Mercedes-Benz Repair and Service PDF Manuals
The German automobile concern "Daimler" in its present form was formed back in 1926 as a result of the merger of the two largest automobile companies in Germany - "Daimler Motoren" and "Benz", originally called "Daimler-Benz". And the future legend of the entire auto industry in Europe was headed by another legendary hero - Ferdinand Porsche.
After the merger of the two main competitors, Porsche followed the path of a complete renovation of production facilities and production technologies, as a result of which, it was decided to use the ready-made Daimler models, selling them under the new Mercedes-Benz brand. So in 1926, the K series was introduced.
By the early 30s of the 20th century, prestigious cars became the main products of the brand, which combined the most advanced technical developments, such as 7.7-liter power units with a capacity of 200 horsepower, and luxurious interior trim, which made it possible to create maximum comfort for passengers, without damage to the dynamic performance of the vehicle. In 1936, the world's first mass-produced passenger car with a diesel engine was introduced, which was named the Mercedes-Benz 260D. However, after 2 years, the company was transferred by the German government to the production of heavy military trucks and vehicles for the top leadership of the army and the country. However, already in 1944, as a result of a massive bombardment from the Daimler factories, there was no stone unturned.
At the end of World War II, it took more than a year to restore part of the production capacity of the largest auto concern in Germany, so in 1946 the factories for the production of body elements and power units were completely restored, and by 1947, the main workshop for the assembly of passenger cars and truck manufacturing plant. However, the first Daimler cars, produced after the restoration of production, were modernized models developed before 1937. Initially, the production of a small car Mercedes-Benz W136 was established, equipped with a 38 horsepower engine. But by 1949, it was replaced by the second generation, which was named the W191, and the engine power increased to 80 horsepower.
1951 saw the return of the Mercedes-Benz brand as the leader in the luxury car segment. Two new models 220 and 300 were presented, which were equipped with a new generation of power units, which allowed developing up to 110 horsepower. Thanks to the fact that these models were assembled by hand, the 300th model became not only the most popular in its class, but also the most expensive car on the planet. In 1957 it was upgraded with an automatic gearbox.
In 1954, another risky step was taken - a large-scale return of the company to motorsport. The main priority was Formula 1, where the Mercedes-Benz factory team was represented in the same year. Despite the fact that the team took part only in the 1954 and 1955 championships, Mercedes touched another legendary personality - Juan Manuel Fangio, who easily won both of these championships at the wheel of a Mercedes W196 car. After that, the brand's management lost interest in the young championship, and the team ceased to exist, limiting itself only to supporting the W196 cars bought by private riders.
In 1963, the first generation of the premium full-size Mercedes-Benz 600 (S-Class) was introduced, equipped with an eight-cylinder 6.3-liter power unit, which worked in conjunction with an automatic gearbox. It was at that time that the expression was born: "If you want to see what will be installed on most cars in 10 years, just look at the equipment of the current version of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class." In 1979, by order of the governments of Germany and Austria, the Daimler concern begins to create an off-road vehicle for the needs of the armed forces of these countries, which can fit into a standard helicopter. This is how the Mercedes-Benz Gelendvagen was presented, which after 12 years went on the free sale in a version for civilian needs and a five-door body.
In 1983, the company expanded its lineup with the introduction of the compact Mercedes-Benz 190 sedan, which became the world's first luxury car to be fitted with both a diesel and a gasoline engine. By 1989, the Daimler company planned a large-scale update of the entire model range, which was one of the reasons for the transition to the modern designation of models using letters related to a specific class according to the European classification. In the same year, the serial production of Mercedes buses begins in Brazil, which allows the company to expand its presence in the developing South American automotive market.
In the period from 1990 to 1996, the C, E and S models were consistently released, which marked a new era in the development of the Mercedes-Benz brand. In addition, since that time, each of the models received one sports modification, which were made in separate models, and in 1997 the first subcompact hatchback Mercedes-Benz A was presented, which became the most budgetary car of the brand. In the same year, the Mercedes-Benz M full-size parquet luxury SUV was introduced, becoming the brand's first fully civilian all-wheel drive vehicle.
