The history of Mercedes Benz cars and the road to the first automobile

The most significant German brand and surely the most important automobile brand the world over is that of Mercedes Benz. This is primarily because the manufacturer who built the automobile is dedicated to the manufacture of quality vehicles in all categories which maintain manufacturing continuity.

The development of the internal combustion motor

Nonetheless, the first car was necessarily preceded by the development of the first internal combustion motor. This motor was jointly developed in 1876 in the form of a four-cycle compression ignition engine by German engineers Nikolaus August Otto (1832 - 1891) and E. Langer (1833 - 1895). Abroad, this engine is nowadays called the Otto motor, the same as the compression ignition (diesel) engine is called a Diesel motor after its inventor, Rudolf Diesel (1858 - 1913), who developed it in 1892.

And again it was the Daimler-Benz company which was a pioneer in implementing Diesel engines for passenger cars. The first passenger car with the Diesel engine was the Mercedes Benz 260 produced in 1936.

Karl Benz, the father of the first passenger car, lived from 1844-1929. He was born in Karlsruhe and worked as a mechanic after his studies in Mannheim. Later he became a builder. Still later, his father-in-law furnished a small workshop for him that prospered well, producing tobacco presses and telephone apparatuses. Benz participated in the propagation of steam and gas engines. After a minor explosion, the outcome of failing to heed safety measures, he renounced gas engines and set off to perfect internal combustion engines. He tried various mixtures of kerosene, distillates and town gas. Since the four-cycle engine was under patent protection, he put his energy into the development of a two-cycle engine. He established several companies and achieved production of up to 800 stable engines a month (stable engines were used to drive machines, produce electricity etc.).

Nonetheless, the idea of a self-propelled vehicle haunted him. It was during these years that the first steam automobiles began to appear in England and France. But they were too robust and their practical use was limited. His first idea, a four-wheel carriage with an internal combustion engine, didn’t work out because he lacked a reliable system for steering the two front wheels. That’s why his first car was a “three-wheeler”. For the first automobile, Benz used a small, four-cycle, water-cooled, high-revolution single-cylinder engine with a high-voltage ignition coil (Otto’s engine). Benz also worked for the OTTO company. The first trial rides took place on the factory yard in 1885 and on 29 January 1886 the vehicle was patented.

The first long-distance ride in the car –on Benz’s tricycle, that is – was undertaken by a woman. Berta Benz, his wife, went with their two sons to visit grandma in a town 100 km distant without her husband knowing about it. The journey came off without major technical problems (it was only necessary to replace the leather lining of the brake beam blocks). The problem after the journey was getting hold of the fuel – petrol. At that time it was available only in pharmacies and chemists.

What followed was the development of steering, gearboxes, wheels, engine carburettors, tyres and other automobile accessories. In many areas, there is no doubt about the primacy of Karl Benz (the carburettor float, the multi-cylinder engine and others). His assistants and disciples later went on to become pioneers and founders of German car factories themselves (Horch and later also Porsche).

In 1900, the Benz Company sold 603 cars, becoming the largest car factory in the world. During the time of crisis, the company merged with another firm (1926 – the Daimler company) and the Benz Company logo was changed to the familiar Mercedes Benz logo.

Gottlieb Daimler (1834-1900) constructed his first car the same year as Karl Benz. They didn’t know each other, nor did either of them know about the plans of the other. Together with the builder Maybach (who later manufactured luxury cars of the Maybach brand), Daimler worked in the greenhouse of his villa, which is still preserved to this day in Cannstatt Spa, a suburb of the City of Stuttgart today. They improved the petrol engine that had four cycles and one cylinder with a capacity of 176 cubic cm and an output of 0.25 HP (Otto’s engine – Daimler had previously worked for the builder Otto). Due to the look of the engine and its elongated shape it was nicknamed “a grandfather clock”. The first car with this engine was in fact a two-wheeler, that is, the first motorcycle (reitwagen = a runner’s car, a single-track vehicle with an engine). Daimler and Maybach used the internal combustion engine not only to power automobiles, but also to ships (the first motor ship with a petrol engine in the world was called the Neckar – named after the river running through Stuttgart) and airships (Zeppelin).

