Mercedes-Benz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mercedes-Benz

Type	Automotive
Owner	Mercedes-Benz AG (passenger cars and light commercial vehicles) Daimler Truck (heavy commercial vehicles)
Country	Germany
Introduced	28 June 1926; 98 years ago (1926-06-28)

Mercedes-Benz AG

Type	Subsidiary (AG)
Industry	Automotive
Predecessor	Mercedes-Benz division of Daimler AG
Founded	November 2019; 5 years ago (2019-11)
Headquarters	Stuttgart , Germany
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management and CEO
Products	Automobiles Light commercial vehicles
Brands	Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-EQ Mercedes-Maybach
Production output	2,164,187 cars worldwide (2020)
Services	Financial services Automobile repair
Parent	Mercedes-Benz Group
Divisions	Mercedes-Benz Cars Mercedes-Benz Vans
Subsidiaries	Mercedes-AMG Smart Automobile (50%)

Mercedes-Benz is a famous brand of cars and trucks from Germany. The company was once called Daimler-Benz. Mercedes-Benz is known as the world's oldest car maker. Their cars are often seen as luxury vehicles.

The symbol of Mercedes-Benz is very famous. It's a three-pointed star inside a circle. This symbol was designed by Gottlieb Daimler, one of the company's founders. The three points of the star represent land, air, and sea. This is because Daimler's engines were used in cars, trucks, airplanes, and boats. The symbol was first used in 1909.

Mercedes-Benz cars have made many important contributions to car history. They were the first to build a diesel-powered car in the 1930s. They also introduced fuel injection in the 1950s. In the 1970s, they were the first to offer antilock brakes. Mercedes-Benz cars have also played a big role in auto racing history.

History of Mercedes-Benz

Karl Benz created the first car powered by petrol.

Gottlieb Daimler helped start the company.

The story of Mercedes-Benz began with Karl Benz. He created the first car powered by a petrol engine. This car, called the Benz Patent Motorwagen, was patented in January 1886. Later that year, Gottlieb Daimler and engineer Wilhelm Maybach also added a petrol engine to a stagecoach.

The first "Mercedes" car was sold in 1901 by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG). A businessman named Emil Jellinek worked with DMG. He created the "Mercedes" name in 1902. He named the 1901 Mercedes 35 hp car after his daughter, Mercedes Jellinek. Jellinek was good at marketing. He sold Daimler cars to wealthy people in Europe and even to billionaires in the US.

In 1901, the name "Mercedes" became a protected trademark worldwide. The first cars with the "Mercedes-Benz" brand name were made in 1926. This happened after Karl Benz's company and Gottlieb Daimler's company merged. They formed the Daimler-Benz company on June 28, 1926.

Gottlieb Daimler was born in 1834. He trained as a gunsmith and studied at a polytechnic school. He met Wilhelm Maybach in 1865. Together, they made important advances in engine design.

During the 1930s, Mercedes-Benz made the 770 model. These cars were used by important figures in Germany at the time. Some had special features like bulletproof windshields. Mercedes-Benz has also provided vehicles for the Pope. During World War II, the company used many workers to help with war efforts. Later, the company paid money to the families of these workers.

Mercedes-Benz has introduced many new technologies and safety features over the years. These innovations later became common in many other cars. Today, Mercedes-Benz is one of the most famous car brands in the world.

Mercedes-Benz Car Models

Mercedes-Benz A-Class (small luxury hatchbacks and sedans)

Mercedes-Benz B-Class (small luxury Tourers)

Mercedes-Benz C-Class (compact luxury car)

Mercedes-Benz E-Class (executive car)

Mercedes-Benz S-Class (large luxury sedan)

Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class (small luxury SUV)

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class (compact luxury SUV)

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class (mid-size luxury SUV)

Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class (large luxury SUV)

Mercedes-Benz makes many different types of vehicles. These include passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, and heavy commercial vehicles. They are built in many countries around the world. The Smart brand of city cars is also made by Daimler AG.

Current Car Models

• A-Class – A small hatchback and sedan.
• B-Class – A small hatchback.
• C-Class – A compact sedan, station wagon, coupé, and convertible.
• CLA – A compact sedan and station wagon.
• CLS – An executive liftback.
• E-Class – An executive sedan, station wagon, coupé, and convertible.
• G-Class – A tough off-road vehicle.
• GLA – A compact crossover SUV.
• GLB – A mid-size crossover SUV.
• GLC – A mid-size crossover SUV.
• GLE – A large crossover SUV.
• GLS – A very large luxury SUV.
• R-Class – A large station wagon.
• S-Class – A very large luxury sedan, coupé, and convertible.
• T-Class – A compact minivan.
• V-Class – A large minivan.
• AMG GT – A sporty coupé and roadster.
• AMG GT 4-Door – A sporty liftback.
• AMG SL – A sporty roadster.
• AMG ONE – A very fast supercar.
• EQA – An electric compact crossover SUV.
• EQB – An electric mid-size crossover SUV.
• EQC – An electric mid-size crossover SUV.
• EQE – An electric executive sedan.
• EQE SUV – An electric executive crossover SUV.
• EQG – An electric off-road vehicle.
• EQS – A large electric luxury sedan.
• EQS SUV – A large electric luxury crossover SUV.
• EQT – An electric compact minivan.
• EQV – An electric large minivan.

Vans and Trucks

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van.

Mercedes-Benz also makes three types of vans: the Citan, Vito, and Sprinter. These are all produced by Daimler AG.

Mercedes-Benz Zetros truck used for snowplowing.

Unimog, a versatile Mercedes-Benz vehicle.

Since 2021, the Mercedes-Benz Trucks division is part of the Daimler Truck company. Gottlieb Daimler sold the world's first truck in 1886. Mercedes-Benz built its first factory outside Germany in Argentina. They originally built trucks there, which were often changed by others to be used as buses.

