An Iconic History
The iconic Mercedes-Benz logo—a symbol of luxury, performance, and innovation—has a story that dates back well before the official merger of its two founding companies. Long before they joined forces, Benz & Cie. and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) each created powerful brand identities that would eventually merge into the emblem we recognize today.
The Origins: Two Separate Symbols
On August 6, 1909, Benz & Cie. applied to register a new trademark: the name “Benz” encircled by a laurel wreath, a symbol of prestige and achievement. This design was officially entered into the Imperial Patent Office’s Register of Trademarks on October 10, 1910.
Meanwhile, just weeks earlier, DMG had submitted its own trademark application. On June 24, 1909, the company sought legal protection for the three-pointed Mercedes star, a design that symbolized Daimler’s vision of mobility on land, sea, and air. This symbol was officially registered on February 9, 1911.
Remarkably, both trademarks were created in the same summer of 1909—more than a decade before the two companies would unite. The coincidence is striking, especially considering that in 1886, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz had independently invented the world’s first automobile powered by an internal combustion engine—without ever having met.
Fast forward 23 years, and the two brands, still competitors, began using their newly minted emblems on their vehicles, foreshadowing a future partnership.
The Merger and a Unified Identity
On February 18, 1925, Benz & Cie. and DMG took a symbolic step toward unity by registering a new joint logo—the Mercedes star enclosed within the Benz laurel wreath. Just over a year later, on June 28, 1926, the two companies officially merged to form Mercedes-Benz.
From that historic moment, the Mercedes-Benz logo has served as a lasting symbol of excellence, engineering, and timeless design. It remains one of the most recognizable and respected automotive emblems in the world.