Daimler's first Mercedes originated from an idea that one of its dealers, Emil Jellinek-Mercedes (1853-1918), submitted for his own race team (and his own putative surname, quite incidentally, and his recently born daughter, while we're at it). This light powerful 35hp car, produced through Wilhelm Maybach's genius (1846-1929), had a low centre of gravity by current standards and was a very rapid road car with a competition record that prompted the French journalist and racing pioneer, Paul Meyan (1852-1938), to proclaim, "We have entered the Mercedes era."
Mercedes-Simplex (1902)
Wilhelm Maybach built upon the 35hp to produce the first of many Simplex, simplified to use than the 35hp they replaced. With 40hp it was quick, and though a number of smaller models appeared the final one, introduced in 1909, was a substantial 65hp. Emperior Wilhelm II (1859-1941) was an enthusiast, telling Maybach that his new model was "not as simple as that, you know," and American horse-racing magnate William K. Vanderbilt (1849-1920) owned a Simplex, still extant, and thought today to be the oldest Mercedes.
Mercedes 75hp (1907)
The initial major disagreement at Daimler involved Wilhelm Maybach's resignation. Following a disagreement, he quit the company he had joined before its focus became producing cars and Paul Daimler (1869-1945) replaced him as technical manager. Maybach last designed the firm's first six-cylinder engine. In 10.2 litre form it first appeared in January 1907 in the car then called the 75hp, though two years later it changed its name to 39/80hp. Later in the same year a 9.5 litre version arrived in the 65hp (37/70hp).
Mercedes-Knight (1910)
Despite a decade of fitting its own Mercedes engines to its models, Daimler probably felt horrified to see someone else offering a car with a different unit. The Americans, Charles Yale Knight (1868-1940), whose sleeve-valve design was very popular at the time, adopted it. The first Mercedes-Knight was the 4.0-litre 16/40hp of 1910, followed by the equally long-lived 10/30hp and 25/65hp of 1912. Engines of all three types produced extraordinarily quiet performance but also required time-consuming production and maintenance. This, combined with the restricted scope for development, caused Daimler to abandon the project in 1924.
Mercedes 18/100 (1914)
While our focus is primarily on road-going cars, it appears to take a stand with regard to the 18/100 racer entered for the French GP held in July 1914. Peugeot and Mercedes represented the French and German teams – the former was their home Grand Prix. Peugeot fought a noble race but ultimately had to resign themselves to a Mercedes sweep of the medals. Overcome by Mercedes, the home team was humbled in front of their own crowd less than a month before the home nation went to war against the Germans.
Mercedes 28/95 (1914)
Carmaker Daimler launched an all-new and ludicrously powerful roadgoing model in the same year as the builder of the victor in Europe's biggest race of 1914. This 7.3-litre Straight Six had an overhead camshaft – not entirely new but nonetheless extremely rare – and developed a mighty 90bhp.
Mercedes 24/110/160hp (1924)
Paul Daimler, who had succeeded Wilhelm Maybach several years earlier, left in 1922 and Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951) succeeded him. Porsche's first duties as the top technical executive were to construct two extremely large cars. The forebodingly long names of these six-and-a-half and four-cylinder automobiles, 6.3-litres 24/110/160hp and 3.9-litres 15/70/110hp, reflected their tax ratings, their un-supercharged and supercharged horsepower. But it wasn't just about the engines. A rather self-satisfied Daimler press release of the time claimed that: "The design and technical execution of both chassis and coachwork represent a tremendous step forward in terms of the series production of the motor vehicle."
Mercedes 8/38hp (1926)
During 1924, the two great rivals in the German motor industry, Daimler and Benz, formed a 'community of interest,' and two years later, they merged. They named the merged company Daimler-Benz and called its cars the new Mercedes-Benz. First with this designation, the 8/38hp was remarkably down to earth considering everything that had gone before; it fitted a 2.0-litre side-valve (flathead) engine. That the new car was popular was inevitable. When launched, it was available as a two- or four-door saloon or an open tourer, but by 1928, the company expanded the range to 13 styles.
Mercedes SSK (1928)
The finest road version of the Model S for use on private or race tracks was the SSK (for Super Sport Kurz, the last word being short in reference to the wheelbase). Engineers gradually developed its supercharged 7.1 litre straight eight to a stage where it delivered approximately 250bhp in 1929, and the car won wonderfully well in racing. Builders also constructed an SSKL, of similar chassis but about 300bhp, as a racing car, and racing aces like Rudolf Caracciola (1901-1959), Hans Stuck (1900-1978), and Manfred von Brauchitsch (1905-2003) drove it to victory.
FAQ's
1. Why is the first-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class (W168) considered controversial?
Released in 1997, it famously flipped over during the Swedish "moose test", forcing Mercedes to halt sales, redesign the suspension, and retrofit Electronic Stability Control (ESC) as standard across the industry.
2. What made the Mercedes-Benz R-Class so heavily criticized?
Produced from 2006 to 2013, this "luxury sports tourer" tried to blend a minivan, wagon, and SUV. Buyers found its melted proportions deeply unattractive and struggled to understand its market purpose, making it a major commercial flop.
3. Why did enthusiasts dislike the Mercedes-Benz X-Class?
Sold between 2017 and 2020, purists were outraged that Mercedes rebadged a midsize Nissan Navara, slapped a high luxury price tag on it, and sold a pickup truck that many felt lacked genuine Mercedes build quality.
4. Why is the Mercedes-Benz EQS styling so divisive?
As the brand's electric flagship, its blobular, "cab-forward" aero shape prioritizes low drag coefficients over traditional three-box luxury proportions, leading critics to mock its resemblance to an oversized bar of soap.
5. Why was the W210 E-Class a source of major controversy for the brand?
Built in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it damaged Mercedes' legendary reputation for bulletproof reliability due to shockingly fast body rust issues and fragile electronic systems.