Buses

Mercedes-Benz has been making buses since 1895 in Germany. Since 1995, their buses and coaches are part of EvoBus GmbH. This company also belongs to Daimler Truck AG. Mercedes-Benz makes many different buses and coaches, mainly for Europe and Asia. The first bus model was made by Karl Benz in 1895.

A Mercedes Citaro bus in France.

Important Models Made Over Time

Some Mercedes-Benz cars, like the 600S Pullman Guard limousines, can be made with special armor. These are often used by diplomats around the world.

Environmental Efforts and Electric Cars

Mercedes-Benz is working on cars that use different types of power. These include hybrid-electric, fully electric, and fuel-cell engines. At a car show in 2007, they showed seven hybrid models. In 2009, they showed three "BlueZERO" concept cars. Each of these cars had a different type of engine: battery-electric, fuel-cell electric, and gasoline-electric hybrid.

Since 2002, Mercedes-Benz has been developing the F-Cell fuel cell vehicle. This car can travel about 250 miles on one charge. They also announced the SLS AMG E-Cell, which is a fully electric sports car. The Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHYBRID was the first production hybrid car in the world to use a lithium-ion battery. In 2010, they started making the Vito E-Cell all-electric van.

In 2008, Mercedes-Benz said they would have a group of small electric cars for testing. Mercedes-Benz and Smart are also setting up recharging points at their dealerships. This helps prepare for more electric cars on the road.

Some Mercedes-Benz cars have faced challenges with fuel economy standards. The company has worked to improve fuel efficiency in newer models. In 2017, Mercedes partnered with Vivint Solar to create a home battery for storing solar energy. In 2018, Mercedes cabin air filters received a special certification for being good for people with asthma and allergies.

Electric Cars

Mercedes opened its sixth battery factory in 2018. The company's EQS sedan is seen as a strong competitor to Tesla. These six factories are located on three different continents.

Mercedes-Benz EQC, an electric SUV.

The brand has also launched its electric "EQ" line of cars. The EQC SUV, their first fully electric car, was shown in 2018 and started production in 2019. Mercedes also showed the VISION AVTR concept car in 2020. This car was inspired by the movie Avatar. It gives clues about what future Mercedes-Benz cars might look like.

Daimler, the parent company, has said it will invest a lot of money to make sure every Mercedes-Benz car has an electric or hybrid version available by 2022. Markus Schäfer, a company leader, said that their electric vehicles will be built in six plants around the world. He also said that batteries are very important for electric cars, so they are building their own battery factories. The company is also making changes to focus more on electric cars. In January 2021, Mercedes-Benz showed its new electric SUV, the EQA, which has a range of 426 kilometers.

Mercedes-Benz in Motorsport

A DMG Mercedes Simplex from 1906.

The two companies that became Mercedes-Benz in 1926 were already successful in motor racing. A Benz car competed in the world's first motor race in 1894. Mercedes-Benz has been involved in many types of racing, including sports car racing and rallying. Sometimes, Mercedes-Benz has taken breaks from motorsport. One famous break was after the 1955 Le Mans disaster. In that race, a Mercedes-Benz car crashed, causing many spectator deaths.

Despite this, Mercedes-Benz has had many racing successes. In 1955, Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson won the Mille Miglia road race in Italy. They set a record speed in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR.

Mercedes-Benz returned to top-level racing in 1987. They raced at Le Mans, in the DTM series, and in Formula One. In the 1990s, Mercedes-Benz partnered with engine builder Ilmor. They raced in IndyCars and won the 1994 Indianapolis 500 and the 1994 CART IndyCar World Series Championship with Al Unser Jr. They also returned to GT racing with the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, winning two titles.

Today, Mercedes-Benz is active in Formula One and GT racing.

Formula One Racing

Two Mercedes-AMG Formula One cars at the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix.

Mercedes-Benz first raced in the Formula One world championship in 1954 and 1955. They were very successful, winning two championships with driver Juan Manuel Fangio. But after just two seasons, the company left the sport.

Mercedes-Benz came back to Formula One in 1994 as an engine supplier. Their engines were made by Ilmor. They first partnered with Sauber, then with McLaren in 1995. At first, the Mercedes engines weren't very successful. But later, they helped drivers Mika Häkkinen (in 1998 and 1999) and Lewis Hamilton (in 2008) win championships. McLaren-Mercedes also won a team championship in 1998.

In 2009, a new team called Brawn GP used Mercedes engines and won both championships. At the end of that season, Mercedes-Benz bought most of the Brawn GP team. The team was renamed Mercedes GP for the 2010 season. Mercedes-Benz also continued to supply engines to other teams.

After big rule changes in 2014, Mercedes became very dominant. They won the drivers' and constructors' titles with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. They continued to win many races and championships in the following years. Lewis Hamilton won in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Nico Rosberg won in 2016. Mercedes became the first team to win seven "double-championships" in a row. Their winning streak ended in 2021 when Max Verstappen won the drivers' championship.

Formula E Racing

Mercedes also joined the Formula E Championship in the 2019–20 season. This is a racing series for electric cars. They joined with their EQ brand and drivers Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck De Vries. Their car was called the Mercedes EQ Silver Arrow 01.

Logo History

In June 1909, Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG) registered two star symbols as trademarks. One was a three-pointed star, and the other was a four-pointed star. Only the three-pointed star was used. For DMG, the star showed Gottlieb Daimler's goal: to have engines used everywhere – on land, in water, and in the air.

Images for kids

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  Mercedes-Benz dealer in Munich, Germany

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  Mercedes M156 engine

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  Mercedes-Benz sponsors the German national football team.

See also

In Spanish: Mercedes-Benz para niños