traditionally very fond of spacious, comfortable cars, although these normally fit within conventional concepts such as sedans, station wagons, MPVs and sport-utility vehicles (SUVs). Vision GST was different however, combining the best features of all these concepts into one vehicle. Right from the debut of the first concept at the Detroit Auto Show 2002, the public response was massive. From this moment on, the Mercedes-Benz product planning team knew they were on to a winner.

Like other trend-setting new vehicle concepts from Mercedes-Benz, the Grand Sports Tourer was the outcome of an intensive dialogue with customers from all over the world, aimed at pinpointing and analyzing their requirements and translating them into new vehicle projects.

The design specifications for the Vision GST envisaged a long-distance tourer which would provide a relaxed travelling environment for up to six people. This presupposed a large interior and, since there are limits to what even the most space-maximizing design can achieve, it also presupposed large exterior dimensions. Vision GST was 5.13 metres long (as long as the long-wheelbase version of the S-Class), 1.92 metres wide and 1.65 metres tall, with a wheelbase of 3.22 metres. The result was first-class interior space, as can be seen from the various dimensional statistics. The distance between the first and second seat rows was 92 centimetres, with 82.5 centimetres separating the second and third rows. On headroom, too, Vision GST went beyond the usual luxury-segment dimensions, with 101 centimetres headroom right at the front of the vehicle, 103 centimetres in the centre and a generous 95 centimetres at the third row of seats. This level of space-efficiency was quite simply a benchmark: more than 44 per cent of the body volume was devoted to the passenger compartment – a ratio currently unmatched by any luxury-class sedan.

With dimensions like these, the designers obviously faced something of a challenge in their quest for styling which would be dynamic, inspiring and innovative, despite the imposing size. But they managed to pull it off: Vision GST had an unmistakably dynamic stance, yet without compromising on elegance. The secret lay in the clearly defined, rounded roofline which ran in a taut bow from the A-pillar to the D-pillar. Other design features combined with this to convey forward-flowing energy and nimble movement. The frontal view was particularly powerful.

The occupants were enveloped by comfort from the moment they stepped on board. A brief touch of the sensor button caused the door handles to glide out for easier opening. This was followed up a moment later by the next pleasant surprise: the large, so-called butterfly doors opened out from the centre, with no intervening B-pillar. Opening to a maximum angle of 90 degrees, they gave an expansive view of the interior and provided extremely convenient access and exit.

The roof of the Vision GST consisted largely of special electrotransparent glass. At the press of a button, the level of tinting could be varied depending on the intensity of the sunlight. At the sides, the panoramic roof spilt over the edge to give a three-dimensional effect, adding to the sense of lightness and transparency inside. An ingenious lighting concept with luminescent films in the ceiling, the doors and the lower areas of the transmission tunnel added to the cosy atmosphere, providing discreet illumination while on the move. At night-time, the glow from this lighting maintained the agreeable sense of spaciousness, so that the occupants of the Vision GST could feel just as secure and at ease as during the daytime.

Comfort and relaxation were the keynotes of the interior, which presented a mix of attractive shapes, soft materials like wood and leather and attractive colours which made for a bright and friendly ambience. The comfortable single seats were individually adjustable. As with the transmission tunnel, their mounting points were concealed, giving them a ‘ floating ’ appearance which deftly accentuated the pleasant sense of spaciousness in the Grand Sports Tourer.

The instrument dials were surrounded by aluminium cylinders and recalled racing car cockpits of the past, although the technology was very much state of the art. Aluminium highlights were to be found elsewhere in the interior too, for example on the side air outlets, the centre console and the tunnel.

Wood surfaces provided an attractive counterpoint to the metal. They included a large panel running right across the dashboard and wood trim in the centre console. Instead of being finished with lacquer, the open-pored wood was protected just by wax and oil, for a more natural effect.

The seats and door panels were upholstered in a combination of leather and high-tech fabrics which for the first time gave the designers the chance to create a pattern using leather. In the seat surfaces the material had been cut out to a precise pattern by laser. This exposed the leather underneath and emphasised the pattern.
The rear-seat entertainment system allowed passengers to while away the journey with their own selection of music or films. For passengers in the second row of seats, two eight-inch colour screens were provided, integrated in the backs of the front head restraints and connected to a CD/DVD player and a digital TV receiver. For passengers in the third row of seats, a swivel-mounted colour monitor was installed on the rear side of the rear centre console, which also offered room for an additional CD/DVD player.

As befits a vehicle which was aiming to be versatile, Vision GST had an extremely adaptable interior designed to meet a wide range of transport needs. The four rear seats were individually folding and it was only a moment's work to remove the rear centre console and in this way increase the cargo space, when loaded up the roof, to an impressive 2030 litres (VDA method) – considerably more than in a conventional station wagon.

The first Vision GST was powered by an AMG-modified eight-cylinder petrol engine with 5.5 litre displacement, 265 kW (360 hp) and four-wheel drive. Vision GST 2 meanwhile was powered by a diesel hybrid system offering improved fuel economy and reduced emissions, with no concessions on agility, comfort and driving enjoyment. The bonnet sheltered an eight-cylinder diesel engine developing 184 kW/250 hp and an electric motor developing 50 kW (68 hp). The motor was powered by a rear-mounted 270 V nickel metal-hydride battery with a capacity of 1.5 kilowatt hours and a rated voltage of 270 V. This combination delivered a formidable combined maximum torque of 860 newton metres and made Vision GST 2 a lively performer. 0-100 km/h time was just 6.6 seconds, with an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.

Load sharing between the diesel engine and the electric motor was coordinated by an electronic microcontroller. When moving off from rest, when parking, in stop-and-go operation or in slow-moving traffic when the vehicle was simply keeping pace with the flow and there were no major power demands, the emission-free electric motor was used. The V8 was only started if the driver demanded more power, in which case the vehicle provided typical Mercedes-Benz acceleration. This drivetrain concept reduced fuel consumption by approximately 20 per cent, to approximately 7.9 litres per 100 km (30 miles to the US gallon), with the potential for further improvement. The diesel emissions were purified by a sophisticated sensor-controlled exhaust gas aftertreatment system.

For both versions of the Vision GST, new front and rear axles were developed which in combination with AIRMATIC air suspension provided outstandingly good ride comfort. Active safety was provided by the Electronic Stability Program (ESP®) and the electronically controlled traction support system 4ETS. 4ETS applies controlled amounts of braking pressure to wheels which are losing grip and simultaneously increases the amount of power sent to the wheels with good traction. These various systems gave both versions of the Vision GST the long-distance ride comfort of a luxury-class sedan and the sure handling of a four-wheel drive vehicle.

On occupant safety Vision GST blazed a new trail – with the innovative anticipatory occupant protection system PRE-SAFE® developed by Mercedes-Benz. This system is capable of detecting an impending collision in advance and activates special protection systems before the impact takes place. In Vision GST these included belt tensioners and an automatic seat adjuster which moved the front passenger seat into a position where the belt and airbag could provide best possible protection.

