20 highlights for Mercedes-Benz in 2026
Below is an overview of important anniversaries for 2026 for Mercedes-Benz:
– Jan. 23, 1951 (75 years ago): Patent application for the safety carriage by Béla Barényi. Serial introduction followed in 1959 in the W 111 sedans with tail fins.
– Jan. 27, 1976 (50 years ago): Presentation of the Mercedes-Benz model series 123. The Estate and Coupe completed the model program a short time later.
– Jan. 29, 1886 (140 years ago): Carl Benz filed a patent application for his three-wheeled “gas engine-powered vehicle” – the beginning of the automobile.
– February 3 to 8, 1986 (40 years ago): Mercedes-Benz presented the ASR and ASD assistance systems in Finland, as well as the 4MATIC all-wheel drive system.
– March 8, 1886 (140 years ago): Gottlieb Daimler ordered a carriage. Based on this, the first four-wheeled car was built, equipped with a high-speed internal combustion engine.
– March 25 to 29, 1901 (125 years ago): The Mercedes 35 PS dominated Nice Week. “We have entered the Mercedes era,” summed up the General Secretary of the Automobile Club de France.
– April 19 to 29, 1951 (75 years ago): Premiere at the Internationale Automobilausstellung (IAA) of the prestigious Mercedes-Benz 300 (W 186) and the Mercedes-Benz 220 (W 187) – the forerunner of the S-Class.
– May 19, 2006 (20 years ago): Opening of the Mercedes-Benz Museum at the gates of the Untertürkheim plant – a fixture for the brand that has enjoyed enormous popularity worldwide ever since.
– April 25 to May 5, 1996 (30 years ago): The Mercedes-Benz SLK (R 170) made its debut at the Turin Motor Show. With its steel variable roof, the roadster opened a new market segment.
– June 12 to 15, 1976 (50 years ago): The C 111-II D set three world records and 16 class records in Nardò – where in 2025 the Concept AMG GT XX also set a world record.
– June 28/29, 1926 (100 years ago): Benz & Cie. and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft merged to form what was then Daimler-Benz AG. The Mercedes-Benz brand was born.
– June 30, 1996 (30 years ago): A Mercedes-Benz C 36 AMG acted as the brand’s first official Safety Car during the Formula 1 race at Magny-Cours. Since then, Mercedes-Benz has supplied this important vehicle continuously.
– July 31, 2001 (25 years ago): The Mercedes-Benz SL of model series R 230 celebrated its premiere at the Deichtorhallen in Hamburg. The roadster was equipped with numerous innovations.
– Aug. 18, 1896 (130 years ago): Gottlieb Daimler presented the world’s first motorized truck. He sold the first one to the British Motor Syndicate in London.
– August 24, 1986 (40 years ago): The Sauber-Mercedes C8 Group C racing car took its first victory at the Nürburgring. This gave the brand the impetus for its return to motorsport.
– Sept. 12, 1926 (100 years ago): During the Solitude race, race director Alfred Neubauer first used his signaling system to communicate with the drivers.
– October 4 to 14, 1951 (75 years ago): The sporty and luxurious 300 S (W 188) was presented at the Paris Motor Show as a two-part version of Type 300 (W 186), as a Coupe, Cabriolet A and Roadster. It was the fastest production car built in Germany.
– Oct. 9, 1946 (80 years ago): Testing of the Unimog prototype begins. Former Daimler-Benz AG engineers develop the “Universal-Motor-Gerät für die Landwirtschaft. The Unimog was initially built from 1949 by Boehringer and from 1951 at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Gaggenau.
– Oct. 15, 2006 (20 years ago): Bernd Schneider captured his fifth DTM title at the DTM race at Le Mans. This made the current brand ambassador a record champion.
– Dec. 5, 1896 (130 years ago): Benz & Cie. delivered a “delivery vehicle” – the world’s first van. The “Velociped” was also available with cargo space.