Mercedes Gaggenau Plant Turns 100

2011 will be, as you already know, a very special year for the three-pointed star German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz. The company is celebrating the 125th anniversary since the first patent filed by Carl Benz for a vehicle with gas engine. But there's more to 2011 than meets the eye, at least for Mercedes.

The carmaker will also be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Gaggenau plant, the facility which would later become the birth place of the several Mercedes trucks, the Unimog (from 1951) and a whole array of components for trucks, including planetary axles and transmissions.

The plant was set up in 1911, when Benz & Cie. completed the merger with Suddeutsche Automobilfabrik, a small passenger cars manufacturer. It has been synonymous, ever since, with Daimler trucks, at least until in 1964 the decision was made to move production of the trucks to the new plant in Worth and leave Gaggenau to handle Unimog and components manufacturing.

To date, the facility has produced in excess of 2.5 million axles, becoming in the process the largest manufacturer of dual planetary axles and portal axles in the world. The facility also serves as international preparation plant.

Separately, to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Carl Benz's daring move, Daimler has prepared a whole range of events for the coming year. Guided by the motto “125! years of innovation,” 2011 will be filled with Mercedes-Benz publicity campaigns, sporting events and even the biggest meeting of Mercedes-Benz Clubs of all times, which will take place in the summer of next year.