As with other Mercedes-Benz concept vehicles, lighting technology was once again an important theme. The ovoid headlamps evoked associations with current Mercedes-Benz models and at the same time gave the concept vehicle a distinctive and unmistakable face. Alongside their functional aspect, the high-tech lighting features were also used as a styling device - for example the daytime lights and the turn signals illuminated the entire semi-transparent area of the headlamps, so that the characteristic oval shape was striking at night as well as during the day. The twin xenon projector-beam headlamps, with their Fresnel lenses which focused the high beam and low beam, were a further striking feature. For the turn signals and daytime lights, high-performance light-emitting diodes were used.

The three-chamber rear lights, consisting of elegant, chrome-plated fins, likewise showed both stylistic and technical ingenuity. For example an ‘active’ brake light function automatically caused all rear light functions to show red when the driver stepped on the brake pedal, thus providing a conspicuous warning for following traffic. The sequential LED turn signals were likewise very visible.

‘Vision R’, which appeared at the 2004 Paris Motor Show, was a European version of the Grand Sports Tourer. It differed in having, at 2.98 metres, a 23.5 centimetre shorter wheelbase than the version of January 2004. A four-plus-two-seater, it was 4.92 metres long and offered generous interior space.

Vision R was powered by a prototype of a new V6 diesel engine which made a natural choice for a car in this category. Equipped with common-rail direct injection and a VNT turbocharger, this three-litre CDI unit developed maximum power of 160 kW (218 hp) and maximum torque of 510 newton metres. The effortless power of this engine was matched only by its refinement and by fuel consumption of less than nine litres per 100 km.

New worlds and new departures are frequently based on a vision – or visions. That's certainly the case with Vision GST and Vision R. They will be followed by a production version which will set Mercedes-Benz standards in a whole new segment. It will start coming off the line at the end of 2004.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: Compact roadster - Vision SLA

2011-09-10T23:17:00.002+03:00

The facts

- Vehicle: Vision SLA
- When: January 2000
- Where: North American International Auto Show, Detroit
- What: Compact roadster
- Drivetrain: Four-stroke, four-cylinder petrol engine, 1.9 litre displacement, 92 kW (125 hp), front-wheel drive, five-speed manual transmission

Technical highlights

- Lightweight hybrid bodywork consisting of aluminium sections and panels and high-grade plastics
- LED rear light clusters introduced in 2003 in the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (C 199)
- LED turn signals introduced in 2003 in the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (C 199)
- Carbon fibre bucket seats introduced in 2003 in the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (C 199)

‘Arousing curiosity … firing the emotions … thinking ahead … anticipating the future and translating new ideas into reality – the designers at the Mercedes Technology Centre in Sindelfingen certainly have an interesting job. Their “present” is the future. And sometimes they give us glimpses of that future by bringing out concept cars – cars which show us how we will be getting around in a number of years’ time. The new Vision SLA is one such glimpse.’

This was how Mercedes-Benz introduced the Vision SLA when it made its public debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2000. A small roadster based on the A-Class, the Vision SLA’s aim was to translate the appeal and driving enjoyment of the SL series into an altogether smaller segment.

Reflecting its A-Class parentage Vision SLA had compact dimensions, with an exterior length of 3.77 metres promising a nippy driving experience – the SLK (R 170) was 20 centimetres longer, the SL (R 230) no less than 73 centimetres longer. Key design features of the compact roadster concept included powerfully sculpted fenders, a sharply raked windshield, large doors and a gently slanting rear in the style of the legendary Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows. Two particularly innovative features were a prominent front fin and a V-shaped nose borrowed from the SLR high-performance sports car, which incorporated a centrally positioned Mercedes star.

The bodywork sheltered advanced Mercedes-Benz engineering. A 1.9 litre engine developing a maximum output of 92 kW (125 hp) and maximum torque of 180 newton metres at 4000 rpm translated into an attractive performance , with a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 209 km/h. High active safety standards meanwhile were provided by the A-Class-derived, slightly modified chassis with Electronic Stability Program (ESP™) and Brake Assist.

With the bodywork, the staff from the advanced engineering and research departments had broken new ground. The Vision SLA had an innovative hybrid body structure consisting of aluminium sections and panels and high-grade plastics. This lightweight construction allowed Vision SLA to tip the scales at just 950 kilograms (DIN unladen weight).

The A-Class influence could be seen in the safety concept too. Although the open-top two-seater wasn't built on the sandwich principle, in the event of a serious front-end impact it used the same bright idea as the A-Class of shunting the engine out of the way underneath the passenger compartment. The positioning of the engine at an angle ensured that in an impact it would slide down along the sturdy front floor panel without intruding into the passenger compartment. This gave Vision SLA the same high safety standards as larger Mercedes-Benz sedans. Roll-over protection was provided by sturdy roll-over bars behind the seats and by a reinforced front windshield frame.

Once again, lighting was an important development focus. At the rear, 30 high-performance LEDs, with prisms to disperse the light, provided a more effective rear warning system than conventional bulbs, particularly in conditions of poor visibility. It took the form of vertical bands. The powerful LED turn signals, housed on fins inside the light housings, were likewise innovative and designed to attract attention. High-performance LEDs were also used for the brake lights, which were mounted in the rear bumper and in the rear crossbar on the trunk lid. Evenly dispersed road illumination and a long beam range were provided by state-of-the-art xenon projector-beam headlamps which used two separate headlamps for the dipped beam and the high beam.

At the front, the transparent ends of a frontal fin spanning the full width of the car incorporated yellow high-performance LED turn signals, which were supplemented by repeater LEDs in the exterior mirror casings.

Inside, the accent was on lightweight design. The technical aspects were woven neatly together with styling features suggesting lightness and transparency, such as perforated sheet metal, aluminium rotary controls and aluminium instrument cylinders. Carbon fibre bucket seats, adopted in slightly modified form from the Vision SLR, continued the theme – they were approximately 25 per cent lighter than similarly specified conventional car seats.

The cockpit recalled sports cars and tourers of earlier years. The chronometer-style instruments normally supplied data only on speed, rpm, oil pressure, and fuel level. However, other displays appeared behind the dials when needed, in the event of a malfunction.

In all respects Vision SLA put the accent on a natural and unfiltered motoring experience. This was at the heart of this roadster’s charm and was reflected in the interior design. Carpeting and fabric upholstery had been dispensed with in favour of painted metal surfaces and dark brown, specially supplied saddle-quality leather. This leather was tanned using only vegetable matter, thus helping to preserve its very special character. A natural material with a strong air of quality, hard-wearing and also very breathable, it was used on the dashboard, on the insides of the doors and in areas exposed to frequent occupant contact, such as the steering wheel, the seat surfaces, the armrests in the doors and the floor. The cut edges were deliberately left visible, with light-coloured stitching providing a colour contrast and hand-finished effect.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: Exclusive sports car - Vision SLR

2011-09-10T23:05:00.004+03:00

The facts

- Vehicle: Vision SLR
- When: January 1999
- Where: North American International Auto Show, Detroit
- What: High-performance sports car
- Drivetrain: Four-stroke eight-cylinder engine, 5.5 litre displacement, supercharged, 410 kW (557 hp), rear-wheel drive, five-speed automatic transmission with Touchshift control

Technical highlights

- Chassis consisting of fibre composites and aluminium introduced in 2003 in the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (C 199)
- Carbon fibre bucket seats introduced in 2003 in the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (C 199)
- Electrohydraulic brake system introduced in 2001 as Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC™) in the Mercedes-Benz SL (R 230)
- Brake discs made of fibre-reinforced ceramic introduced in 2003 in the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (C 199)
- Front headlamps with adaptive lighting system introduced in 2003 as bi-xenon headlamps with Active Light System in the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W 211)
- Bi-functional xenon projector-beam headlamps for both low and high beam introduced in 2003 in the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (C 199)
- LED tail lights introduced in 2003 in the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (C 199)
- Rear license plate illuminated by a special luminescent film

The Vision SLR was presented at the Detroit Auto Show in 1999 as ‘Tomorrow’s Silver Arrow’. This claim was reflected in every aspect of the concept vehicle. Designed as a Gran Turismo for the 21st century, it incorporated styling themes from the current Silver Arrow Formula One race-cars and from the SLR sports cars of the 1950s, weaving them together into a new and fascinating design.

