Benz toasts 140 years of the car, a century of Mercedes
140 years ago this week in 1896, inventor Hidetsugu Yagi and author Marthe Bibesco were born, Britain’s first Salisbury government collapsed and driven by a strong extratropical cyclone., the January 1886 blizzard stopped most of the US in its tracks. Elsewhere in Stuttgart, German engineer Karl Benz filed a patent for his “vehicle powered by a gas engine.”
Benz was duly granted his German patent DRP 37435 for a three-wheeled motor tricycle with tubular steel frame and wire-spoked wheels. And so the motorcar was born. The first Benz Patent-Motorwagen Model No. 1 made its driving debut in Benz’ wife’s hands on the Mannheim, Ringstrasse in Germany on 3 July 1886.
Powered by a 0.75 horsepower rear-mounted four-stroke single-cylinder engine, it was the first practical car designed to be propelled by an internal combustion engine rather than just a modified horse carriage. Featuring electric ignition and a carburettor, a differential and a water-cooling system, top speed was 16 km/h.
140 Years of Benz Excellence Later
140 years of automotive innovation and excellence later, Mercedes-Benz celebrated the occasion with the reveal of the all-new S-Class in Stuttgart. The party in South Africa had even deeper meaning. The country honoured a centenary of the brand on those shores. To celebrate, Mercedes-Benz took us on a walk through more than 200 pristine examples of Benz brand history at the Makotopong Motor Museum near Pretoria.
140 years is just too great a canvas to paint in one story, but there are several other important anniversaries this year that help tell it. Also in 1898, Gottlieb Daimler ordered the first four-wheeled automobile with a high-speed combustion engine. Then 130 years ago in 1896, Daimler delivered the world’s first motorised truck to the British Motor Syndicate in London. Benz & Cie. also launched the Velociped, the world’s first van.
Moving into the 20th century, the Mercedes 35 PS dominated the 1901 Nice Week 125 years ago. Race director Alfred Neubauer used his signalling system to communicate with the drivers for the first time In the Solitude race 100 years ago in 1926. The same year that Mercedes-Benz was incorporated as a brand and it was launched in South Africa.
The Mercedes 300 S Launched 75 Years Ago
Testing of the Unimog, or Universal Motorized Device for Agriculture prototype commenced 80 years ago in 1946. Five years later, Mercedes filed a1951 Patent for the W 111 tail fin safety body. Also 75 years ago, the sporty yet luxurious two-door 300 S It was the was presented as a Cabriolet and a Roadster as Germany’s fastest production car at the 1951 Paris Motor Show.
Moving on to 1976, Mercedes-Benz presented the 123, the middle model known as the E-Class today in Sedan and soon also Estate and Coupé versions, while the C 111-II D set three world and 16 class speed records in Nardo, Italy. Ten years later and 40 years ago, Mercedes-Benz presented its ASR and ASD assistance systems and 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system in Finland in 1986.
The steel vario-roof Mercedes-Benz R 170 SLK Roadster opened up a new market segment when it debuted at the Turin Motor Show in 1996, the same year that a Mercedes-Benz C 36 AMG became the brand’s first official Formula 1 Safety Car at Magny-Cours. Since then, Mercedes-Benz remains Formula 1’s exclusive safety car in 2026.
Now It’s Time to Look Ahead
Into the New Millennium, the latest The Mercedes-Benz R 230 SL Roadster debuted several innovations at Hamburg a quarter century back in 2001, while the new Mercedes-Benz Museum opened at the Untertürkheim plant in 2006, the same year that Bernd Schneider secured his record fifth DTM championship at Le Mans.
It was not just about nostalgia as Mercedes-Benz detailed overview its strategic direction in a refreshed a product and pricing strategy that seeks to balance rarefied ultra-luxury with a concerted push to deliver more attainable its vehicles. It encompasses everything from limited-edition V12 sedans to repositioned SUVs and a significant expansion of its electric commercial vehicle lineup.
On the top end, the new Mercedes-Maybach SL represents the fusion of two Benz icons: the legendary SL roadster and the bespoke Maybach luxury in curated specification packages like Red and White Ambience with exclusive paint colours, 21-inch wheels and crystal white interior.
Maybach Unashamedly Celebrates its V12
Even more exclusive is the Mercedes-Maybach S 680 V12 Edition. Limited to just 150 units globally in homage to the epic 1930s Maybach Zeppelins. 2 will go to South Africa. The two-tone olive green and obsidian black split by a high-tech silver pinstripe extends to olive green wheels. In celebration of the V12 engine, a symbol of Maybach heritage.
Mercedes-Benz also confirmed new third-generation CLA. Featuring the latest e the new MB.OS Mercedes-Benz Operating System. In Progressive or AMG trimmed combustion models followed by a battery-electric variant. The GLC range will also be strategically repositioned by new models. To make volume sellers like the GLC and C-Class more accessible to new buyers. While actively protecting the residual values of existing customers’ cars. This involved creating internal identification codes for the repositioned models to ensure clarity in the market.
The changes also spread to the Van division where special versions including a locally developed 22-seat Sprinter Kanyesi minibus based on the extra-long wheelbase Excel to deliver optimal space between seat rows. The VLE electric van built on Mercedes-Benz’s dedicated VAN.EA Van Electric Architecture van is also cleared for local release.
Navigating a Tough Future in South Africa
Like many other brands, Mercedes-Benz is navigating a complex market. Under siege by cheap Chinese imports, they will also soon be built locally. On one hand, it is cultivating an image of exclusive, heritage-steeped luxury. Through limited products as it enters its second century. On the other, its adjusting pricing and specification. To compel and retain a wider range of customers into the brand fold.
Simultaneously, its commercial vehicle arm is pursuing a tangible, locally-informed path towards electric mobility. This multi-faceted approach reflects an attempt to cater to diverse segments from the ultra-wealthy collector to the fleet manager and the family-seeking premium mobility, all under the same three-pointed star.