Mercedes-Benz Classic Notes 1/2026 Highlights Key Automotive Milestones

Mercedes-Benz Classic Notes 1/2026 reviews key milestones in safety, innovation and motorsport history, with upcoming classic events. Explore the full overview.

Mercedes-Benz Classic Notes 1/2026 brings together key milestones from the brand’s long history, tracing a continuous line from the birth of the automobile to landmark achievements in safety engineering, motorsport and product development, while also pointing to the present-day stewardship of its heritage.

A central theme of the release is the 75th anniversary of Béla Barényi’s patent for the safety bodywork. Filed in January 1951 and first introduced into series production in 1959, the concept of a rigid passenger cell combined with defined front and rear crumple zones fundamentally changed approaches to passive safety. What began as a visionary idea at Mercedes-Benz later became an industry-wide standard.

The historical perspective reaches back even further, to 29 January 1886, when Carl Benz patented his three-wheeled motor car. Today regarded as the birth certificate of the automobile, the patent reflects the pioneering spirit that would become deeply embedded in Mercedes-Benz. In the same year, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach installed a high-speed engine in a carriage, laying parallel foundations for modern mobility.

Active safety developments are highlighted through the 40th anniversary of ASD, ASR and 4MATIC. After their initial presentation at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1985, these systems were demonstrated to journalists under harsh winter conditions in Finland in February 1986. Building on ABS sensor technology, they illustrated how electronic control could significantly improve traction and stability on snow and ice.

Another milestone recalled in the Notes is the record-setting run of the Mercedes-Benz C 111-II D. In June 1976, the experimental vehicle, powered by a five-cylinder OM 617 LA diesel engine, set three world records and sixteen class records at the Nardò high-speed circuit. Covering distances of up to 10,000 miles at average speeds exceeding 250 km/h, the project demonstrated the performance potential of diesel technology under extreme conditions.

The post-war revival of the brand is represented by the 1951 International Motor Show in Frankfurt, where Mercedes-Benz unveiled the 220 (W 187) and 300 (W 186). Equipped with newly developed six-cylinder engines, these models set new benchmarks for performance, comfort and prestige, and laid the groundwork for later icons such as the 300 SL “Gullwing”.

Anniversaries of influential figures, including racing legend Rudolf Caracciola and engineer Wilhelm Maybach, further underline how individual achievements shaped the company’s identity. The edition concludes with a forward-looking outlook: upcoming Mercedes-Benz Classic events in Paris, Stuttgart and Miami show that the brand’s history remains an active, evolving narrative rather than a static archive.