After a hundred years, the three-pointed star emblem on the hood has not been rusted, and the blue sky is still reflected on the windshield. When the car is driving elegantly and calmly through the night filled with neon lights, I accidentally see the stream of light illuminated by the street lights on the star emblem, which seems to quietly tell the long history of this brand.
This is the inventor of the car, Mercedes-Benz.
Hello, Mercedes-Benz
1886 is 134 years away from today. This year, two major inventions have gone down in history and have been passed down to this day. One is Coca-Cola invented by Asa Candler, and the other is the automobile that first appeared in human history.
After a hundred years, the three-pointed star emblem on the hood has not been rusted, and the blue sky is still reflected on the windshield. When the car is driving elegantly and calmly through the night filled with neon lights, I accidentally see the stream of light illuminated by the street lights on the star emblem, which seems to quietly tell the long history of this brand.
This is the inventor of the car, Mercedes-Benz.
Hello, Mercedes-Benz
1886 is 134 years apart from today. This year, two major inventions have gone down in history and have been passed down to this day. One is Coca-Cola invented by Asa Candler, and the other is the automobile that first appeared in human history.
▲Karl Benz
▲Gottlieb Daimler
Open and covered with dust In the history scroll of the year, the first record of the first month of this year’s major events reads: “There were two Germans, Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler. Gottlieb Daimler, they obtained the patent for the world's first car on January 29, marking the birth of the world's first car. Later, this day was known as the birth day of the car.
Perhaps Karl Benz would never have imagined that the automobile company he founded is still extremely dazzling to this day.
First Star
With the end of World War II, Germany received its due punishment, and along with it, more than 70% of Mercedes-Benz factories were bombed destroy. ▲Mercedes-Benz 170V (W136)
In 1947, the headlights of the Mercedes-Benz 170V (W136) penetrated the smoke that had not yet dissipated. This was the Mercedes-Benz produced after World War II. ’s first sedan, and also the ancestor of today’s Mercedes-Benz S-Class and E-Class.
The Mercedes-Benz 170V first appeared in 1936, equipped with a 1.692-liter six-cylinder engine with a maximum power of 38 horsepower and a weight of 750 kilograms. The price before the war was only 1,000 Reichsmarks (equivalent to $400 at the time).
Mercedes-Benz 170V saved Mercedes-Benz from its predicament at that time and made the gears of the factory start turning again. Taking this car as the starting point, the Mercedes-Benz 220 (W187) and the Mercedes-Benz 180B (W120) came out one after another, which were the ancestors of the later S-Class and E-Class.
The best?or?nothing.
"The best?or?nothing" is a concept proposed by Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler. This is also what Mercedes-Benz has always believed. The former is included in "Benz's Lifelong Pursuit", while the latter is integrated into every star emblem and car logo.
Adhering to this creed, the first generation of Mercedes-Benz "S-Class"-Mercedes-Benz 220 (W187) was unveiled at the first Frankfurt International Motor Show in 1951.
The new car draws inspiration from the first-generation Mercedes-Benz 170V, and the most obvious change is reflected in the headlight design. The headlights were changed from external independent ones to integrated ones embedded in the front fenders.
The length, width and height of the Mercedes-Benz 220 are 4510/1685/1610 mm respectively, the wheelbase is 2845 mm, and the vehicle weight is 1.35 tons. This car is equipped with an inline 6-cylinder carburetor engine code-named M180, with a maximum power of 79 horsepower and a maximum torque of 142 Nm.
The Mercedes-Benz 220*** has two derivative models: Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet A (two-door, two-seat soft-top convertible version), Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet B (four-door convertible version).
The interior uses a large number of wood grain veneers and chrome embellishments. The dial on the far left of the main driver is a clock. This design has continued for a long time. It is worth mentioning that Mercedes-Benz had a plan to achieve both power and comfort on this first-generation "S-Class" sedan, and asked chief designer Fritz Nallinger to implement this idea. As a result, large rubber gaskets were installed on the chassis of the Mercedes-Benz 220.
In July of the same year, the Mercedes-Benz 220 began mass production. Its elegant temperament and outstanding safety performance made it instantly sweep the market. By 1955, the Mercedes-Benz 220, with a total sales volume of more than 18,000 units, completed its mission, and this car series also entered the branch of the family tree.
