Mercedes Benz

Preview July 2008

July 21 – 25, 1898 – 110 years ago:
Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft conducts five days of testing in the Austrian Alps with a Daimler belt-driven car equipped with a Bosch low-voltage magneto ignition system. This electric ignition is subsequently fitted in several DMG trucks. The experience the company gains through these trials soon results in the disappearance of the hot-tube ignition system, which had been a characteristic feature of Daimler engines up to that time.

July 7, 1908 – 100 years ago:
Christian Lautenschlager drives a 140 hp Mercedes to victory at the French Grand Prix in Dieppe. Lautenschlager covers the 769.88 km race distance in 6 hours, 55 minutes and 43 seconds - equating to an average speed of 111.1 km/h. Victor Héméry and René Hanriot finish second and third respectively - both in Benz cars - whilst Otto Salzer sets a lap record speed of 126.5 km/h in a 140 hp Mercedes.

July 24, 1998 – 10 years ago:
The new in-line engine factory is officially opened on the premises of the original Daimler-Benz plant in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim. The production facility, which was built on the back of investment totaling DM 900 million, houses manufacture of state-of-the-art diesel engines with CDI (Common Rail Direct Injection) technology.

Other memorable dates:

July 29, 1888 – 120 years ago: The Imperial Patent Office grants Gottlieb Daimler patent DRP 46779, registered on April 15, 1889, for his “motorized fire pump”. The initial test design with a one-horsepower (0.74 kW) single-cylinder engine is followed by a four-hp (2.9 kW) two-cylinder version which causes a considerable stir on its presentation at the German Fire Brigade Conference in Hanover.

July 2, 1958 – 50 years ago: The wedge-pin door lock with two safety notches is registered as a patent. The innovative design, which prevents the door from flying open or getting stuck in the event of an accident, makes its debut in the
Mercedes-Benz product range in August 1959.

July 30, 1958 – 50 years ago: Mercedes-Benz Australia Pty. Ltd. is established in Port Melbourne to handle the import and sale of the brand's vehicles.

July 4 – 8, 1988 – 20 years ago: In Singen on the banks of Lake Constance, the new heavy-duty class (SK) from Mercedes-Benz is presented to the trade press. The lineup of refined and facelifted trucks comprises semitrailer tractors, platform trucks and construction site vehicles in the weight category upwards of a permissible gross weight of 17 tons.

July 1998 – 10 years ago: The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is now available with a world-first: Windowbags – additional airbags which considerably reduce the risk of head injuries in the event of a lateral impact.

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