The Mercedes-Benz Experimental Safety Vehicle ESF 24

 

Mercedes-Benz film from 1974: “The experimental safety vehicles. Development from 1971 to 1974”. Excerpt as video footage. (Video index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archives: VID7327-01)

4 June 1974 – 50 years ago

The ESF 24 experimental safety vehicle was presented in London

• Highlight of the Mercedes-Benz ESF programme in the 1970s
• Contribution to automotive safety research based on the S-Class 116 model series
• Design solutions for a frontal impact as the main focus

With 35 experimental safety vehicles (ESF models), Mercedes-Benz researched automotive safety systems in the 1970s as part of the international ESV program and put them on the road to series production. Daimler-Benz presented the ESF 24 at the 5th International ESV Conference in London (4 to 7 June 1974). This vehicle, based on the S-Class of the 116 model series, focused on researching designs for a frontal impact with a rigid barrier at 65 km/h (40 mph). In 1974, Mercedes-Benz emphasized in a press release that the ESF 24 could not be regarded as a prototype for future series vehicles due to its greater length and its approximately ten per cent greater weight and the corresponding increase in fuel consumption in view of the growing scarcity of raw materials and energy. Head of Research Professor Hans Scherenberg drew this conclusion at the time: the realization that “a period of intensive basic research must now be initiated to ensure that further advances in safety technology are based on realistic, economic grounds” were valuable.

May 20-30,1949: Mercedes -Benz at the Hannover Export Fair --- 170D and 170S Models Debut

 

Mercedes-Benz 170 D (W 136). The vehicle premièred at the Technical Export Fair in Hanover in 1949. The four-door model had the smallest diesel engine ever in a production vehicle at the time. Cover page of the sales prospectus with a drawing by Walter Gotschke. (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archives: 1998DIG13)

20 to 30 May 1949 – 75 years ago

Debut of the Mercedes-Benz 170 D and 170 S (W 136 model series) at the Hanover Export Fair

• A spirit of optimism in front of an international audience
• 170 D as the highly acclaimed first Mercedes-Benz diesel passenger car of the post-war period
• The luxurious 170 S was also available as a two-seater and four-seater convertible

A spirit of optimism prevailed at Mercedes-Benz 75 years ago: at the Technical Export Fair in Hanover, the German automotive industry was able to present itself to an international audience in its own country for the first time since the end of the Second World War. Two new passenger cars were on display. Both belonged to the W 136 model series. The 170 D in particular was a sensation. The four-door model had the smallest diesel engine ever in a production vehicle at the time and immediately aroused enthusiasm in the relevant specialised media. The second new model, the 170 S, had a more spacious body and offered separately adjustable ventilation of the passenger compartment on both sides as standard. Heating was available at an extra charge. A new front axle design contributed to the comfortable and safe driving behaviour of the 170 S. The top Mercedes-Benz model at the time was also offered as a Cabriolet B and as a particularly luxurious Cabriolet A. The great importance of all new models became clear against the backdrop of the economic situation at the time: the “economic miracle” of the young Federal Republic was only vaguely recognisable in 1949. Supply restrictions for electricity and coal as well as production bottlenecks for iron and petrol rationing were still determining the pace of the upturn.

Mercedes Benz Research and Development At Stanford and UC San Diego

Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, Inc. (MBRDNA), a Silicon Valley-headquartered research and development subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, has started new research collaborations with two universities. The first is the Stanford University School of Engineering and the second is the University of California San Diego’s Contextual Robotics Institute. MBRDNA has earmarked a six-month funding initiative aimed at advancing AI research and its potential to elevate the in-car passenger experience and autonomous driving.

Both universities are poised to gain enhanced research prospects, resources, and real-world applications through close collaboration with MBRDNA’s engineers. MBRDNA expects to gain potential innovations emerging from these collaborations.

New research horizons for Stanford students

Stanford, recognised as one of the cradles of AI innovation since the establishment of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab (SAIL) in the 1950s, has been chosen by MBRDNA as a key enabler in advancing the AI-driven passenger experience. Fifteen Stanford students enrolled in project-based design, innovation and development courses will have the opportunity to embark on field trips to two global hubs of innovation at Mercedes-Benz. These are MBRDNA’s headquarters in Silicon Valley, California, and Mercedes-Benz’s global headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

The academic challenge presented to the students is related to the MBUX Virtual Assistant announced at CES 2024, for which Mercedes-Benz has used advanced software and generative AI to create an even more natural and intuitive relationship with the car. For instance, the software can offer helpful suggestions based on learned behaviour and situational context. Divided into three teams, Stanford students are formulating project ideas with expansive scope, exploring the full spectrum of possibilities with AI, from optimising the productivity of customers’ daily commutes to addressing parking challenges and refining a personalised in-car voice assistant powered by fine-tuned large language models (LLM).