In 1886, Daimler already constructed a four-wheel automobile (because of its similarity to carriages, it was called a motor carriage – Motorkusche or Motorwagen). Daimler founded engine production factories in several countries for engines delivered to other car manufacturers (Peugeot). Daimler founded one company in England, where the brand still exists today and the same applies for the well-known Austro-Daimler company in Austria. In 1897, Daimler bought a large plot in Stuttgart (Unterturkheim) and built an automobile manufacturing plant there. Some of these buildings still stand today. Daimler Benz engines are still produced on the premises and in front of the factory, a fancy new museum of Mercedes-Benz cars of the Daimler-Benz Company was opened in 2006.

Jellinek from the vicinity of the town of Uherský Brod and the Mercedes name

Another important person in the history of Mercedes Benz cars was Emil Jellinek (1853-1917) who was born as a son of rabbi near the town of Uherský Brod. Jellinek later became a Consul General of Austro-Hungary in Nice, France, a car salesman and racer. He participated in races under the pseudonym “Mr Mercedes”, the name of his first-born daughter. He bought 36 cars from Daimler and had them improved by Maybach to meet his specifications. At that time, this accounted for a quarter of the total production of the Daimler factory. He sold the cars again under the brand name “Mercedes”. He had this name patented and, after significant commercial success, became general representative of the company. Since 1905, the name “Mercedes” has been used for the total production of Daimler.

The current Mercedes symbol has been used since 1926 and is composed of the name “Mercedes” (salesman Jellinek’s daughter), the name “Benz” (builder of the first car in the world) and the three-pointed star (the symbol of Daimler which means: our engines rule in the air – top point, on water and on land – two bottom points).

Mercedes Benz vehicles are traditionally ranked as prestigious, reliable vehicles, not only in the area of passenger transport. They cover the complete scope of today’s automotive production (utility vehicles, buses, special vehicles – e.g. the Popemobile, a car used by the Pope and other governmental or diplomatic vehicles). The Mercedes brand also does well in the most prestigious category of race cars –Formula 1. 

The era of “carriages” by Benz and Daimler from the turn of the 19^th century was superseded by production of strong, robust cars meant for a small group of the rich.

The 30s, the medium-class category

Mercedes-Benz 200 (8/38 PS, W02) and model Stuttgart 260, (10/50 PS, W11) 1926-1933

The Mercedes Benz car 8/38 PS with model denomination W02. It was produced from 1926 to 1933 with an engine of 2000 cubic cm capacity or with a more powerful engine with a 2600 cubic cm capacity (W11 L). More than 20,000 cars were produced, including small lorries and military vehicles. The frame was made of moulded U-profiles and both rigid axeltrees were string-loaded by longitudinal flat strings. Brakes were mechanical on all wheels. This was the first car from the medium-class category after the merger of Mercedes Benz. The price also made the car popular among the middle class, ranging from 6000 marks to 9500 marks (previous small-series cars with 4 litre and 6 litre engines cost 14 to 28 thousand Reichsmarks). But the car was still more expensive than competing brands (Opel, Adler and Ford), which, on the other hand, were not so reliable. For years, the Mercedes Benz Stuttgart 200 was the most successful model of Mercedes on a sales basis. Ferdinand Porsche also participated in the production of this car. From 1930, the car had a semi-automatic gearbox with a pre-set 4^th gear (to change gears from third to fourth, the gear was changed without the clutch being let out – the speed was pre-set – and the gear automatically changed when the driver let up on the gas pedal). The car was delivered with wheels with wooden or metal spokes. It was manufactured in all passenger car versions (convertible A, B, C, D, limousine, tourenwagen and pullmann), in a military all-terrain version and as a small utility car. The car was also popular as a taxi.

