Mercedes-Benz calls itself ‘the oldest car manufacturer in the world’. Formed by the merger of two formative German car brands in 1926, it continues to sell a huge number and variety of vehicles to this day.
In This Article:
- Who Makes Mercedes-Benz Cars?
- What Sort of Vehicles Does Mercedes-Benz Make?
- Detailed Mercedes-Benz Buying Guides
- What Are The Best Mercedes-Benz Cars?
Who Makes Mercedes-Benz Cars?
Mercedes-Benz has been one of the major players in the car industry for nearly 100 years and its history stretches back beyond that. It was created as the result of a merger between Benz and Cie. and Daimler Motors Corporation – both creators of some of the earliest cars ever built – in 1926. The company was known until 1998 as Daimler-Benz and then, as the result of a merger with Chrysler, as DaimlerChrysler from 1998 to 2007. After Chrysler was sold off the name reverted to Daimler in 2007, before being changed to Mercedes-Benz Group in 2022. Throughout that time, Mercedes-Benz vehicles have been the lifeblood of the business and the company has forged a rich heritage in various forms of motorsport.
The Smart car brand – formed in 1994 – is a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz; initially as a joint venture with watch company Swatch, then wholly owned by Mercedes-Benz from 1998 to 2019. Since 2019 Smart has been a joint venture with Chinese carmaker Geely. Mercedes-Benz had a controlling interest in German tuning brand AMG from 1999 to 2005, when it became the sole owner of the company. A strategic cooperation between Mercedes, Nissan and Renault resulted in a number of vehicles with shared technology between 2010 and 2021, while more recently Mercedes-Benz has invested in Chinese carmaker BAIC Motor and the British brand Aston Martin, which uses Mercedes-Benz engines for some of its models.
What Sort of Vehicles Does Mercedes-Benz Make?
Historically, Mercedes-Benz was famous for its sedan, wagon coupe and convertible models but it has always moved with the times and it has expanded its lineup over recent years to include hatchback, crossover and SUV models and much more besides.
As of January 2025, the current Mercedes-Benz sedan range comprises the C-Class, E-Class and S-Class, with the E-Class All Terrain being the only new wagon model on sale. The coupe range consists of the two-door CLE and Mercedes-AMG GT models, while the CLA and Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door Coupe are listed as four-door coupe models. The CLE Cabriolet and SL Roadster are the only two new convertible models on sale. SUVs are big business for Mercedes-Benz, as reflected in a huge range of models. These are the GLA, GLB, GLC, GLC Coupe, GLE, GLE Coupe, GLS and G-CLass.
Most Mercedes-Benz models are available with hybrid or plug-in hybrid power. Its pure-electric models have EQ branding – these are the EQB SUV, EQE Sedan, EQE SUV EQS Sedan and EQS SUV. In addition to its standard models, Mercedes–Benz has a hyper-luxury sub-brand called Maybach. Its models are the Mercedes–Maybach S-Class, Mercedes–Maybach GLS SUV and EQS SUV Maybach.
