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Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer renowned for its luxury cars. It was established in 1926 and is a division of Daimler AG, an international automotive corporation based in Germany. Though the name Mercedes was trademarked in 1901, vehicles produced under the Mercedes-Benz brand name were first manufactured in 1926. Early customers of the cars included members of the Rothschild and Rockefeller families.

Mercedes-Benz traces its origins to the Benz Patent-Motorwagen and the Mercedes cars. The Benz Patent-Motorwagen was manufactured in 1885. Built by Rheinische Gasmotorenfabrik Benz & Cie, it is widely considered to be the first car to be powered by gasoline. The car was patented by Karl Benz while his wife, Bertha Benz, financed the production. In 1901, Mercedes was produced by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and was named after European entrepreneur Emil Jellinek’s daughter. Following the merger of the two companies in 1926, Mercedes-Benz brand name vehicles came into production.

The company’s cars steadily gained popularity in Germany, especially among the elite. Mercedes-Benz produced the 770 model during the 1930s, a car which was used by several notable Nazi officials, including Adolf Hitler. The 500 K and 260 D, the world’s first diesel production car, were also produced during this period. Mercedes-Benz competed in the world’s first motor race, the 1984 Paris-Rouen. Today, the brand participates in four motorsport categories, including Formula One and GT3. In Formula One, Mercedes-Benz has over 180 wins, making it the second most successful manufacturer in the tournament.

Since its inception in the early 20th century, Mercedes-Benz has expanded globally and has found immense success. Its manufacturing and assembling locations today span from Asia to North America. The company maintains an excellent reputation for durability and quality of its vehicles. In 2011, Reuters found Mercedes-Benz cars to have the lowest vehicle recall rate. Today, in addition to passenger vehicles, the brand offers light and heavy weight commercial vehicles. Notable models of its passenger cars include the S-Class luxury sedan, the AMG GT sports car, and the G-Class SUV.