The body of the Vision SLR expressed dynamism and power. The striking front section with the V-shaped nose and the distinctive twin-airfoil design – a motif which was repeated at various points around the body and in the interior and was inspired by the Formula One race-cars – harmonised with the four-headlamp design familiar from other models. The long and extended bonnet, the powerfully sculpted fenders and the gullwing doors of the Vision SLR were based on styling ideas first seen in the legendary SL models of the fifties and their SLR racing versions, in which Juan Manuel Fangio, Karl Kling and Stirling Moss achieved many victories. Expressive but by no means aggressive, the Vision SLR displayed a muscular body whose every fibre was taut and honed, poised to go into action at a moment's notice.

A dominant interior design feature was the wide, gently curving centre console, with its circular controls, and the silver-painted ‘spoiler fins’ facing the driver and front passenger. These features replaceda conventional instrument panel and at the same time symbolised the state-of-the-art lightweight construction of theGran Turismo. The cockpit featured two round, aluminium-rimmed instrument dials which recalled high-qualitychronometers. These two dials – the speedometer and rev counter – featured a new technique which allowed them to accommodate other displays in their centre. Traditional instrument needles had been replaced by indicators which moved on transparent plasticdiscs, so giving an unimpeded view of the displays. Carbon bucket seats, an oval steering wheel and state-of-the-artinformation technology such as the Cockpit Management and Data System (COMAND) were further notable featuresof the sporty interior.

The Vision SLR’s chassis was made of a combination of fibre composites and aluminium which offered outstanding crash performance and also brought weight savings of approximately 40 per cent compared with conventional steel designs. These materials were used in those areas where they brought the biggest advantages. The front crumple zones, which deformed to a predetermined pattern, were made of aluminium, while for the passenger compartment fibre composites were used. The extreme strength of these fibre composite components maximised occupant survival space even in a very severe frontal or rear-end collision.

For the first time in a Mercedes-Benz, an electrohydraulic brake system was used. This system used sensors and microcontrollers to precisely calculate the right braking pressure in a given situation, thus providing significantly enhanced safety when cornering or when driving on a slippery surface. Under the name Sensotronic Brake Control (SBCÔ), the system first went into production in the SL (R 230), premiered in 2001. The brake discs were made of fibre-reinforced ceramic and were capable of withstanding extreme stresses.

The front headlamps with adaptive lighting system and innovative high-performance diodes automatically followed the direction in which the driver was steering, thereby adapting to different driving situations. The result was significantly improved road illumination when cornering or making a turn. The xenon projector-beam headlamps provided both the low beam and the high beam, and the Mercedes engineers therefore referred to them as ‘bi-functional’. This technology is based on shutters which, as well as ensuring precise compliance with the legal requirements on dipped beam range, automatically move out of the way when the high beam is switched on, thus allowing the full light output to be used. The high beam is supplemented by two long-distance spotlights.

The LED rear lights were particularly effective at warning when the vehicle was braking or making a turn. They were mounted on two ‘floating’ fins positioned one above the other which showed a close tie-in with the overall styling themes. A further light strip extended right the way across the vehicle above the rear bumper and housed the reversing light and the rear fog lamp, both of which were based on space-saving, high-performance neon technology. The rear license plate meanwhile was illuminated by means of a special luminescent film.

The Mercedes-Benz high-performance sports car concept was powered by a modified version of the high-torque naturally aspirated V8 engine used in the S-Class. Equipped with supercharging and an air-to-water intercooler, the 5.5 litre V8 developed maximum power of 410 kW (557 hp) in the Vision SLR, making it one of the most powerful engines in this displacement category. Maximum torque of 720 newton metres came on stream at 4000 rpm, with 580 newton metres already available at just 2000 rpm. The transmission was a five-speed automatic with Touchshift control. Performance was formidable, with a 0-100 km/h time of just 4.2 seconds and a 0-200 km/h time of 11.3 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 320 km/h.

Later in 1999, at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA), Mercedes-Benz presented the roadster version of the Vision SLR. In terms of styling and engineering it closely resembled the all-enclosed version, although some new themes were also aired, such as a soft top made of an innovative translucent material.

Ever since it was first unveiled in 1999, Vision SLR has represented Mercedes-Benz’s idea of an exclusive sports car. There will be little change on that score even after the start of “volume” production as SLR McLaren in 2004, since only 3,500 units were planned. Prior to the start of production various refinements were made to the bodywork and also to the engine, which now develops maximum power of 460 kW (626 hp) at 6500 rpm, with maximum torque of 780 newton metres available between 3250 and 5000 rpm. As these figures indicate, the SLR is every inch a high-performance sports car. But with all the refinement of a Mercedes-Benz.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: Luxury finds a new language - Maybach study

2011-09-10T22:58:00.003+03:00

The facts

- Vehicle: Maybach
- When: 1997
- Where: Tokyo Motor Show, Tokyo
- What: Chauffeur-driven ultimate-luxury limousine
- Drivetrain: Four-stroke, twelve-cylinder petrol engine, 6.0 litre displacement, rear-wheel drive, six-speed automatic transmission

Technical highlights

- Reclining seat with large thigh support and swivelling footrest introduced in 2002 in the Maybach (W 240)
- Electrically adjustable single seat with thigh support introduced in 2002 in the Maybach (W 240)
- Rear-seat entertainment system: 20-inch flat TV/video screen, high-performance sound system with radio, CD changer and minidisk player, functions controllable via two small six-inch monitors introduced in 2002 in the Maybach (W 240)
- High-end communication system with three mobile phones introduced in 2002 in the Maybach (W 240)
- Electrotransparent roof introduced in 2002 in the Maybach (W 240)
- Headlamps with adaptive lighting technology introduced in 2003 as bi-xenon headlamps with Active Light System in the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W 211)
- V12 engine with automatic cylinder cut-out introduced in 1998 in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W 220)
- Active suspension with electronically controlled springing/damping system introduced in 1999 in the Mercedes-Benz CL (C 215)
- Sequential turn signals
- LED tail light, brake light, rear fog lamp, reversing light and turn signal introduced in 2003 in the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (C 199)

Hybrid body construction consisting of fibre composites, aluminium and magnesium
At the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz presented a highly distinguished new concept vehicle, the chauffeur-driven Maybach limousine. The Maybach offered the fullest and most exclusive possible range of in-car amenities including a reclining seat and a state-of-the-art rear-seat entertainment and communication system. The engineering too was of the very highest standard, including features such as electronically controlled adaptive headlamps or a V12 6.0 litre engine with automatic cylinder shut-off.

