Technology Milestones: From ABC to ZAS

Technologies with which Mercedes and Mercedes-Benz made history:

Debut	Technology
1900	Mercedes 35 PS: First modern-design car, with aluminium engine, camshaft-driven inlet valves, honeycomb radiator, coil clutch, stamped steel frame, low centre of gravity, impact-free steering and water-cooled brakes
1903	New high-performance engines with camshaft-driven overhead inlet valves in the Mercedes-Simplex 18/22 PS and Mercedes-Simplex 60 PS
1905	DMG presents two major innovations in commercial vehicle design with a radiator positioned at the front end of the frame and cast steel wheels.
1906	Six-cylinder racing engine with machined steel cylinders and overhead camshaft with vertical shaft drive: provides inspiration for aeroengines and high-performance car engines
1907	DMG supplies the first petrol-engined fire-fighting vehicle in Germany
1908	The Berlin fire service takes delivery of the first electrically powered fire-fighting convoy, consisting of four “Mercedes-Electrique” vehicles
1911	Mercedes 37/90 PS with three valves per cylinder and twin-spark ignition
1914	Mercedes 28/95 PS: production car with six-cylinder engine with machined steel cylinders and overhead camshaft with vertical shaft drive
1923	Mercedes 6/25/40 PS and 10/40/65 PS: first supercharged production cars
1924	DMG presents the first diesel trucks with compressed air injection at the Berlin Motor Show. Benz & Cie, since May partners of DMG in an association of mutual interest, presents the first standard-production diesel truck in the world to feature the Benz-developed pre-chamber injection system
1925	Benz & Cie present low-frame buses
1927	Mercedes-Benz L5: the first standard-production six-cylinder diesel truck and the first volume-production diesel truck in the world
1930	Change-over to all-steel bus bodies at Mercedes-Benz
1932	Presentation of Lo 2000 2-tonne light truck, the first diesel-engined light truck in the world
1939	First experimental vehicle with strong side protection, rigid floor and three-part steering column
1949	Patented safety conical-pin locks prevent doors from jumping open in an accident
	The first Unimog, the Daimler-Benz-developed Universal-Motorgerät, is produced
1951	Patented safety body with rigid passenger cell and defined crumple zones front and rear
1954	Single-joint swing axle in the Mercedes-Benz 220
	Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is the first standard-production vehicle with fuel-injected four-stroke engine
1956	L/LP 326: first Mercedes-Benz diesel truck developing 200 hp
1958	Conical-pin door lock with two safety catches LP 333: cab-over-engine three-axle truck with two steered front axles
1959	First impact and roll-over tests
	Mercedes “tail-fin” models feature the first safety body in the world, with integrated crumple zones
1961	All Mercedes-Benz models now equipped as standard with anchorage points for front seat belts
	Dual-circuit hydraulic brake system with disc brake on front and rear wheels in the Mercedes-Benz 300 SE
	First shoulder belts
1963	Mercedes-Benz 230 SL: first sports car with safety body
1966	Development of a systematic safety research strategy. The terms “active safety” and “passive safety” are coined
1967	Safety steering system comprising telescopic steering column and steering wheel with impact absorber now standard on all models
	Presentation of the O 305 prototype standard urban line-service bus
1968	Presentation of Mercedes-Benz safety head restraint
	First static three-point seatbelt
	First testing of airbag systems
1969	Official founding of Mercedes-Benz accident research department and start of accident analysis
	Premiere of experimental electric bus OE 302. New LP 1632 commercial vehicle with first hydraulically tilting cab.
1971	ESV programme starts (ESV = Experimental Safety Vehicle). ESV vehicles feature three-point inertia-reel seatbelts, belt force limiters, belt tensioners and the first driver and passenger airbags
	Mercedes-Benz 350 SL featuring belt buckle fixed to the seat frame, four-spoke safety steering wheel and dirt-inhibiting side windows and rear lights
1971	OG 305 experimental natural gas bus presented.
1972	First electric van LE 306 with replaceable battery presented. OE 302 experimental electric bus goes into scheduled service in Esslingen near Stuttgart.
