You’ve seen it on keychains for completely different cars, watched it being pulled out by hooligans as souvenirs and probably hated seeing it on cars that are too brash. But do you know the meaning of the Mercedes-Benz star?
The Mercedes-Benz logo is among the most famous in the world. From kids in India to hooligans in Brooklin, pretty much anybody that knows that a car is also associates the star with the German brand.
Over the years, it's steadily grown, almost reaching the size of a human head. Modern options allow you to have it blacked out or rim-light in blue. From New York to Australian or Istanbul, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week proudly displays the three-pointed symbol but the meaning has been lost. Does it stand for money or power? No.
The Mercedes-Benz logo was created by Gottlieb Daimler and was featured in 1909. Originally, it wasn’t encased in a circle, as it depicted the three modes of transport, land, sea and air.
The business was taken over by Wilhelm Maybach after Daimler’s death. His partner in the venture, Emile Jellinek suggested he should make more powerful cars for rich customers, which soon came to be known as Mercedes, after his eldest daughter.
Between 1902 and 1909, the logo simply read "Mercedes" in a Ford-like oval shape. After that, came the "Benz" encased in a leafed circle. The one we have today traces its roots to 1980.
So there you have it! We hope we were a bit more informative than the Mercedes video you see below. We want you guys to share information about tattoos or any other unusual use of the car emblem in the comment section below. Do you think the BMW roundel or the four Audi rings are better, or maybe you prefer the Cadillac shield? Tell us why as well.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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