Both the vehicle and its name were a tribute to Wilhelm Maybach, the inspired engineer who worked with Gottlieb Daimler when the automobile was still in its infancy, as well as to his no less gifted son Karl Maybach, who in the 1920s and 1930s built luxury automobiles of the highest distinction and repute. The Tokyo concept was also, however, a salute to the many Mercedes-Benz customers who demand ultimate luxury because, quite simply, that's their way of life.

The Mercedes-Benz Maybach concept was enthusiastically received by the public, ensuring that this model too was able to move forward to volume production. The first hand-finished models left the Maybach manufacturing facility in Sindelfingen in 2002. Their radiator grille was graced not by a Mercedes-Benz star but by the Maybach ‘double M’ insignia, Mercedes-Benz having decided to revive the renowned name as a brand in its own right.

The Maybach gave the engineers and designers a rare opportunity to follow up on all those ideas which they would normally reject as being too extravagant. The result was a car which represented the absolute ultimate in ride comfort, timeless styling and consummate engineering.

At 5.77 metres, the exterior length of the concept exceeded that of the long-wheelbase version of the Mercedes-Benz S 600 by almost 56 centimetres. Its wheelbase was exactly 40 centimetres longer and it was also 6 centimetres taller and 6 centimetres wider. The regally spacious interior was used to full effect, since the Maybach was designed as a chauffeur-driven car. The styling had been honed at the Daimler-Benz Design Center in Japan, and was based on a perfect balance between two dimensions: tradition and innovation. Two-tone paintwork, fine metal fittings, refined interior materials and numerous special high-tech features all helped to define the ambience of this unique sedan, whose elegant silhouette was emphasised by a luminescent strip running along the waistline. This took the form of an extremely thin luminescent film whose colour and brightness could be adapted to suit the owner's tastes, and which gave the effect of a dynamic light sculpture.

The driving area showed careful attention to the needs of the person at the wheel, not only in terms of the actual driving task but also of ambience. Most pampered of all however were the rear-seat passengers, whose first impression was one of extreme spaciousness. The sumptuous interior, with plush materials like cream-coloured leather, select wood, subtly smoked glass and high-grade metal trim, created a lounge-like environment. The two individual seats were independently power-adjustable and invited their occupants to sit back and luxuriate in their surroundings. The right-hand seat, which reclined like a first-class airline seat, featured a large thigh support and swivelling footrest. This seat went into production in the long-wheelbase Maybach 62, while the left-hand seat, which likewise featured a comfortable reclining position, was adopted in the Maybach 57.

The high-class luxury furnishings of the Tokyo concept also included a bar from which the passengers could help themselves to hot or cold drinks, a humidor for cigars and a high-end communication system comprising three telephones. One of these served exclusively as a data line enabling the onboard personal computer to access the Internet, e-mails or an office network, so that passengers could carry on working while they were in transit. The second telephone allowed the chauffeur to take calls and route them through to a separate receiver in the rear. The third telephone was exclusively for the private use of the rear-seat passengers.

The lavish Maybach entertainment system included a roof-mounted 20-inch flat screen for unspoiled TV/video viewing, with a high-end sound system providing excellent sound quality both for this equipment and for the radio, CD player and minidisk player. Rear-seat passengers could control all functions using two small six-inch touch-sensitive monitors on the left- and right-hand sides of the passenger compartment. The well-thought-out menu structure was intuitive and easy to use.

One particularly neat piece of technology was the electrotransparent glass roof. When passengers looked out from the vehicle, the glass could either appear completely clear and transparent, producing a natural daylight ambience, or at the push of a button could become translucent like a gemstone. The transparent or translucent effects were activated by applying a voltage to a conducting polymer layer situated underneath the glass.

The Maybach’s high-tech engineering included an active suspension system featuring electronically controlled springing and damping at each wheel. The active suspension system provided excellent ride comfort and counteracted all roll movement when cornering.

The lighting technology at the front and rear of the Maybach was ground-breaking. The front headlamps incorporated different reflectors for different operating conditions, such as urban driving, driving in bad weather or motorway journeys. An electronic system controlled the headlamps adaptively, matching the light direction to different driving situations. The sequential turn signals were more visible to other road users. In all the various segments of the rear lights – the tail light, brake light, rear fog lamp, reversing light, and turn signal – LED technology was used.
The bodywork of the luxury concept car was an innovative hybrid construction which achieved significant weight savings by using fibre composites, aluminium and magnesium.

The Mercedes-Benz Maybach concept car exhibited at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show offered a future perspective on the technology and equipment of luxury cars of tomorrow. Today, the Maybach has long since moved out of the future and into the present – even if it does still sometimes seem as if it were a car from another world.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: Comfort in all situations - AA Vision

2011-09-10T22:50:00.003+03:00

The facts

- Vehicle: AA Vision
- When: January 1996
- Where: North American International Auto Show, Detroit
- What: Sport-utility vehicle with high standards of ride comfort capable of satisfying demanding customer requirements

Technical highlights

- Electronically controlled four-wheel drive introduced in 1997 in the M-Class (W 163) under the name 4ETS
- Flexible interior configuration possibilities
- Two sunroofs
- Navigation system
- Car phone with hands-free system and steering wheel control buttons

Mercedes-Benz’s choice of the Detroit Auto Show to present one of its concept vehicles in 1996 was quite deliberate. The vehicle in question was a sport-utility vehicle, and North America is the world's largest market for comfortable offroad vehicles. The company was confident that a sport-utility vehicle of its own could have a big impact. And it was an open secret that the AA Vision concept unveiled in Detroit would closely resemble the future M-Class, which subsequently went into production in 1997.

AA stood for ‘All Activity’ – a clear sign that this vehicle was intended for an extensive range of applications. The AA Vision was equal to any situation, be it on or off the road, in the town or in the country, in the sphere of work or in the sphere of leisure. The vehicle which emerged, designed by teams in Germany (Sindelfingen) and the USA (Irvine, California), parted company with previous sport-utilities. Whereas these were mostly derived from commercial vehicles, and therefore had relatively indifferent comfort and handling, Mercedes-Benz was well aware from its international market research that future customers were looking for something rather more sophisticated than this. And that was exactly what the AA Vision aimed to provide.

For one thing the AA Vision moved on from the classic two-box design of previous SUVs. Its integral styling was in line with the company's overall design philosophy – for one thing it was strikingly dynamic. The front-end treatment, with the raked headlamps and the prominent Mercedes-Benz star, was distinctive and cutting-edge while at the same time being recognizable as belonging to a Mercedes-Benz. At the same time the broad wheel arches gave the AA Vision a sturdy and rugged stance. The body was not only stylish however but also purposeful, for example the short front and rear overhangs translated into large angles of approach and departure in offroad operation. The aerodynamics too had been carefully honed, to reduce fuel consumption and wind noise.

