In January of 1886, Karl Benz unveiled the world's first automobile, a three-wheeled vehicle dubbed the Benz Patent Motor Car. A few months later, Gottlieb Daimler and his chief engineer Wilhelm Maybach rolled out a four-wheeled vehicle powered by his Daimler engine. The first Mercedes was crafted in 1901, shortly after Daimler's death. Built by Maybach, the car was commissioned by Emil Jellinek, one of Daimler's primary distributors, and was ultimately named after Jellinek's daughter, Mercedes.
In 1926, the companies founded by Daimler and Benz finally merged to form Daimler-Benz AG, and the Mercedes-Benz brand was born. The company's insignia was a three-pointed star wreathed in a laurel a design dreamed up by Daimler to signify the fact that his engines were for use in vehicles that travelled land, air and sea.
Right from the start, the Mercedes-Benz name was synonymous with automotive excellence. One of the car maker's earliest vehicles, the 1931 Mercedes-Benz 170, was the world's first production car to have four-wheel independent suspension, something unheard of at the time. The '30s and '40s saw Mercedes becoming the car for those seeking luxury travel.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL 'Gullwing,' the world's first supercar, was introduced in the 50s and is now a classic. Daimler-Benz were also concentrating on safety with the use of 'crumple zones' to absorb impact in the event of a crash.
In 1963, the Mercedes-Benz 600 arrived with air suspension system and a V8 engine that boasting 300 horsepower. Later, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 was introduced with zero to 60 in under seven seconds.
Daimler-Benz's safety advancements continued in the 1980s offering airbags and traction control. The manufacturer also raised the bar in terms of ride comfort and handling when it introduced multilink rear suspension.
The company's current lineup is the most comprehensive in its history. With a variety of sedans, coupes, SUVs and roadsters filling Mercedes showrooms.
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Check Mercedes insurance groups - select a model to start
Whether you currently own a Mercedes or you are considering buying a model from
the Mercedes range, it helps if you understand insurance groups and how they affect
your premium.
Insurance group ratings take into account performance, security, damage and parts costs, new
car values, availability of body shells and repair costs and times. What you'll typically
find is that cars in lower insurance groups attract a lower premium, whilst cars in higher
insurance groups attract a higher premium - usually because they are high performance models
or have high repair or replacement costs. Just choose a model to check its insurance group ratings.