The history of Mercedes-Benz reaches back to the dawn of the
automotive era. Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler were each in
Germany, working independently to perfect the internal
combustion engine and use it to propel a vehicle. In 1885, Benz
became the first to build and patent a gas-powered vehicle, the
three-wheeled Tri-Car. By 1900, both Benz and Daimler were
selling automobiles in significant quantities. Daimler
distributor Emil Jellinek named a new model for his daughter,
Mercedes. In 1902, the low-slung Mercedes Simplex set a standard
of performance with its 43-mph top speed. By 1911, the Blitzen
(Lightning) Benz racer set a speed record of 141 mph. In 1926,
the two companies merged to form Daimler-Benz, making cars under
the Mercedes-Benz name. Technical Director Ferdinand Porsche
developed two of the company's greatest cars - the supercharged
SS and SSK - between 1928 and 1931. Before World War II,
Mercedes became a dominant force in Grand Prix racing with a
series of technologically advanced machines.