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Philosophy

Many of the things we have come to expect in a modern car were originated by Mercedes-Benz. It all began back in 1886, on January 29 to be precise. That was the day on which Carl Benz was granted the Imperial Letters of Patent for his 0.9 hp three-wheeled motor carriage - and the car was born. At almost the same time, in Cannstatt, in south west Germany, Gottlieb Daimler was working on the motor carriage which he had developed. These two men who, quite independently of each other, laid the foundations for motorised transport, had one thing on common; a pioneering spirit combined with single-minded perseverance. Their ideas continue to shape the Mercedes-Benz marque to this day - as typified by the countless succession of inventions in every sector of automotive engineering that appear like milestones in the history of our company. But our enthusiasm for innovation is always tempered by our responsibility to the car itself - and to our customers and their safety. A great many patents are accounted for by Béla Barényi alone, a man who spent virtually all his working life as a Mercedes-Benz safety engineer. His revolutionary inventions, such as the crumple zone, have already saved many lives. Another innovation to be "born" at Mercedes-Benz was the ABS system, thought up by our engineers as long ago as the early sixties. Today, our cars are equipped with fourth generation ABS. But our commitment to technical progress is matched by our commitment to the environment. Which is why, at Mercedes-Benz, protecting the environment does not stop at fitting catalytic converters and the use of unleaded fuel. For us, ecological thinking starts at the earliest stages of planning, when we select materials and decide on production processes. As a result, we build cars that are largely recyclable. This we see as our own special responsibility to the car.