It has been 125 years since the very first automobile was built. To mark such a momentous occasion in its history of manufacturing premium cars, Mercedes-Benz has teamed up with the Federal Finance Ministry in order to create two very special artifacts, namely a specially-designed postage stamp and coin.

Illustrated on the stamp is the very first car ever invented along with its patent dating back to the January 29, 1886. Beginning on June 9 this year, the commemorative coin will be issued in denomination of 10 euro and will be made available in banks. You’ll be amazed at the level of detail that’s been put into creating the coin, which is shaped like a steering wheel whether you’re looking at its head or tail.

Both commemorative items will be launched in a public presentation by the Federal Finance Ministry on the 7^th of June in Berlin. In a statement issued to the press, Mercedes-Benz explains that “125 years ago the Kaiserliche Patentamt (Imperial Patent Office) in Berlin granted Benz & Co. in Mannheim the patent No. 37,435 for a “vehicle with a gas engine drive system.” This patent is seen as the birth certificate of the automobile. “Patentirt im Deutschen Reiche vom 29 Januar 1886 an” – “patented in the German Empire from 29 January 1886 on.”

Mercedes-Benz has just released an announcement of a unique range of merchandising products to celebrate the company’s 125^th founding anniversary. To mark the momentous occasion, exactly one and a quarter of a century after the invention of the very first automobile, the company has created finely crafted replicas of its top-class model ranges.

The models, drawn and built to scale, are exactly 1:43 of their actual, petrol breathing counterparts. They’re accompanied by a collection of premium accessories which reflect the grand legacy of the legendary inventor of the automobile.

Included in the lineup is a replica of the 1886 Benz Patent Motor Car – the first ever four-wheeled motorized car – as well as the Mercedes Simplex which dates back to 1902. This car, during its time, featured all the important components of a modern day car and was thus way ahead of its time. Also joining the party is the utterly beautiful 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Special Roadster.

Meanwhile, models that were designed after the world war are also included in the collection. The most notable of these is the legendary and forever inspirational 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe which is lived by the current SLS AMG super car. There’s also the 1972 Mercedes-Benz S-Class that served as the pioneering model which carried the most innovative technologies during its era. Last but not the least is the modern day CLS which many considers to be the flagship model of the German marquee.

The company says it will limit the production of the models to 1,250 replicas each. To be sold in special packaging, they will be exclusive collector items for the most loyal of Mercedes-Benz fans and owners. Each model will come with a booklet summarizing the history of the brand as well as a metal badge which records the item’s serial number for authenticity. Other merchandise are available as well, namely a polo tshirt, cap, silver-plated key ring and an exclusively designed Ritzenhoff mug.

Records are made to be broken, and out of conflict comes unity. Thus is the case between rivals Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union with the creation of the 1934 W25 Grand Prix race car. Perhaps the following transcript will explain it best:

—

Alfred Neubauer: ” It is October. A wet, cold wind blowing over the highway at Gyón, south of Budapest. We fear this wet, this wind. We still want to win world records.”

At the wheel of the record car sits Rudolf Caracciola. “Rudy travels. And – he drives for the first time in his life over 300 kilometers per hour. Faster, more than ever a man is driven on a street in an ordinary car. Caracciola driving records. This is his biggest victory of the year.”

—

Race driver Rudolf Caracciola was able to harness his car’s 430 hp by obtaining records for the Class C (1-Liter) category—317.5kph over 1 km and 316.6kph over 1 mile. Clearly, back in those days, such speeds were already tantamount to suicide. If you’re an avid fan of Formula One, you’ll know how dangerous such speeds can become, as shown by fatalities the sport has drawn.

Caracciola was also able to set a 188.6kph world record over 1 mile from a standing start. He also broke the Avus international class record of Class C above 5 km in 1934 by running at 311.98kph.

Speeds aside, his Caracciola’s achievements owes a lot to the W25, which served as the basis for his record-breaking car.

More records soon followed, such as the 432.7kph record on the Autobahn with the later W125 in 1938. Caracciola pulled this off from a flying start and achieved a top speed of 436.9kph. This drove Caracciola’s rival, Auto Union’s Bernd Rosemeyer, to attempt a similar run which ended in his death.

How do will you celebrate your 125th birthday? Let’s see… how about giving your loved ones a very special calendar? That’s nice, isn’t it? That’s exactly what Mercedes-Benz is doing for its 125th anniversary. The company has just spread word of the release of a very special calendar through their Mercedes-Benz Musuem Shop as well as online.

Photographer Stuttgart Hans-Peter helped in bringing the calendar into fruition. The said calendar will be featuring special images from the Mercedes-Benz Museum and will be sold for EUR29.90 starting October 15th.

Dubbed as the Mercedes-Benz Classic Calendar, it’ll be showcasing the company’s creations throughout its 125 years of existence. The images will be in large format and will be very synonymous with the Mercedes-Benz brand. The branding perspective applied to the calendar hopes to trigger emotions through the blending of Mercedes-Benz vehicle images and the architectural language of the Musuem.

The goal is to capture Mercedes-Benz’s 125-year history in a span of 12 pages. The calendar can also be used perpetually, meaning it can be used for date reference even beyond 2011.

Of course, you can expect a lot more for Mercedes-Benz’s 125th year anniversary. The calendar is just the beginning. If we were you, we’d already be making plans for the Paris Auto Show in October where the new CLS will be making its debut. See you there!

If you aren’t at Pebble Beach yet, you’re missing half of your life. Day One of the Concours d’Elegance has just wrapped up and here are photos to boot. As you can see, the event never fails to bring in crowds from all over the world, who are keen on witnessing the development of the automobile. And, as the longest living car manufacturer in the world, making them the first ever, Mercedes-Benz plays a pivotal role in such ceremonies.