Twin brothers?
Nowadays, many people say that the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a "little S". This statement is not unreasonable and has traces to follow. Due to the high similarity between names and code names, the branching path of this family tree is slightly complicated.
Let us summarize it in a simple sentence - the first generation Mercedes-Benz 170 has two "children":
The first child is the Mercedes-Benz 220 (W187), Later it became the first-generation Mercedes-Benz "S-Class".
The second child was the Mercedes-Benz 180 (W120), which later became the first-generation Mercedes-Benz "E-Class".
▲The first generation of "E-Class" - Mercedes-Benz 180 (W120)
In the second generation, the big brother Mercedes-Benz 220 did not continue bred, and the Mercedes-Benz 180 (W120) gave rise to the Mercedes-Benz 220?a (W180).
In 1954, the Mercedes-Benz 220?a became the successor of the second-generation Mercedes-Benz "S-Class", while the Mercedes-Benz 180 continued to be active in the market as the Mercedes-Benz "E-Class" middle.
The length, width and height of the Mercedes-Benz 220?a are 4715/1740/1560 mm respectively, the wheelbase is 2820 mm, and the vehicle weighs 1.3 tons. The car followed the current trend and adopted the "Ponton" style and used a load-bearing body for the first time. Mercedes-Benz 220?a*** has 2 models, equipped with 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder engines respectively. The central control was changed to a connected instrument panel, and the steering wheel was changed to two (such a central control layout is reminiscent of today's continuous screen design).
The length, width and height of the Mercedes-Benz 180 are 4460/1740/1560 mm respectively, the wheelbase is 2649 mm, and the vehicle weight is 1.15 tons. At that time, the two cars were clearly differentiated by their wheelbase. At the same time, the Mercedes-Benz 220?a had 4 headlights (including 2 external fog lights), and the turn signals were front-mounted; the Mercedes-Benz 180's headlights There are 2 pieces, and the turn signal is rear-mounted.
The slender body not only provides more ample rear space for the Mercedes-Benz 220?a, but also leaves enough installation space for the larger 6-cylinder engine. This setting gives 220?a a more elegant temperament and captures the hearts of more consumers.
In 1956, the 220?a was upgraded and the Mercedes-Benz 219 (W105) and Mercedes-Benz 220?S (W180?II) were launched. Until 1960, the second-generation Mercedes-Benz "S-Class" completed the handover of generations with a sales record of 112,977 units. This was an almost crazy phenomenon in the 1950s when cars were not yet popular.
Although steady, it will never deviate from the trend
In 1959, the third generation of Mercedes-Benz "S-Class" was born, and the model name still continued to be called 220?a. French, but the chassis number is changed to W111. Influenced by the aesthetic trend of American cars, the appearance of this generation has undergone very obvious changes. This change has also affected the design style of all models of the Mercedes-Benz family for a long time.
The black and white photos gradually began to have color, and the Mercedes-Benz 220?a (W111) also became an important turning point in the history of Mercedes-Benz. Not only did the design language change, but the safety system also changed. It was innovated, and more importantly, gave birth to the AMG brand. In the next issue of the "Driver" column, we will continue the legendary journey of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and explain in detail the important changes that have taken place in the third-generation model.
Interpretation of the dazzling technology of the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class
The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class will be equipped with a 3D LCD instrument and the next-generation MBUX system. The core component of the system is a 12.8-inch vertical OLED touch screen with haptic feedback technology. This screen allows the new S-Class sedan to have 27 fewer buttons than the current model, but some safety-related functions such as wipers and all car light control functions still remain. The lever operation method is retained.
The next-generation MBUX system is no longer limited to the instrument and central control screen, but is spread throughout the entire cabin. It supports a variety of operation methods such as touch input, voice commands, gesture control and even eye movements. It also has intelligent The home function can be interconnected with smart electrical devices at home, and can even "talk" to other cars with the same functions, and supports OTA remote upgrades.
Rear passengers can enjoy the smart in-car technology experience brought by three exclusive screens. The two screens behind the two front seats and the screen in the center armrest can run the MBUX system. The screens are independent of each other and do not interfere with each other.
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.