1973	Three-point seatbelts and head restraints standard for the front seats
	First children’s restraint systems
	First Mercedes-Benz offset crash test
1974	Mercedes-Benz 240 D 3.0: First production car with five-cylinder engine
1975	Mercedes-Benz presents the first prototype with hydrogen drive and hydride store, based on an L 306 minibus Line-service trials of an OE 302 DUO bus for combined battery/overhead line operation
1976	New safety steering system with corrugated tube in W 123 series.
1977	Mercedes-Benz 300 SD: first standard-production turbocharged diesel passenger car Presentation of the O 305 standard-line service articulated pusher bus
1978	Market launch of anti-lock braking system (ABS): World debut in Mercedes-Benz S-class (116 series)
	Offset crash with 40 per cent frontal overlap incorporated into the tough internal crash-test programme Presentation of the O-Bahn track-guided bus system, an alternative solution for local passenger transport
1979	New S-class (W 126) with forked member front-end structure is the first car in the world specially designed to withstand an offset collision
	All Mercedes-Benz models fitted as standard with three-point seatbelts on the outer seats
	Front belt-height adjustment premiered in the S-class
1981	First driver airbag and belt tensioner in the S-class
	MB presents the anti-lock braking system for commercial vehicles. Presentation of the O 305 experimental bus with methanol drive
1982	Multi-link independent rear suspension makes its world debut in the Mercedes-Benz compact class (W 201)
1984	All Mercedes-Benz models now fitted with front belt tensioners
1985	Debut for ASD (automatic locking differential), ASR (acceleration skid control) and 4MATIC (engageable four-wheel drive)
	Electronic powershift (EPS) fitted as standard on trucks
1986	Closed-loop three-way catalytic converters fitted as standard on all petrol-engined Mercedes-Benz passenger cars
	ASR introduced for Mercedes-Benz trucks and buses
1988	First passenger airbag supplied as an option for the S-class
	Introduction of decompression valve engine brake in Mercedes-Benz trucks and buses
1989	First seats with integrated seatbelts, first automatically extending roll-over bar and first draught stop in Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster
	Introduction of Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) engines for commercial vehicles
	Automatic height adjustment for rear seatbelts in 124 series
1991	All-round disc brakes for heavy-duty commercial vehicles introduced on Mercedes-Benz O 404 coach
1992	All Mercedes-Benz models equipped as standard with driver airbag and ABS
	Passenger airbag standard on S-class
	The one millionth Mercedes-Benz fitted with airbag
	First offset crash test with deformable barrier
	Presentation of Euro 2 engines for Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles
1993	First integrated child seat optionally available for C-class
	First four-valve diesel engines for C-class and E-class
	Catalytic converter fitted as standard on all Mercedes-Benz diesel cars
1994	First rear-end crash test with deformable barrier
	NECAR (New Electric Car): first-generation fuel-cell prototype from Mercedes-Benz
1995	“Electronic Stability Program” (ESP) introduced as standard in S 600 coupé
	First belt tensioner with integrated belt force limiter in the world
	Disc brakes all round for Sprinter vans
	Joystick gearshift in Vito vans
1996	F 200 coupé study featuring “drive-by-wire” and “Keyless-Go” technology
	First vehicles equipped with Brake Assist (BAS), a world first
	PLD (pump/line/nozzle) high-pressure injection for commercial vehicle engines.
	CAN databuses and control systems for heavy-duty trucks
	First hybrid bus with electric wheel hub motors, traction battery and diesel engine
	Telligent level control introduced
1997	New V6 and V8 engines with three valves per cylinder and twin-spark ignition
	Sidebags for driver and front fitted as standard throught the Mercedes-Benz passenger car range
	A-class with sandwich floor and engine which slides down and underneath the passenger compartment in a frontal collision
	New common-rail direct-injection (CDI) passenger car diesel engines
	NECAR 3 (based on the A-class): first fuel-cell prototype in the world with on-board hydrogen reformation
1997	Introduction of modular design principle in bus manufacture to produce vehicles of different length
	Introduction of networked freely programmable CAN databus systems in bus manufacture
	NEBUS: first fully operational fuel cell bus
1998	First window bags supplied as optional equipment for the E-class
	New S-class featuring 30 technical innovations. e.g. passenger airbag with two-stage deployment, rear belt tensioners and belt force limiters, automatic child seat recognition (ACSR), air suspension with adaptive damping system (AIRmatic), COMAND operating/display system
1999	Mercedes-Benz CL coupé: first production vehicle in the world with Active Body Control (ABC)
	CDI engines fitted in the van segment
	All Mercedes-Benz models standard-equipped with ESP
	Distronic autonomous intelligent cruise control goes into production
	ZAS – automatic cylinder cut-out introduced in S 600 and CL 600
	CDI engines fitted in the van segment
	Joystick gearshift for coaches
	“Cito” midibus with standard diesel-electric drive
2000	World’s most powerful passenger car diesel engine fitted in the S 400 CDI
	CL 55 AMG F1 Limited Edition is first roadgoing vehicle to be equipped with ceramic brakes (C-BRAKE)
	Introduction of Telligent proximity control, Telligent stability control, Lane Assistant
	Sprintshift automated manual transmission for Sprinter vans
	New-generation Unimog with cab made of fibre composites, VarioPower high-performance hydraulics and VarioPilot transferable steering
	FleetBoard telematics-assisted Internet service introduced
	Window bags for vans