Types of car bodies:

• The Limousine has either two or four doors, a four or more seat body with solid roof. The upper part of the roof was sometimes made of artificial leather, with insulating layers that prevent overheating of the interior. All cars were also fitted with an adjustable tipping windscreen, which enables draught-free airing.
• The Pullman-limousine has an elongated four-door car body with either six or seven seats inside which included a dividing screen behind the driver.
• The Roadster is a two-seat sports car with small doors to make getting in easier; or the door is not present at all but the line of the car body is lowered at the point where one gets in. The windscreen can be tipped to the bonnet so as not to increase air resistance. It was only produced in small numbers and was often equipped with made-to-measure bodies made by renowned specialist firms (e.g. Reuter Stuttgart, Graber, Sodomka-Vysoké Mýto).
• Convertible A (on a normal or elongated undercarriage) is a two-door sports car body with a folding roof. Usually this is a luxury limited series version made in leather – small series production with many accessories, according to the customer’s wishes. The boot and roof are usually joined in one element, front fenders are aerodynamic and connected to footrests. Behind the front seats there is sometimes an emergency seat for another passenger. In some cars, this seat is accessible only when the boot is open (so-called mother-in-law seat).
• Convertible B (long version) is a two-door, four-seat car body with four side retractable windows. This is usually a luxury car for purposes of show.
• Convertible C (short version) is a short two-door, four-seat convertible with two side windows.
• Convertible D has four doors and four seats
• Convertible F has four doors and seven seats
• Tourenwagen (light carriage) is an open four-seat or four-door car body with a folding light linen roof and windows fitted in the doors.

The Mercedes Benz 170 (W15), with a six-cylinder engine, was produced from 1931 to 1935. This car was a successor in the medium-class car line, with selling prices from 4,000 to 6,000 Reichsmarks. The car was designed by engineers Hans Niebel. The frame of the chassis is of a square trapezoidal cross-section. The divided front axle is spring-loaded by two transverse flat strings with lever fluid-model dampers, the rear axle swinging with a couple of twisted strings and hydraulic dampers. The car is equipped with liquid single-circle brakes on all wheels. The handbrake is mechanical. The six-cylinder engine is 32 HP. The standard version of the car was equipped with a steering lock. This car was mostly sold as a four-door limousine and a C convertible, both very popular. The two-seat roadster and A convertible were rare and more expensive. Utility vehicles constructed on this chassis also enjoyed good sales figures.

The Mercedes Benz 200 (W21) was a direct successor of the preceding model as far as construction goes, and of the Stuttgart model in terms of engine capacity. It was produced from 1933 to 1937. It was meant for the middle class and this was reflected in the car body models available. Besides the short chassis model A and C sporty two-seat convertible and roadster, an elongated version of the chassis was also produced in which the distance between the front and rear axle was over 3 metres, enabling the construction of comfortable four-seat limousines and comfortable B convertibles. This model features more luxury elements like richer wood panelling, a wooden dashboard, a spacious boot with the option to buy special luggage made to fit the internal dimensions of the space, and other features. Two spare wheels were moved to the front fenders, which made the storage room more spacious.

The luxury of the car was highlighted by the fact that taxi and utility versions of this car were not available.

Technically speaking, the 200 model is not different from the preceding model, with the exception of a more powerful engine (40 HP). Naturally, the car body evolved, even from year to year. The 200 model was described as a loveable car at a favourable price that didn’t exceed the price of the Stuttgart. Cars with an elongated chassis were very popular. They were the first passenger cars to be equipped with a 2,600 cubic cm capacity engine in 1936. For this version, only six-seat limousines are known; these were used as taxis.

The frame elongation and the deluxe equipment of cars increased their weight so much that two-litre engines were not powerful enough now for a car with an elongated frame. Therefore the production of this car was small and amounted to a total 4,100 vehicles, making them very popular with collectors. The engine was replaced by a stronger version with a capacity of 2300 cubic cm. This more powerful car, the MB 230 - W143, was produced in a number exceeding 15,000 units. An innovative version with a backbone chassis made of oval profiles (W 153) was still manufactured long after the war.

