Daimler-Benz AG

The Mercedes-Benz brand has existed since 1926, but the history of its founders goes back to the 19th century. The carmaker Daimler-Benz was formed by the merger of three companies: Benz & Cie, Rheinische Gasmotorenfabrik of Mannheim and Daimler Motoren-Gesellschaft. Daimler's first truck was built as early as 1896; Benz & Cie, founded in 1883, built its first truck in 1899. As early as 1899 Daimler had a separate truck factory, Motorfahrzeug und Motorenfabrik Berlin, which separated from Daimler in 1914.

Benz & Cie formed a joint venture, Süddeutsche Automobilfabrik (SAF), in the town of Gaggenau. Benz concentrated on cars and SAF on trucks.

After ten years in the same business, Daimler Motoren-Gesellschaft and Benz & Cie decided to merge in 1926. A new truck plant was built in Gaggenau.

In 1936 the world's first diesel truck, the 260 D, was presented at the Berlin Motor Show. During the Second World War the Daimler-Benz plant built 64,000 trucks for the military. The plant, badly damaged in Allied bombing raids, only managed to restore production by 1949.

By the end of the 1950s Daimler-Benz AG had several plants across Germany and assembly plants in 24 foreign countries. Gaggenau remained the company's main plant.

At the end of the 1960s new V6, V8, V10 and V12 engines with 192 to 400 hp were introduced for the first time. At the same time the truck maker Krupp, which had not recovered from the post-war crisis, was acquired. In 1970 Hanomag-Henschel Fahrzeugwerke GmbH was bought. In 1982 NAW, the joint venture of Saurer and FBW, was absorbed.

In 1989 the Daimler-Benz AG group was renamed Mercedes-Benz AG. A year later the East German vehicle maker IFA came under the group.

In 1998 Daimler-Benz and American Chrysler merged under the joint name DaimlerChrysler AG, but the marriage ended in 2007.