Some interesting yet lesser-known facts about Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is one of the best-known names in the automotive world. From its iconic three-pointed star to head-turning designs, luxurious interiors, and powerful engines, there's hardly anyone who doesn't know the brand. But the question is how well do you know about the German automaker? Here we list some of the lesser-known facts about the world-famous Mercedes-Benz.
The modern automobile, known as a Mercedes, was invented by Karl Benz, with his patent of the "Motorwagen" in 1886. It was the first vehicle to have brakes on all wheels. The entire work is said to be funded by his wife, Bertha Ringer Benz, who later made a historic trip from Mannheim to Pforzheim in one of the Motorwagen with her sons.
Mercedes-Benz, as known today, is a merger between Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) and Benz & Cie that occurred in 1926. As part of the merger, DMG's three-pointed star logo, which represents the company's dominance over land, air, and sea, was joined with Benz & Cie trademarked logo of a laurel wreath surrounding the company's name. However, this detailed logo is generally represented with the three-pointed star.
After Gottlieb Daimler (founder of DMG) passed away in 1900, chief engineer Wilhelm Maybach took over and partnered with racing enthusiast Emil Jellinek. The legend is that Jellinek named his car after his daughter Mercédès and the company took inspiration from this name and later trademarked it. Mercédès happens to be a Spanish title for the Virgin Mary or the Mary of the Mercies.
They say a Mercedes never gets old. Of course, it'll age with regular usage but the car wouldn't produce rattling and squeaky sounds. The reason for this happens to be that each body of a Mercedes-Benz car is welded in 10,000 places. And as far as safety is concerned, Mercedes-Benz cars were the first to have brakes on all four wheels, beginning in 1924.
It won't be wrong to say that modern Mercedes-Benz cars shine like pearls. And that is achieved by applying several coats of paint on the body. However, prior to painting, each car body is given a 52-ton primer bath. This primer is vibrant, resistant to corrosion, and gets quickly absorbed in every area of the car's body for an even paint job.