The AA Vision catered for a full range of leisure requirements. For example it featured a roof rack system for carrying bicycles, surfboards or snowboards and a rear bumper with a retractable trailer hitch. Mounted on the tailgate was not only the spare wheel but also high-quality Bose loudspeakers which could be swivelled round for outdoor listening. The interior offered flexible configuration possibilities and generous carrying capacity for additional equipment and luggage. Two sunroofs provided a view through the roof and could be opened to admit fresh air, while a navigation system helped to keep drivers on course both offroad and in town. The phone could be controlled using the buttons on the steering wheel, and the microphone for the hands-free system was located in the sun visor.

Safety was up to the usual high Mercedes-Benz standards. The body was mounted on a rigid frame, providing protection for the occupants and at the same time ensuring crash compatibility with other vehicles. As well as two front airbags, the AA Vision was also equipped with two side airbags – something which could by no means be taken for granted at the time, in 1996. An anti-lock braking system (ABS) ensured safe braking, while the Electronic Stability Program ESPÒ kept the vehicle on the road in critical situations – subject to the laws of physics.

An innovation which made clear the AA Vision was a serious offroader was permanent four-wheel drive. The electronically controlled system identified any wheel or wheels which were losing grip and transferred their power to the other wheels, thereby maintaining optimal traction. Unlike many SUVs, the AA Vision had four-wheel independent suspension, giving excellent ride comfort.

After all, the AA Vision was also designed to be a comfortable and convenient vehicle in ordinary, everyday driving, be it on short or longer road journeys or just a trip to the shops. It was an all-round vehicle which Mercedes-Benz knew would set standards, since it went far beyond anything offered by conventional SUVs.

The AA Vision was a vision which had already progressed far down the road to reality. The very next year, in 1997, it went into production as the M-Class in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. More than two thirds of its components were built in North America, although its engines and transmissions came from Germany, making it a symbol of cooperation within a globally based company.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: Affordable and roomy - FCC (Family Car China)

2011-09-10T22:45:00.002+03:00

The facts

- Vehicle: FCC (Family China Car)
- When: 1994
- Where: ‘Family Car’ exhibition, Beijing
- What: Family car for the Chinese market capable of being built in a variety of different versions, e.g. as a people carrier, pickup or panel van
- Drivetrain: Four-stroke three-cylinder petrol engine, 1.3 litre displacement, 40 kW (55 hp), front-wheel drive, manual transmission

Technical highlights

- Sandwich floor introduced in 1998 in the A-Class (W 168)

At the 1994 ‘Family Car’ exhibition in Beijing, Mercedes-Benz presented a compact car concept specially developed for the future Chinese market, the ‘Family Car China’ (FCC). The FCC, which was capable of being built in a variety of different versions, was part of an integrated motorization strategy for China which Mercedes-Benz presented to the Chinese government.

The main features of the FCC concept were its large interior space within compact exterior dimensions, coupled with highest standards of comfort, quality and environmental acceptability. ‘Above all the FCC offers superior standards of safety, reliability and adaptability,’ said Jürgen Hubbert, Board of Management member of the former Mercedes-Benz AG responsible for the Passenger Car Division.

The ‘Family Car China’ was radically different from conventional passenger car designs in this class. The body, with its pioneering one-box styling, presented an integral appearance similar to that of a modern people carrier. This had practical benefits: the driver, front passenger and up to three rear-seat passengers enjoyed standards of spaciousness which went well beyond what was previously the norm in compact cars, putting the FCC on a par with an upper mid-range sedan. Nevertheless the FCC was shorter than normal compact cars in its class, with an overall length of 3.56 metres and correspondingly modest road space requirements.

The Mercedes-Benz FCC met high standards in the field of safety, too. This was achieved mainly by the underfloor location of the compact engine/transmission module, which slid under the floor in the event of a frontal impact. Further occupant protection was provided by airbags, front belt tensioners and head restraints on all seats. The occupants were also well protected in a side impact, due to the higher seating position.

The Mercedes-Benz FCC concept was equipped with a state-of-the-art 1.3 litre 40 kW (55 hp) petrol engine with three-way catalytic converter. This gave the FCC a 0-50 km/h time of less than 6 seconds, offering good performance around town, a theoretical top speed of close to 150 km/h and fuel consumption of approximately four litres per 100 km.

The FCC was capable of being produced in a variety of different versions, from the five-door five-seater base version and a people carrier version with three rows of seats and capacity for seven passengers to a five-seater pickup with a small cargo area for bulky loads or a two-seater panel van with plenty of carrying capacity.
Something Mercedes-Benz excels at, as it has demonstrated on many occasions, is developing vehicles as part of a larger mobility strategy. The Family Car China is one such example, one which also shows that compact exterior dimensions can be perfectly compatible with large interior space and highest standards of comfort, quality and environment-friendliness.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: A fresh vision for the roadster - SLK I and SLK II concepts

2011-09-10T22:40:00.002+03:00

The facts

Vehicle 1: SLK I concept
- When: Spring 1994
- Where: Turin Motor Show

Vehicle 2: SLK II concept
- When: Fall 1994
- Where: Paris Motor Show

- What: Sporty roadster with compact dimensions and innovative roof
- Drivetrain: Four-stroke four-cylinder petrol engine, rear-wheel drive, five-speed manual transmission

Technical highlights

- Vario roof introduced in 1996 in the Mercedes-Benz SLK (R 170)
- Carbon fibre dashboard

Ever since the 1950s, the letters ‘SL’ have stood for a very special breed of Mercedes-Benz: sporty (‘S’), light (‘L’) cars which were traditionally for the most part open-top roadsters. The SL series is now an established part of the range.
In 1994, however, the time had come for a new, compact version of the SL. The SLK concept made its debut in two stages. In spring 1994 it appeared at the Turin Motor Show. Already in near-production form, it still lacked a roof however. That followed in the second SLK concept, which appeared a few months later at the Paris Motor Show. At the press of a button, the sensational electro-hydraulic ‘vario roof’transformed the SLK from a convertible into a winter-proof coupé – or vice versa – in just 25 seconds. Mercedes-Benz was the first manufacturer to revive this type of roof, which harked back to an earlier era. When the SLK appeared as a production model in 1996 (R 170), its roof was such a hit that several competitors subsequently brought out versions of their own.

The SLK concept took a variety of design cues from its imposing big brother, the SL, producing its own variation on the latter's themes of elegance and dynamism. The result was styling which looked to the future while at the same time being firmly rooted in the tradition of the Mercedes-Benz brand. ‘Styling which refers to nothing beyond current modernity would not be Mercedes styling,’ said the then Design Chief Bruno Sacco. The face, the short overhangs front and rear and a pronounced wedge shape emphasised the affinity with the SL and gave an impression of agility. In other areas the SLK concept took a tangent however, for example in its compact exterior dimensions and various other highlights. These included the sheathed roll-over bars behind each of the two seats, which harked back to the successful 300 SLR sports car of 1955.

