Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz traces its origins to Karl Benz's 1886 Patent-Motorwagen - widely recognized as the first internal combustion automobile - and Gottlieb Daimler’s early motor carriages. The official brand formed in 1926 through the merger of Benz & Cie. and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, taking the Mercedes name from a 1901 Daimler model named after Mercédès Jellinek. Headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, the company built its reputation on engineering safety innovations, luxury refinement, and motorsport dominance with its historic "Silver Arrows" racing teams.
The manufacturer's legacy features landmark models including the 1950s 300 SL "Gullwing," the rugged G-Class off-roader, and the S-Class sedan, which has introduced many safety and technical standards to the broader auto industry. High-performance models are developed under the Mercedes-AMG division, while ultra-luxury vehicles carry the Mercedes-Maybach nameplate.
Operating today as Mercedes-Benz Group AG, the automaker produces a portfolio spanning luxury sedans, crossovers, SUVs, and commercial vehicles. Its strategy focuses on electrification and vehicle software, transitioning toward battery-electric models alongside performance hybrids and certified Level 3 conditional autonomous driving systems.
Models over time
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
Mercedes-Benz 600
Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Straßenversion
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
Mercedes-AMG GT
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Mercedes-Maybach GLS
Mercedes-AMG ONE
Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series
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Registration
Facts
The Mercedes-Benz 600 used air suspension to provide high ride comfort without sacrificing the stability expected of a large car.
The 600's high-pressure hydraulic system operated functions including seat adjustment and the opening and closing of doors, windows and the boot lid.
Mercedes-Benz quoted a top speed of about 205 km/h for the 600, unusual for a large prestige limousine of the early 1960s.
The 600's V8 displaced 6,332 cc and produced 184 kW, or 250 PS.
The 600 was the first Mercedes-Benz passenger car to use a V8 engine.
Depending on final-drive ratio, Mercedes-Benz quoted a top speed of up to about 250 km/h for the 300 SL, exceptional for a mid-1950s production car.
The production 300 SL's three-litre inline-six produced 158 kW, or 215 PS, at 5,800 rpm.
According to Mercedes-Benz, the 300 SL W 198 was the first production passenger car with a four-stroke petrol engine using direct fuel injection.
The characteristic upward-opening doors were not merely a styling device: the high sills of the tubular spaceframe prevented the use of conventional large side doors.
In everyday driving, Mercedes-AMG says the two front motors can recover up to about 80% of braking energy and return it to the battery.
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