“Research Cooperation is an essential part of Mercedes-Benz’s innovation strategy. Given the rapid pace of development in AI technology, close collaboration with the scientific community is essential. The partnership with Stanford and the University of California San Diego underlines our commitment to nurturing a new generation of talents in the tech industry. As a pioneer in automated driving technology, we look forward to the insights and advances that will emerge from this collaboration.” 
Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, Development & Procurement

“We’re grateful to MBRDNA for their support that provides students with experiential learning opportunities, particularly as they relate to the possibilities that AI enables in the automotive sector.” 
Jay Borenstein, Lecturer for Stanford’s Project-Based Design, Innovation and Development course

Leading 3D Imaging Research at the University of California San Diego

Strengthening MBRDNA’s commitment to academic institutions is the newly expanded research scope with the Contextual Robotics Institute at the University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. Led by Institute Director and UC San Diego Computer Science Professor Henrik I. Christensen, the research team’s Autonomous Vehicle Laboratory (AVL) focuses on perception and fusion for automated driving, particularly on 3D scene reconstruction from camera images, which could ultimately contribute to the safety features of the AV systems. The objective of this project is to initiate an effort building on prior work from Christensen’s lab and integrate it with a real-time 4D Neural Radiance Fields (NERFs) model to build a model segmented into semantically meaningful regions.

“We are very excited to join forces with Mercedes Benz Research & Development North America to expand our work on dynamic scene models for autonomous driving. This is a great opportunity for us to broaden our approach and also build a new alliance.” 
Hendrik I. Christensen, Institute Director and University of California San Diego Computer Science Professor

The collaboration is built on MBRDNA’s strong and active link with the UCSD community. Besides the newly established research interest in autonomous driving, MBRDNA’s Powertrain Organisation collaborates with the UCSD Sustainable Power and Energy Center with a specific interest in building enhanced battery research.

Mercedes-Benz made history as the first automotive company to have built a research and development division – MBRDNA – in Silicon Valley. Since its establishment, MBRDNA has forged research collaborations with universities and key researchers across the country that have led to joint publications and recruitment opportunities. MBRDNA is a key part of Mercedes-Benz’s global network for digital transformation, brought groundbreaking tech partnerships on the way, and established a strong technological moat to support the company’s path forward to be the most desirable tech luxury brand.

About MBRDNA

As a U.S.-based research and development subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America (MBRDNA) is responsible for the development of advanced technologies spanning autonomous driving, electric vehicles, connected car solutions, and software development, among other areas of focus. MBRDNA currently employs more than 600 developers, technicians, engineers and designers who collaborate closely with Mercedes-Benz R&D facilities around the globe.

Learn more about current topics and events related to MBRDNA on @Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, Inc. LinkedIn channel at https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbrdna/. 
Learn more about open positions at https://jobs.lever.co/MBRDNA.  

Miami Grand Prix Preview, 2024

We’re ready for Miami and the first US race of the year. It is a challenging circuit and, with the second Sprint of 2024, will provide another interesting test for the team. We didn’t perform at our best in China, making too many set-up changes ahead of Qualifying. That put us on the back foot for the rest of the weekend, although both drivers did well to bring home points. We will be looking to put in a stronger showing in Miami and optimise the car. We know we need to add more performance and will bring our first small upgrades of the season this weekend.

Miami is one of the busiest off-track events of the year for the team, too. We’ve already enjoyed a fantastic few days in New York with our partner WhatsApp. It’s great to see the growth of both their brand and F1 in the US, to such an extent that we took over the Empire State Building and held a demonstration run down Fifth Avenue. It highlights the impact of our sport in the USA, and we look forward to building on that growth. We have a full schedule of events in Florida and look forward to a positive week on and off the track.

Fact File: Miami Grand Prix

• The 5.412 km Miami International Autodrome became the 11^th track to host a Grand Prix in the USA when it first appeared on the calendar in 2022.
• It became the 76^th different venue to host a Formula One Grand Prix.
• The track in Miami ranks high in terms of top speeds achieved comparative with other circuits; only Monza, the Circuit Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico and Las Vegas expected to see higher top speeds this season.
• Miami - together with Baku - is among the highest circuits for drag sensitivity. Cars can reach a maximum speed of over 330km/h while accelerating down the back straight.
• Several small tweaks were made to the track between its first race in 2022 and the second edition last year. These included the track being resurfaced with a new aggregate ahead of 2023, offering improved grip for the drivers with the aim of increasing overtaking opportunities.
• Along with Austria and Las Vegas, Miami has the highest number of heavy braking events on the calendar with three.
• 2024 will be the first time Miami has hosted a Sprint race weekend on the F1 calendar. After the previous race in China, this will be the second of six Sprint races in 2024.
• The circuit runs through the grounds of the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins NFL team. As well as hosting six Super Bowls in its history, the site is also home to the ATP and WTA Miami Open tennis tournaments every March. The F1 paddock itself will again be set up on the pitch of the stadium.
• Off track, the team will return with its Miami Club guest viewing experience for the third straight year, once again providing those in attendance with one of the best weekend hospitality experiences in all of sport.

