Tag: mercedes-benz

It was in 1901 that Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG), the company founded in 1890, delivered the now legendary first 35 hp Mercedes to Emil Jellinek; designer Wilhelm Maybach then immediately set about turning his thoughts to the future. At the top of his list of priorities were a higher power output, greater operational convenience and increased reliability, which even in those days were hallmarks of Daimler vehicles. And so it came about that the engine of the Mercedes “Simplex” from 1902 already developed 40 hp (29 kW) and was easier to drive, as its name indicates. (more…)

Daimler-Benz patented what was to become a key element of passive car safety in 1958 – the wedge-pin door lock. It was introduced into a Mercedes-Benz production vehicle the following year. The innovative lock, featuring two safety detents, prevented vehicle doors from bursting open or jamming shut in the event of an accident. In vehicles with older locks fitted, doors were known to spring open even as a result of relatively harmless collisions, often resulting in occupants being thrown out of the vehicle, since restraining or safety belts were not commonplace at the time. (more…)

Mercedes-Benz is moving its Southern Californian advanced design studio from Irvine to a newly-acquired, spacious facility near Carlsbad, in order to strengthen its creative base in the U.S. At the new Carlsbad facility, the styling masterminds pondering the car of the future have almost three times more space in which to realize their creative ideas. Thus, Mercedes-Benz is underscoring the continually growing influence of the advanced design studio on the internationally-oriented design strategy of the world’s oldest vehicle manufacturer. (more…)