A pared-down look can be quite desirable in a roadster, as the interior of the SLK concept attested with an abundance of exposed, gleaming metal surfaces, only twenty per cent of which sported any trim or cladding; in the later production SLK of course, it was a different story. A key design element was a dashboard of very lightweight carbon-fibre material which gave the appearance of floating in mid-air. Two stowage nets underneath it continued the minimalist theme, although they were at the same time perfectly practical. The instruments were aluminium-rimmed, as was the ignition lock, which was positioned in a horizontally swivelling hemisphere. Set in a second aluminium hemisphere in the centre console was the short gearshift lever. Minimalism and low weight – these themes, complementary and appropriate in a sports car, were indulged extensively in the SLK concept, right down to the perforated aluminium accelerator, brake and clutch pedals.

The second SLK concept exhibited a different interior. Appropriately in light of the venue – Paris – the keynote was elegance, with plentiful luxurious leather trim. As on the outside there was a preponderance of blue. This was a salute to the host country, since blue was the traditional colour of French racing cars. There was no attempt to be too fashionable, however. ‘We have to remain true to ourselves,’ commented designer-in-charge Peter Pfeiffer, ‘we don’t want to pretend to be something we’re not, i.e. fashion designers.’ For the most part, the bodywork of the second SLK concept differed from the first only in minor details, although it did sport exposed roll-over bars and the aforementioned vario roof, which folds down into the boot at the touch of a button.

Mercedes-Benz concept vehicles are normally not only drivable, they also demonstrate the brand's high safety standards. The SLK concept was a case in point. Its sturdy windshield frame, sturdy roll-over protection and extremely rigid body structure offered the maximum in passive safety. Further safety features included full-size airbags in the carbon fibre steering wheel or, for the passenger, in the instrument panel, plus belt tensioners. Like all Mercedes-Benz cars, the SLK concept was also equipped with an anti-lock braking system (ABS).

The SLK concept was based on its own custom-designed platform. In classic sports car tradition, it used a five-speed manual transmission to transfer the power from the state-of-the-art four-cylinder four-valve engine to the rear axle. Sheltering behind the new-design five-spoke alloy wheels were vented disc brakes with fixed four-piston callipers.

The SLK concept was sporty, it was light in weight and it inspired the engineers, the marketing staff and above all the customers in equal measure. The production vehicle (R 170) appeared on the market in 1996 and by the end of its cycle, in early 2004, 308,000 units of the compact roadster had been built. Now the success story is being continued by the new SLK, the R 171.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: Small but not tiny - MCC (Micro Compact Car)

2011-09-10T22:29:00.004+03:00

The facts

- Vehicle: MCC (Micro Compact Car)
- When: March 1994
- Where: Stuttgart
- What: Ultra-compact city car
- Drivetrain:
1) Eco-Sprinter: 40 kW electric motor, rear-wheel drive
2) Eco-Speedster: three-cylinder petrol engine, rear-wheel drive

Technical highlights

- Innovative interior space concept with an exterior length of just 2.50 metres
- Underfloor engine and transmission introduced in 1998 on the smart city coupé (later name: smart fortwo)

Personal mobility has always been at the heart of the Mercedes-Benz vision. Gottlieb Daimler pursued the declared aim of providing just that with his vehicles. Looking at road transport today, it is clear that Daimler’s vision has become firmly established. What is also clear, however, is that many towns and cities are also having to contend with very heavy volumes of traffic. In the early 1980s, this prompted Mercedes-Benz to design its NAFA concept vehicle for urban and short-distance transport, with the aim of making better use of the available road space. Measuring just 2.50 metres in length and 1.50 metres in height and width, this two-seater challenged all the conventional ideas of what a Mercedes stood for. It even had four-wheel steering, which allowed the vehicle to be driven forward into tight parking spaces. Two sliding doors provided convenient access to the interior, even when there was not much room to spare at the side. Further features included front-wheel drive, an automatic transmission, air conditioning, power steering, and belt tensioners.

Although NAFA was soon forgotten by the public, it was not forgotten by Mercedes-Benz, which remained keenly interested in the idea of a compact city car and continued to work on one. This resulted, in 1994, in the unveiling of the compact MCC (Micro Compact Car) concept. ‘This is a project which combines pro-environmental design, emotion and intelligence,’ said Helmut Werner, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz AG at the time.

The MCC had its roots in NAFA – the dimensions were largely identical – but it also branched out in new directions. Fuel-efficient engines drove the rear wheels via an automatic transmission, and the concept car was also equipped with air conditioning, power steering and belt tensioners. The designers reverted to conventional steering and doors however – the NAFA solutions were optimal, but for volume production they would have been too elaborate and expensive for a vehicle of this size.

The two-seater interior is perfectly suited to driving solely around town, where statistics show that average vehicle occupancy is just 1.2 persons. The exterior length of 2.50 metres might not sound a lot but in the MCC two people enjoy a sense of spaciousness normally associated with a much larger car – and there’s still plenty of room to spare for luggage and other items.

On the question of safety meanwhile, the MCC was a significant improvement over NAFA. To this day the MCC offers unparalleled safety for a car of this size, allowing Mercedes-Benz to put an end to the prejudice that small cars are unsafe. This is achieved by the underfloor location of the compact engine/transmission module, the same principle that is used in the Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

The MCC was extremely agile and fun to drive, not to mention the fact that it certainly stood out from the crowd. Mercedes-Benz had come up with a clean-sheet exterior and interior design which was innovative, appealing, dynamic and even somewhat provocative.

Two drivable versions of the Micro Compact Car were presented at the public debut in Stuttgart: the ‘Eco-Sprinter’ and the ‘Eco-Speedster’.

The ‘Eco-Sprinter’ was a particularly ‘green’ machine. With an electric motor delivering 40 kW (54 hp), it also featured extensive use of high-quality renewable natural materials and recyclable components. The roof was fitted with solar cells which provided power for the interior fan even when the car was parked.
The ‘Eco-Speedster’ meanwhile had a removable roof so that with a few quick and easy adjustments it could be transformed into an al fresco convertible. With the top down, safety was ensured by a reinforced windshield frame and an integrated roll-over bar. The Eco-Speedster was powered by a three-cylinder petrol engine.

The MCC, Mercedes-Benz’s vision for a city car, is a vision no longer. By 1998 it had already gone into production as the smart city coupé, which was renamed the smart fortwo in 2003. Since then, smart production has reached almost 600,000 units. With the arrival of the roadster, the coupé and the smart forfour models, smart has already generated its own model family and become a mature brand.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: Redefining the compact car - Vision A 93 and ‘Studie A’

2011-09-10T22:23:00.006+03:00

The facts

Vehicle 1: Vision A 93
- When: Autumn 1993
- Where: Frankfurt International Motor Show

Vehicle 2: ‘Studie A’
- When: March 1994
- Where: Geneva Motor Show

- What: A compact car incorporating innovative solutions on interior space and safety
- Drivetrain:
1) Four-stroke three-cylinder petrol engine, 1.2 litre displacement, 55 kW(75 hp), front-wheel drive, continuously variable transmission (CVT) 2) Three-cylinder diesel engine, 1.2 litre displacement, 44 kW(60 hp), front-wheel drive, continuously variable transmission (CVT)
3) Electric induction motor, 40 kW (54 hp)

