Long ago Mercedes was proposed by Damler by one of its dealers, Emil Zelinek-Murdes (1853–1918), who named it-and after his race team and even, strangely, after herself, after her young daughter (1889–1929).
Designed by Willhem Meback (1846–1929), 35hp was light and powerful, and was remarkably low center of gravity for that time. It was such a sharp road car, and did so well in the competition that the French journalist and motorsport pioneer Paul Meyan (1852–1938) was shifted to write, "We have entered the Mercedes era."
Mercedes-Simplex (1902):
Wilhem Meback followed 35HP with the first of several simplex models, so named them as they were simple to operate compared to their predecessors. With 40HP, it was even faster, and although the less powerful versions were later added, introduced in 1909, rated at a powerful 65hp.
Emperor Wilhem II (1859–1941) was an enthusiastic, joking with mebacks that her new model was "not as simple, as you know, while American tycoon William. Vanderbilat (1849–1920) has a simplex that still exists, and today is believed to have the oldest mercade in existence.
Mercedes 75hp (1907):
The first major controversy within Damler was the departure of Wilhelm Meback. Following a dispute, he left the company that he had joined before he started construction of cars and was converted into a technical owner by Paul Damler (1869–1945).
The final contribution of the maback to the firm was the design of its first six-cylinder engine. As a 10.2-liter, it first appeared in a car in January 1907, which was then known as 75hp, although two years later its name was changed to 39/80hp. A 9.5-liter version later appeared in 65hp in 1907, which became 37/70hp.
Mercedes-Knight (1910):
After a decade of creating a Mercedes model with his own engines, it would look shocking when Daimler introduced a car with a unit developed by someone else. Another American Charles in question was Yale Knight (1868–1940), whose sleeve-valve design was highly preferred at that time, and was used by many manufacturers.
The first Mercedes-Night 1910 had a 4.0-liter 16/40hp, and two years later followed by 10/30hp and 25/65HP. Their engines were very quiet, but they were also difficult to build and maintain. This, with limited growth capacity, Daimler abandoned this idea in 1924.
Mercedes 18/100 (1914):
Although we are mainly focused on large -scale developed cars for road use, it creates an exception in the case of 18/100 racer, which competed in the French Grand Prix in July 1914. The phenomenon was essentially a fight between France and Germany, which was represented by Puzo and Mercedes respectively.
Puezo fought a brilliant battle, but finally all the honors went to Mercedes, who took to the top three places. The house crowd was chased with a necklace at the hands of a nation which would become a war -time enemy after less than a month.
Mercedes 28/95 (1914):
It is appropriately enough for the builder of the 1914 Europe's largest race, Daimler introduced an innovative and very powerful road -going model in the same year. It had an overhead camp in the 7.3-liter Strait Six engine (not at all new, but is very unusual at that time) and did not produce less than 90bhp. Production was abandoned during World War I, but resumed when peace returned, and continued until 1924.
Mercedes 24/110/160hp (1924):
After being moved from Wilhelme Max several years ago, Paul Daimler resigned in 1922 and was replaced by Ferdinand Porsche (1875–1951). The top technical role included two very grand cars in Porsche's initial work. 6.3-liter 24/110/160hp and 3.9-liter 15/70/110hp complex names were based on their actual horsepower without supercharging, their actual horsepower and supercharging with their actual horsepower. But it was not just about engines. According to the Damler press release of the time, "design and technical execution of both chassis and coachwork represents a tremendous step in the context of the series of motor vehicles".
Mercedes 8/38hp (1926):
Great rivals in the German motor industry, Damler and Benz founded the 'community of interest' in 1924, and merged two years later. The joint company was called the Damler-Benz, but from now on its cars would be called Mercedes-Benz.
The first model with this name was 8/38hp, and given that it was surprisingly traditional with a 2.0-liter sidewallway (or flathed) engine. The customer's choice, however, was enough. Initially introduced as two or four-door salons or an open touror, the number of available body styles will reach 13 in 1928.
Grosser Mercedes 770 (1930):
The first Gruser, or 'Grand', Mercedes was powered by a 7.7-liter engine, which naturally produced 150bhp in aspirated form, or 200bhp for the benefit of those who were additional for a supercharger, 104 out of 117 rich buyers of the car.
Rather for more wealth, customers can also specify a proposal raised by Japan's Emperor Hirohito (1901–1989). His car was returned in 1971 and demonstrated at the Mercedes-Benz Museum at Stutgart.
Faqs
What makes a Mercedes-Benz car "controversial"?
A Mercedes-Benz model becomes controversial when it breaks away from tradition, introduces unusual design choices, or underperforms expectations. Sometimes it’s the price, tech, or styling that sparks debate among fans and critics.
Which Mercedes-Benz models are considered the most controversial?
Some notable examples include:
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Mercedes-Benz A-Class (1997) – criticized for failing the “moose test” early on.
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Maybach 57/62 – ultra-luxury, but overpriced and underwhelming.
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Mercedes-Benz X-Class – a luxury pickup that struggled to find its audience.
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EQ models – facing mixed reactions over EV performance vs. traditional Benz expectations.
Why did the X-Class pickup truck face backlash?
The X-Class was based on a Nissan Navara platform, leading many to feel it lacked the premium DNA expected from Mercedes-Benz. High price tags and limited appeal in traditional luxury markets made it a commercial misfire.
How does Mercedes-Benz respond to criticism about these models?
Mercedes-Benz often takes feedback seriously and quickly evolves. For instance, after the A-Class’s early issues, the brand improved its safety dramatically. With EVs, they're continuously updating tech and design to meet shifting market demands.
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