Mercedes-Benz has one of the longest histories in the automotive world, but where did their iconic silver star logo come from? Read on below and we’ll dive into the long history of the brand and its three-pointed star logo, and why it appears the way it does on vehicles like the Mercedes CLS Coupe.
Humble Beginnings
While it’s common to think the 1885 Benz Patent-Motorwagen was the first Mercedes-Benz, the Mercedes brand name was not founded until 1901 when the German Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft company patented the namesake for use on their upcoming Mercedes 35 HP motorcar. That same year, the earliest iteration of the popular three-pointed star emblem was used for the first time, kicking off the now-102-year-old use of the emblem by Mercedes-Benz. It’s worth mentioning that the Mercedes-Benz company was not formed until 1924 when Mercedes and Benz & Cie. merged due to the grim economic issues facing Germany following World War One. Since 1925, the familiar three-pointed star within a circle has been used with only minor alterations. Some facts about the logo are the circle containing branches that surround the star is a remnant from the original Benz logo, and the three points are meant to represent land, sea, and air because it was believed that one day Mercedes engines would dominate all three.
Through the Ages
Throughout World War Two and beyond, the Mercedes-Benz logo remained largely unchanged. However, in 1958, Mercedes-Benz brokered a joint deal with the now-defunct American carmaker Studebaker to sell Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the United States. Between the years 1958 and 1966, many Studebaker models used an upside-down Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star with their existing S logo sitting above it to mark their joint venture. 23 years later in 1989, the Mercedes-Benz logo received its first refresh since 1933, gaining “Mercedes-Benz” written below the silver star logo, along with the color changing from black to the iconic silver color we all know today. Following a minor change in 2009, the logo was again altered in 2011 to include a larger “Mercedes-Benz” written below the silver star and has remained the same since.
Present and Future Plans
Mercedes-Benz has been around for over a century. The automaker will always have a prominent place in world history and has created some truly incredible machines in its long history, with vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL from the 1950s certainly coming to mind or the Mercedes CLS Coupe. Considering Mercedes-Benz’s huge global market reach and an estimated company value of over 50 billion dollars, they are certainly set to be around for another century. While no future modifications are planned for the Silver Star, it’s safe to say that one of the oldest surviving automobile logos will continue to remain the same for years to come.
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