Technical highlights

- Sandwich floor introduced in 1998 in the A-Class (W 168)
- ARTHUR (Automatic Radiocom Communication System for Traffic Emergency Situations on Highways and Urban Roads) first introduced by Mercedes-Benz in 1998 in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W 220) under the name TELEAID (Telematic Alarm Identification on Demand)
- Navigation system introduced in 1995 in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W 140)
- Three-cylinder engines introduced in 1998 in the smart city coupé (smart fortwo)
- Aluminium body

‘Rethinking the car’ was the motto adopted by Mercedes-Benz when it presented its Vision A 93 concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show 1993. A compact, front-wheel drive vehicle, Vision A 93 was a completely new departure for the brand. And Mercedes-Benz made it clear that such a concept could well end up as part of its future model range. The reaction was instantaneous. Was this really supposed to be a Mercedes-Benz? It was left to the show-goers to decide. In the event their verdict was unusually favourable, with 80 per cent approving of a small Mercedes-Benz along the lines of Vision A 93. The concept car then drew more praise when it went on show with a few minor changes at the 1994 Geneva Motor Show, this time under the new name ‘Studie A’. For the American magazine ‘Motor Week’ it was ‘Best Concept Car 1994’. By this time the matter had been settled and the Board of Management had given the go-ahead for production. The A-Class arrived on the market in 1998 and, despite initial problems, became a huge success story for the company. In 2004, a second generation, the W 169, took to the road.

Following closely in the tracks of the ‘urban and short-distance vehicle’ (NAFA, Nahverkehrs-Fahrzeug) concept of 1982 and the F 100 research vehicle of 1991, Vision A 93 introduced numerous ideas which were new to the automotive industry. That’s hardly surprising given the ambitious objectives the engineers had set themselves in their design specifications. They included attractive design, subcompact exterior dimensions, a spacious interior, high everyday practicality and interior adaptability, highest standards of all-round safety conforming to typical Mercedes-Benz standards, low-pollutant, fuel-efficient engines and scope for alternative propulsion technologies.

All these objectives were met. Vision A 93 and the subsequent production model, the A-Class, can be credited with having had an important impact on the compact car, which underwent extensive changes following its appearance. ‘Vision A 93 will redefine the whole concept of the compact car,’ predicted Jürgen Hubbert, Head of the Mercedes-Benz Passenger Car Division at the time, at its unveiling. ‘It proves that it is possible to translate the traditional Mercedes qualities like safety, comfort and reliability to a considerably smaller format, thereby securing urban mobility into the future.’ And Dr. Dieter Zetsche, then Board of Management member responsible for Passenger Car Development, added: ‘Vision A 93 inaugurates a new era in automotive development. Mercedes-Benz is the first vehicle manufacturer to come up with a drivable near-production compact car concept which resolves the conflict between minimum overall length and maximum safety. Vision A 93 brings together both aspects into a single format which also offers the typical Mercedes qualities.’

Unusual challenges – Vision A 93 was to be small but at the same time spacious – called for unusual solutions. And that’s exactly what the Mercedes engineers came up with when they developed the ‘ sandwich floor ’ . In Vision A 93 the engine and transmission formed a compact unit which sat mainly underneath rather than in front of the occupants – a solution which also helped to maximise interior space. The distance between the driver or front passenger and the rear-seat passengers was 82.5 centimetres. That was the kind of figure previously only associated with upper mid-range models, as the press information was quick to point out. The concept vehicle was just 3.35 metres long, and the first version of the production vehicle, the short-wheelbase A-Class, measured just 3.60 metres. Another benefit of the sandwich floor was the high seating position, which gave a better view and added to the sense of safety.

The sandwich principle also allowed Vision A 93 to meet the same high standards as other Mercedes-Benz models on safety. In a frontal collision, the engine was shunted out of the way under the floor, thus preventing intrusion into the passenger compartment. This is an ideal solution for a vehicle with a short front section and therefore a short crumple zone. In other respects too, crash safety conformed to Mercedes-Benz standards. Further safety features included full-size driver’s and front passenger’s airbags, belt tensioners, large side impact protectors in the doors and an integrated child seat in the rear.

On styling, the Vision A 93 engineers were faced with a creative challenge. The unusual proportions – short and tall – made coming up with an aesthetically pleasing overall design rather tricky. At the same time, although this was intended to be a small car it was not supposed to look small. But the designers proved equal to the challenge. What they did was to develop an ‘integral’ shape with an appearance similar to that of a people carrier. The windshield was positioned well to the front, with a high roof and a level floor. The short front end was skilfully integrated in the overall design.

The then Mercedes-Benz Design Chief Bruno Sacco described the aim as follows: ‘The combination of compact exterior dimensions, a high frame/floor and a spacious interior is a new one for Mercedes-Benz, and results in unusual proportions. By incorporating large window areas and a lower waistline, we have been able to tweak these proportions so that the Vision A appears larger at first sight than it actually is. Nevertheless a variety of telltale Mercedes features convey a sense of safety, elegance and soundness, and make this more than just a compact vehicle. Together with the innovative engineering they make Vision A every inch a genuine Mercedes-Benz. The styling sets trends rather than following them, blazing a trail for future generations of urban and short-distance vehicles.’

A further important feature of Vision A 93 was environment-friendly design, for example as regards the drivetrain. Three versions were presented. Two 1.2 litre, three-cylinder internal combustion engines – a direct-injection diesel engine (44 kW/60 hp) and a petrol engine (55 kW/75 hp) – offered excellent fuel efficiency and lowest possible emissions. They were combined with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which brought further benefits for economy. At the same time a further version was presented which featured a 40 kW/54 hp electric induction motor, whose battery gave a range of 150 kilometres in urban operation. Also, as the design specifications had envisaged, Vision A was well-suited for other types of alternative propulsion as well. Since 1997, Mercedes-Benz has been using the A-Class in fuel cell trials. This had been planned from the outset, and is mentioned in the original Vision A 93 press kit. Another environmental feature was the use of natural materials in the interior like flax and wool, along with new types of materials which were designed for recyclability.

Vision A 93 also explored the use of aluminium, with an all-aluminium body structure consisting of high-strength extrusions. This brought weight savings of approximately 70 kilograms compared with a similar body made of sheet steel. The petrol-engined Vision A weighed just 715 kilograms, the diesel version just 735 kilograms. The electric version, at approximately 1,000 kilograms, was no heavyweight either, despite the extra weight of the battery.

As Vision A and the A-Class demonstrate, even for an unusual design like this the timeframe from concept to production can be quite short. The new compact model proved something else as well: that unusual concepts will always find a place on the market provided they are well thought-out and genuinely focused on future needs.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: Giving the brand a new face - Coupé concept

2011-09-10T22:16:00.005+03:00

The facts

- Vehicle: Coupé concept
- When: March 1993
- Where: Geneva Motor Show
- What: Four-seater coupé with new Mercedes-Benz face and fastback tail
- Drivetrain: Four-stroke eight-cylinder petrol engine, 5.0 litre displacement, 235 kW (320 hp), rear-wheel drive, automatic transmission

Technical highlights

- Four-eye face introduced in 1995 in the E-Class (W 210)
- Fastback tail introduced in 2000 in the C-Class sports coupé (CL 203)
- Grey-tinted all-glass roof introduced in 2002 in the E-Class (W 211)
- Step-in light
- Front seats with asymmetrical head restraint mounting (‘Ergo Wing seats’)

At the 1993 Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz presented a coupé concept which marked the opening shot in the new product drive. The dynamic design language of this concept gave a foretaste of many themes which would be taken up by later Mercedes models.

