Intro: Although Mercedes and Benz were separate car producing firms, they joined together in 1926 to form a company that has developed a remarkable image of power and status. Now with Chrysler-Jeep, its North American partner, it is the third largest motor manufacturer in the world. The infamous three-pointed-star emblem was an amalgam of the logos of the separate companies. Amazingly, due to Germany’s serious economic position of the 1930s, Mercedes-Benz almost did not survive. The pounding that its Stuttgart factories took during WW2 could have also wiped it into non-existence. Yet, it survived and grew in leaps and bounds through the late-1940s, producing a series of fine quality motor cars and leading in terms of car design. Of course, Grand Prix racing played its part in developing the company’s stance over the years and even today its links with McLaren are more than obvious. In the late-1980s, Mercedes-Benz sold over 600,000 cars, but with a thriving trucks business, it remained staunchly independent prior to its amalgamation with the Chrysler Corporation in 1998. It has experienced innumerable issues since the partnership deal was struck, but as a cash-rich company, it will ride out the storms and continue to build its stance. The introduction of the A-Class model in 1998 had a major effect on broadening the customer base for the company.
2002 saw the introduction of the flamboyant Maybach while in 2004 the McLaren-built SLR and the E-class based CLS coupe were the big news.
For 2005 segment-busting new models are on the plate with the B-class and R-class MPVs.
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