World's Best Car Models - Mercedes - Benz

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Mercedes- Benz has always been driven by a strong ' spirit of innovation'. Discover the passion behind the name, its history and the new upcoming models in this edition. Interesting facts that make the mark of the car are all here to fascinate all the Mercedes Benz admirers.

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History
Machines from an early age fascinated both Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz. Their approach to building cars was different and varied. To know the history of Mercedes Benz, you should know the people behind the building of this world-famed automobile.

Gottlieb Daimler was born in Schorndorf Germany in 1834. He was primarily trained as a gunsmith. It's only in the later years he became an engineer. Daimler worked in Britain, France and Belgium before being appointed as technical director to the gas-engine company which Nikolaus Otto at Deutz. It is here that he met young engineer Wilhelm Maybach. They together developed internal combustion engine for propelling road vehicles. They started their own company in 1882.

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Daimler and Maybach did not invent internal combustion engine, but they improved it. They made small, lightweight and high-speed engines to power all kind of automobiles. In 1889 they placed their engines into a horse carriage and drove the car at the speed of 11 miles per hour, thus producing the first four-wheeled automobile. They decided to sell the car after a four-speed gearbox and belt drive mechanism to turn the wheels was devised. The following year witnessed the launch of Daimler Motor Gesellschaft (DMG). The company soon developed a reputation for reliability. However in 1900 Daimler died and Maybach quit DMG in 1907. In 1924, the DMG signed an agreement with Karl Benz. After two years the two companies merged to become Daimler-Benz AG, which is now a part of DaimlerChrysler.

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"Mercedes" was lodged as the trade name on June 23, 1902 and legally registered on September 26. The name was given by Emil Jellinek a wealthy entrepreaneur who sat on the board of Daimler Motoren Gesellscaft between 1900 and 1909.

In April 1900, Jellinek concluded an agreement with DMG concerning the sales of cars and the engines and the decision was taken to use "Mercedes" as a product name. In addition, it was agreed that a new engine "bearing the name Daimler-Mercedes" was to be developed. The DMG chairman then accepted it readily as it overcame the problem of the Daimler name in France being owned by Panhard And Levassor.

Karl Friedrich Benz was born in1844 in Baden Muehlburg, Germany. His father, an engine driver died of a train accident when he was 2 years old. Despite living in poverty his mother gave him a good education. He originally studied locksmithing, but eventually followed his father's interest, locomotive engineering. In 1871, he founded his first company with partner August Ritter, " Iron Foundry and Machine shop" a supplier of building materials.