It was Mercedes-Benz which invented the automobile, and it shows from the presence of the company in Day One. Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge, located on the third fairway, has more than twenty vehicles being displayed as we speak. The vehicles feature the company’s latest innovations as well as the flavor and richness of its heritage that contributed largely to the development of the automobile industry as a whole.

A highlight of Day One, apart from the cars, was the presence of the living legend himself, Sir Stirling Moss, accompanied by Mercedes-Benz Director of Communications Geoff Day. Moss delighted the crowd as he paraded in the original 300SL Gullwing while the pair discussed the classic icon in relation to its descendant, Mercedes-Benz’s super car, the SLS AMG Gullwing. It would have been something if you were there to see it—the event, the cars, the people—with your own eyes and capture it with your own lenses. For now, the pictures should keep you busy. Enjoy!

Simon stated that a majority of drivers would need bigger vehicles that can go for longer lenghts, especially the commercial vehicles that cannot depend solely on batteries. To be able to find an answer, Mercedes-Benz is considering resources in hydrogen electric technology, which can be a main factor in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. Mercedes-Benz would also delve into the BlueTEC clean diesel SUV’s and hybrid technology with hydrogen electric autmobiles by the year’s end, and present to their clients the these latest technology. Additionally, infrastructure disputes are hindering the technology from being used on a bigger scale. Simon stated that the new breed of buyers would be a big factor in molding the future of transportation. The progress of the program would rely on effective climate change agenda, carbon fuel supplies, and also the client’s motivation to adopt with using alternative fuel vehicles.

Sports cars have always been considered as the successful bonding between man and machine. Mercedes-Benz thus takes pride in its fleet of super sports cars to be showcased in the Mercedes-Benz Museum.

The event, dubbed the ‘Super Sports Car special exhibition’, will be held from April 27 to August 29 of this year. To be featured in the exhibition are eight historic models, namely a 1928 SSK, a 1969 C 111, a 1998 CLK-GTR, the famed 300 SL of 1954, a 1991 C 112, a 1999 Vision SLR and a 1906 75hp antique.

There was also a pre-season track warm-up on a few of these cars which were driven by notable racing celebrities, namely:

• 40 hp Mercedes Simplex, 1902. Driven by Jochen Mass.
• Mercedes-Benz SSK, 1929. Driven by Roland Asch.
• Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe, 1955. Driven by Hans Herrmann.
• Mercedes-Benz C 111 II-D, 1976. Driven by Nick Heidfeld.
• Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster, 2002. Driven by Dieter Glemser.
• Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, 2010. Driven by Bernd Schneider.

The exhibition is located in the Museum’s Collection 5 and is part of the regular guided themed tour. So visit the Museum and be educated on these historic icons.

“This trip by the F-CELL Roadster is symbolic of the current change taking place in automobile engineering”, says Dr. Thomas Weber. “At that time Bertha Benz was not yet able to purchase the petrol she needed at a filling station, and for emission-free mobility we are also dependent on the widespread distribution of fuels for the future – electric power and hydrogen. But just as Bertha Benz refused to be discouraged by inconveniences in her day, we are just as determined to help ensure that these technologies achieve their breakthrough.”

Before the end of this year, Mercedes-Benz will commence small-series production of the B-Class with a fuel cell drive system. At the end of 2009 the first examples of the smart fortwo electric drive model will also leave the production line to enter service in the “e-mobility Berlin” project early next year.

Check out the entire gallery

The F-CELL Roadster

For around one year, more than 150 apprentices and sandwich course students worked on the design, development, assembly and completion of the F- CELL Roadster. The work also involved promising young personnel from the fields of vehicle mechatronics, model-building, electronics, coating technology and production mechanics, as well as product design and interior equipment. The main aim of the project was to integrate the topic of alternative drive systems into the training content in a practical manner.

In a unique way, the vehicle links the very latest technologies with the history of automobile engineering. As a feature reminiscent of the Benz Patent Motor Wagon of 1886, the car is equipped with large, spoked wheels. The F-CELL Roadster also has styling features from a wide range of automotive eras. These include carbon-fibre seat bases with hand-stitched leather upholstery and a striking glass-fibre front end that takes its lead from Formula 1 racing cars.

The car is steered using drive-by-wire technology, a conventional steering wheel giving way to a joystick. It is powered by an emission-free fuel cell system installed in the rear. With an output of 1.2 kW, the F-CELL Roadster is capable of a top speed of 25 km/h with an operating range of up to 350 km.

First long-distance journey in automobile history

In August 1888, Bertha Benz and her two sons made a journey from Mannheim to Pforzheim in the Patent Motor Wagon designed by her husband Carl Benz, returning to Mannheim a few days later. This first long-distance journey in the history of the automobile is acknowledged as a pioneering event. The journey was practically problem-free, with just a few small technical hitches that could all be remedied. The supply of “Ligroin”, as petrol was called at the time, gave cause for concern, however, as the 4.5-litre supply in the carburettor – there was no petrol tank as yet – was rapidly dwindling. Ligroin could be purchased from pharmacies in those days, and the town pharmacy in Wiesloch was able to help out. The shop still exists today, and is proud to inform visitors that it was the world’s first filling station.

With their constant innovation, Daimler AG and its predecessor companies have played an important role in the success story of this internal combustion engine for more than 120 years. It is thanks to their tireless work that the single-cylinder power unit of the automobile pioneers became an ultra-modern drive system, especially for passenger cars.

The development of the gasoline engine
Carl Benz and the high-speed four-stroke engine
Gottlieb Daimler, Wilhelm Maybach and the Grandfather Clock
The Mercedes-Benz gasoline engine from 1926 on
Mercedes-Benz gasoline engines since 1945
The carburetor era comes to an end
Mercedes-Benz gasoline engines in research and motor sports