Mercedes Benz 130 H/170H Mercedes Benz with a rear motor

The concept of the people’s car (Volkswagen) was a state contract that every car manufacturer fought to obtain. The requirements were: lenght 4m, speed 11 km/hour, an engine placed behind the rear axle, at least three seats and a price comparable to the price paid for good motorcycles (990 Reichsmarks).

The engine, located at the back (Heckmotor – henceforth labelled H by Mercedes Benz) was also promising as far as the development of a streamlined profile for the car bodies was concerned (Stromlinien Karoserie in German). This profile decreased air resistance and thus enabled higher speeds and thus perfect utilisation of the newly created motorways in Germany. In 1936, the Mercedes Company publicly presented, the first car manufacturer to do so, the first cars built to the VW specification (V1, V2, V3), represented by models 130 H and 170 H. Prototype Volkswagen (KdF) were also manufactured in Daimler-Benz production worshops.

The Mercedes Benz 130 H is one of the first serially produced cars in the world with a rear engine. It was produced between 1934 and 1936. It has a four-cylinder in-line water-cooled engine with a capacity of 1299 cubic cm and an output of 26 HP. The engine is placed behind the rear axle and the gear box in front of it. The car is equipped with fluid brakes on all wheels. It weighs 980 kg.

Mercedes Benz 290 (W18) and 320 (W142)

The Mercedes Benz 290 and 320 were successors to the Mercedes Benz 200. They were produced from 1932 to 1936 (MB2 90), and from 1937 to 1940 (MB 290). A steel frame made of closed beams with a rectangular cross-section was retained. What differed was the construction of the front axle, where the greater engine weight is compensated for by swinging arms with springs instead of a top flat spring. The major change was an increase in engine capacity to 2900/3200 and later to 3400 cm³. These were luxury cars manufactured mostly to order, with many luxury elements. With these models, there is great variability to meet the differing requirements of customers. The cars were targeted at the upper class with a price ranging from 10,000 to 15,000 Reichsmarks, almost double the price of the MB 200 cars. The standard chassis was used for the sports convertible and the coupe version, the elongated chassis for a wide range of car bodies, including the parade convertible F. The cars were spacious and comfortable. They were meant for long journeys and high speed, and required good-quality straight road sections. It was the era when the first motorways were constructed. Due to its 80 HP output, it was also used for ambulance cars and military vehicles.

The infamous Mercedes Benz 320 convertible B is probably the car in which the Reich Protector, Reinhard Heydrich, was seated during his assassination.

 The most famous era of pre-war Mercedes production is undoubtedly that of the Mercedes Benz 500 K, 540 K and 770. In terms of engine capacity, these models had the highest capacity of the pre-war models. All these models were luxury cars made to measure; some later on were even armoured cars. They were equipped with eight-cylinder engines that, using an injection pump, achieved an output of 160 and 180 HP for 500 and 540 models and 230 HP for the 770 model. Nonetheless, only big parade and armoured cars were manufactured with this overfilled engine model. 

The history of the automobile industry – the origin of Mercedes Benz

1876 – development of the internal-combustion engine - Nikolaus August Otto (1832 - 1891)

1885 – first three-wheel automobile of Karl Benz (1844-1929)

1886 – first four-wheel automobile of Gottlieb Daimler (1834-1900)

1888 – first long-distance ride in a car by Berta Benz

1897 – development of the diesel engine - Rudolf Diesel ( 1858 - 1913 ),

1905 – the name Mercedes is patented

1926 – the Daimler and Benz companies merge

symbol: Mercedes – the name of Rudolf Jellinek’s daughter

Benz – the name of the car industry founder

Three-pointed star – the symbol of Daimler – we shall master water, land and air

1936 – The first passenger car with a diesel engine - Mercedes Benz 260 D