Thanks to the audacity of Emil Jellinek<\/strong> and the genius of Wilhelm Maybach<\/strong>, the very first Mercedes was born on November 22, 1900<\/strong>, completed at the DMG factory<\/strong> in Cannstatt. And it was not just another vehicle : it embodied an entirely new vision of mobility.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Commissioned by Jellinek, a businessman and car enthusiast, the Mercedes 35 hp<\/strong> was designed to meet his requirements for a vehicle that was both powerful and refined. Jellinek, an influential customer of DMG, placed a massive order for 72 vehicles in 1900, which he intended for wealthy customers across Europe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was following a tragic accident during a race that Jellinek demanded a more stable model : in 1900, a driver he had hired to drive a 23 hp Phoenix was killed during the La Turbie hill climb. In tribute to his daughter Merc\u00e9d\u00e8s, he named the project Daimler-Mercedes<\/strong>, soon shortened to Mercedes<\/strong>, which became the official name of DMG automobiles.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Engineer Wilhelm Maybach, supported by his team, took up the challenge : to design a car that was fundamentally different from the motorized carriages of the time. What he proposed was daring : the chassis was longer and wider, with an extremely low center of gravity, offering unprecedented stability and driving safety.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mechanically, the Mercedes 35 hp was even more innovative : it was equipped with a high-performance 5.9-liter four-cylinder engine<\/strong>, developing 25.7 kilowatts of power<\/strong>, or 35 horsepower, at 950 revolutions per minute<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The most iconic feature was undoubtedly the honeycomb radiator invented by Maybach<\/strong>, which provided highly efficient cooling. Initially purely functional, this grille later became a symbol of the Mercedes brand, featured in modern grilles such as the Mercedes-GLC<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Other technical advances included a sloping steering column and a foot-operated clutch gearbox, ergonomic choices that already reflected a thorough consideration of driver comfort.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before delivery, the Mercedes 35 hp underwent rigorous testing for several weeks. After this \u201crunning-in\u201d phase, the first model was shipped to Jellinek in Nice on December 22, 1900.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A few months later, in March 1901, during Nice’s \u201cRace Week<\/strong>,\u201d Jellinek entered several of his Mercedes cars. The model literally dominated the competitions, winning the Nice-Salon-Nice race<\/strong> (392 km) and the La Turbie <\/strong>hill climb. This sporting success highlighted the car’s technical superiority and built the \u201cMercedes\u201d reputation : the secretary general of the Automobile Club de France declared that the \u201cMercedes era\u201d had begun.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The triumph of the Mercedes 35 hp quickly launched a first generation of models. In 1901, DMG presented two versions : the Mercedes 12\/16 hp<\/strong> and the Mercedes 8\/11 hp<\/strong>, adapted to a wider range of uses.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Then, in 1902, the Mercedes-Simplex<\/strong> range was launched, named after its relative simplicity of operation, a concept that was quite revolutionary for the time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That same year, another strategic step was taken : DMG purchased a 185,000 m\u00b2 plot of land in Untert\u00fcrkheim. This is where the main Mercedes-Benz factory is located today.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Throughout the 20th century, the manufacturer underwent profound changes. On June 28, 1926, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft merged with Benz & Cie to form Daimler-Benz AG<\/strong>, and the Mercedes-Benz brand was officially born<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Over the following decades, the company expanded its activities far beyond passenger cars : it became involved in aeronautics, producing engines for aircraft, tanks, and submarines, particularly during World War II.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n More recently, a strategic shift took place : on February 1, 2022, Daimler AG changed its name to Mercedes-Benz Group AG<\/strong>, marking a major reorganization. The new entity refocused on premium passenger cars and commercial vehicles, while maintaining a strong focus on electric mobility and digital services.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nA technical revolution<\/h2>\n
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After the 35 hp : expansion and foundations<\/h2>\n
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