The coupé concept introduced the world to the ‘four-headlamp’ design which would later become the new face of the brand. With a slimline radiator grille, four separate oval headlamps – two large ones on the outside and two smaller ones on the inside – and powerfully sculpted fenders, the new design immediately unleashed a debate. Could this be the future face of Mercedes-Benz cars? Certainly the brand’s designers thought that it could – and by presenting this near-production concept they got the opportunity to consult the public before taking any decision. A constructive dialogue followed. Needless to say, the previous face with the rectangular lights still had its supporters. But the response to the four-headlamp face was overwhelmingly positive – and that meant a thumbs-up for production. The first model in which the new front-end design hit the road was also one of the brand’s most important models. It was the all-new four-headlamp E-Class, which appeared in 1995.

The concept car presented in Geneva was also intended to test the waters on another question: How would customers react to a new four-seater Mercedes-Benz coupé? This question too received a clear answer – considerable numbers of them would jump at the chance to buy a car like the one presented in Geneva. They had a while to wait however – until 1997, which was when the concept car became reality in the CLK coupé (C 208). The production model bore an uncannily strong resemblance to the Geneva concept, showing just how close to the ‘finished article’ the styling of Mercedes-Benz concept cars can be even well before they actually go into production. ‘We don’t go in for quirky show cars with pointless special effects. Such cars may cause a stir briefly but they are usually forgotten within the space of a few motor shows,’ is how the then Design Chief Bruno Sacco put it. In 1998, the CLK coupé was followed by the convertible version and the CLK now became a small product family in its own right. The technical platform and some components were supplied by the C-Class.

Interestingly, although the coupé concept shown in Geneva did have a tail section, albeit short-cropped, it did not have a conventional boot lid. In its place was a large tailgate which incorporated the rear screen and extended down as far as the edge of the bumper, making this the first ever Mercedes-Benz fastback. In fact the concept car already hinted to a small extent at a future model – which only made its debut in the fall of 2000 – in which the tailgate became a defining styling feature. That was the C-Class sports coupé.

The elegance of the exterior continued uninterrupted into an interior with four single, individual seats. Here the emphasis was on fluency of form and an absence of frills. The centre console, running all the way through from the dashboard to the parcel shelf, was a key design element. Smooth leather, luxurious microfibre fleece and wood panelling created a driving environment which was refined and elegant. At the same time the ergonomics were designed to the high standards for which Mercedes-Benz is renowned. This could be seen for example in the front seats with their asymmetrical head restraint mounting. These ‘Ergo Wing’ seats had an elaborate inner structure which belied their ethereal appearance. And they were every bit as comfortable as they looked. Even at shoulder level they offered excellent lateral and spinal support.

The coupé concept was not just a show car but fully drivable. The bonnet sheltered an eight-cylinder five-litre engine developing maximum power of 235 kW (320 hp) and maximum torque of 470 newton metres at 3900 rpm. This too was a taste of things to come, presaging the future CLK 500. With its 485-litre boot meanwhile, the coupé also showed careful attention to practical requirements.

A car is a many-sided product. By contributing to so many subsequent production models, the Mercedes-Benz coupé concept proved that this can be just as true of a concept model.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: The list of show cars since 1993

2011-09-10T22:10:00.002+03:00

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: The product drive of the 1990s

2011-09-10T22:05:00.003+03:00

The early 1990s marked the start of a period of renewal at Mercedes-Benz as it adapted itself to a radically changed market environment. Since customer requirements had become much more diversified than in the past, the Board of Management now took the courageous decision to transform Mercedes-Benz into a dynamic brand offering vehicles in every category. Although countless decisions have been taken in the long history of the brand, the decision to launch the product drive must surely rank as the most momentous ever in terms of its far-reaching consequences.

All the concept vehicles of the years that followed can be traced back to this historic decision at Mercedes-Benz. With very few exceptions, all of these vehicles subsequently made it into volume production. Their subsequent success is further proof that the product drive was the right decision at the right time. Examples include the A-Class, the SLK-Class and the M-Class – products which have had an important impact on the market and given huge customer satisfaction.

One of the notable features of Mercedes-Benz concept vehicles is the fact that they are so closely geared to the realities of the market. Speaking at the unveiling of Vision GST in 2002 Professor Jürgen Hubbert, former Board of Management member with responsibility for the Mercedes-Benz brand, put it like this: ‘Concept cars have always been more than just “show cars” for Mercedes-Benz. We develop and design them to test new concepts or technologies, to engage in closer dialogue with our customers and to gauge the reactions of the public to the ideas they embody. As the recent past at Mercedes-Benz shows, the transition from a vision to reality can be accomplished relatively swiftly.’

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Vehicles: The shape of the future

2011-09-10T21:51:00.005+03:00

Technological development has always been a spur to progress. When Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz designed the first high-speed petrol engine in 1885 and the Patent Motor Car in 1886, respectively, both these events were revolutionary, not just for automotive development but also at the wider social level. In their wake, personal mobility was soon on an unprecedented rise. That trend has continued to this day, as new technologies and ideas keep on coming, opening up new opportunities for a mobile world.

The Daimler brands keep up the pace with a steady stream of new ideas. To provide stimuli, the company for example regularly showcases its ideas for future models or model series in the form of concept vehicles. These concept vehicles feature innovative technology which is ready for commercialization – or in some cases has already been commercialised – in production models. In this way Mercedes-Benz sets important industry trends, in some cases preparing the way for market adoption of novel vehicle concepts. The markets into which the production models are launched are always in movement, reflecting constantly changing lifestyles, social trends and values. This in turn creates constantly changing expectations toward the car. Because what is all the rage today may have fallen out of favour by tomorrow. Another function of Mercedes-Benz concept vehicles is to enter into a dialogue with customers. Since the success or failure of a new model will ultimately depend on their verdict, it is important to get to know that opinion as early as possible.

Daimler draws a distinction between concept vehicles and a number of other, related types of vehicle, namely:

Research vehicles which combine a variety of boldly innovative technologies in a form which can be visualised, driven and readily evaluated. A detailed press kit on Mercedes-Benz research vehicles is available HERE.

Technology demonstrators are current production vehicles which are equipped with new technology and used in field trials. The company’s Research unit, for instance, used numerous modified A-Class models to test fuel cell, and electric, drive systems.

Experimental vehicles are close relatives of research vehicles. Like research vehicles they take new technologies out of the laboratory and onto the test track where they are subjected to practical trials. These vehicles usually have no bodywork.

Design studies are feasibility studies which are used to present new ideas in the form of a complete vehicle. Usually these studies are not fully operational. An example is the NAFA (Nahverkehrs-Fahrzeug, urban and short-distance vehicle) concept, which was developed more than twenty years ago.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA. All rights reserved.