In addition, since 1998, the company has been launching the production of ultra-compact city cars under the SMART brand. However, as originally planned, SMART did not compete with the main rivals of Mercedes-Benz - BMW concern, which also produces compact Mini Cooper cars. Thus, "SMART" stood out in a separate class of cars, which were personalized cars for one or two passengers.
Since 1993, Mercedes-Benz has been returning to the DTM racing series as a permanent participant, as well as in Formula 1, as a supplier of engines for a number of teams. Since 1995, a long-term cooperation with the McLaren company begins, which was not limited only to sports events. The pinnacle of cooperation between the two elite brands was not only many victories, but also the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, which received the title of best sports car in 2003.
By 1998, the Daimler management is developing a plan to capture the American car market, the first step in which was the merger with the Chrysler concern, as a result, Daimler-Chrysler was formed, which for a long time was one of the three largest automakers in the world. In subsequent years, a number of new cars of the concern were presented, both passenger cars and trucks under the Mercedes-Benz brand, and cars jointly developed with Chrysler, under the Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler brands. Since 2000, the production of an updated line of commercial vehicles from Mercedes-Benz begins. After Dr. Dieter Zetsche took over as chairman of the board of directors of Daimler, a large-scale restructuring of the company began, which began with the optimization of the management apparatus and ended with a change in the structure of the entire Daimler concern. So in 2007, the American "Chrysler" begins to bring serious losses to the united concern, as a result of which it was sold.
A year later, the global economic crisis begins, which painfully hit the entire automotive industry, including Daimler, which is forced to reduce the cost of its cars worldwide by 10%. This decision of the management allowed to maintain the market share of Mercedes-Benz, as well as to start optimizing the technological process.
Since 2009, the production of an updated Mercedes-Benz model range begins, and Daimler also makes the first attempts to enter the Chinese automotive market, thanks to the successful cooperation with the Canadian concern Magna, the German automaker opens two factories in China, which are starting production of Mercedes models for the entire Asian region. In 2010, the company returns to Formula 1 as a permanent participating team, thus trying to advertise its factory tuning studio Mercedes-Benz AMG, as well as to strengthen cooperation with Malaysian investors from Petronas, who bought out 2% of the shares "Daimler". In the same year, Arab investors from "Aabar" buy out 30% of all racing teams of the brand, thus covering their maintenance costs.
A year later, thanks to the success in the Chinese market, the development of a number of models began, intended exclusively for the automotive markets of the United States of America, Canada and China, where demand remained stable even during the crisis years. In 2012, the Daimler concern began another modernization of production facilities, which led to another update of the company's model range and the elimination of one of the main drawbacks of Mercedes-Benz cars in the 21st century - the appearance of an unusual design that was warmly received by customers. In addition, Daimler is launching a new road safety company with a range of driver assistance and additional pedestrian safety systems in its vehicles, becoming a true leader in this segment. Also 2012 brought a major change in the technology of production of Daimler cars, due to which environmental pollution in the production of German brand models was reduced by 7%, and the use of recycled metals and the use of new alloys contributed to a decrease in the cost of Mercedes-Benz cars.
At the Detroit Auto Show in 2014, the company has declassified some of its modifications. In particular, they talked about the new S-Class executive sedan. Like all Mercedes cars, it embodied the harmony of power and grace, which was instantly noted by fans. Together with the tuning studio, tuning studio SR Auto Group, Mercedes presented the personalized SUV Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG. The exterior of the car has both modern style notes and classic military elements. First in Munich, and then in Geneva, the presentation of the large V-Class minivan took place. The beauty of this car lies in its functionality - the model can be purchased for both family use and commercial transport. In total, in 2014, the company provided several dozen modifications, concepts, upgrades and production innovations.
In 2015, this trend continued. It should be noted that the development of the company takes place in several directions at once, and therefore the Mercedes model range is regularly replenished with cars of all types, from a crossover to a convertible.
