
Mercedes is a car brand founded in 1904 by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft which remained active until 1926. From that year, and following the merger between Daimler and Benz to form Daimler-Benz, the Mercedes brand was changed in turn in Mercedes-Benz, a brand still active today and among the most prestigious in the global commercial automotive sector. Mercedes-Benz is the trademark used by various manufacturers over time. Its first use dates back to 1926 after the merger of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (which had used the Mercedes name for its cars since 1902) with Benz & Cie. and the consequent creation of the Daimler-Benz group. The brand was owned by Daimler-Benz from 1926 to 1998 and by DaimlerChrysler from 1998 to 2007.
In 2007, following Daimler's disengagement from the group created from the union with Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz is the brand of the new Daimler AG together with Maybach, McLaren (until 2009) and Smart. The emblem, located on the bonnet of the cars, represents a three-pointed star, the distinctive sign of Daimler, surrounded by the laurel wreath of Benz and the words Mercedes-Benz, also on the external crown. The origin of this star comes from a postcard where Gottlieb Daimler had drawn a 3-pointed star representing the ability to use his engine for land, air and sea. In 2019 Daimler decided to create the autonomous division Mercedes-Benz AG, specifically to follow the production of cars and commercial vehicles, while the truck and bus divisions become Daimler Truck AG.