Stat Sheet: Miami Grand Prix

2024 Miami Grand Prix
Session	Local Time (CDT)	Brackley (BST)	Stuttgart (CEST)
Practice One – Friday	12:30 – 13:30	17:30 – 18:30	18:30 – 19:30
Sprint Qualifying – Friday	16:30 – 17:14	21:30 – 22:14	22:30 – 23:14
F1 Sprint Race – Saturday	12:00 – 13:00	17:00 – 18:00	18:00 – 19:00
Qualifying – Saturday	16:00 – 17:00	21:00 – 22:00	22:00 – 23:00
Grand Prix - Sunday	16:00	21:00	22:00

 

Race Records - Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team at the Miami Grand Prix
	Starts	Wins	Podiums	Pole Positions	Front row places	Fastest laps	DNF
Mercedes	2	0	0	0	0	0	0
Lewis Hamilton	2	0	0	0	0	0	0
George Russell	2	0	0	0	0	0	0
MB Power	2	0	1	0	0	0	0

 

Technical Stats - Season to Date (Pre-season Testing to Present)
	Laps Completed	Distance Covered (km)	Corners Taken	Gear Changes	PETRONAS Fuel Injections
Mercedes	1,624	9,069.846	28,794	88,966	64,960,000
Lewis Hamilton	784	4,388.978	13,968	43,036	31,360,000
George Russell	840	4,680.868	14,862	45,930	33,600,000
MB Power	6,182	34,462.871	109,063	339,489	247,280,000

 

Mercedes-Benz in Formula One
	Starts	Wins	Podium Places	Pole Positions	Front Row Places	Fastest Laps	1-2 Finishes	Front-Row Lockouts
Mercedes (all-time)	298	125	289	137	259	105	59	79
Mercedes (since 2010)	286	116	272	129	239	96	54	77
Lewis Hamilton	337	103	197	104	175	65	N/A	N/A
George Russell	109	1	11	1	9	6	N/A	N/A
MB Power	568	213	588	222	452	209	91	118

 

Bertha Benz is Honored with Her Own Postage Stamp -- May 2, 2024

 

• Mobility pioneer and inspiring personality
• The Federal Ministry of Finance presents the stamp at the Mercedes-Benz Museum
• The name of Bertha Benz also lives on in the Mercedes-Benz automobile brand

A stamp for her birthday: Bertha Benz was born 175 years ago. The Federal Ministry of Finance is issuing a special postage stamp to mark the occasion. The Ministry has presented this work of art in a small format at the Mercedes-Benz Museum and also took this opportunity to honour personalities from all over Germany who render outstanding services to the memory of Bertha Benz.

From 2 May 2024, the stamp with a postage value of 70 cents will be available at all Deutsche Post AG points of sale. The special postage stamp emphasises the importance of Bertha Benz for mobility and the global automotive industry. It shows her portrait photo next to the Benz Patent Motor Car in which she undertook the first long-distance journey in automobile history in 1888.

“The special stamp honours an extraordinary woman. With courage, foresight and determination, Bertha Benz played a decisive role in shaping individual mobility as we know it today. Her intrepid drive in August 1888 is a milestone in the history of the motor car. She demonstrates the reliability and potential of this innovative means of transportation and paves the way for its future. Her legacy continues to inspire us today to push boundaries and make the seemingly impossible possible.”
Bettina Haussmann, Director of Mercedes-Benz Museum

Bertha Benz was born Cäcilie Bertha Ringer in Pforzheim on 3 May 1849. In 1869 she met engineer Carl Benz, and they got married on 20 July 1872. Benz makes the combustion engine suitable for everyday use in order to realise his vision of the horseless carriage. Bertha Benz played a large part in this, supporting her husband with her ambition and curiosity for technical innovations. The couple’s perseverance is rewarded: on 29 January 1886, Carl Benz applies for a patent for his “motor car with gas engine operation”.

But the new means of transporting people and goods initially met with strong scepticism. Bertha Benz takes action: in August 1888, without her husband’s knowledge, she drives more than 100 kilometres from Mannheim to Pforzheim with her two sons Eugen and Richard in the production version of the Patent Motor Car – the first long-distance journey in an automobile. In this way, Bertha Benz demonstrates the reliability and practicality of the vehicle to the public and also provides important impulses for technical improvements.

The rest is history: the automobile offers individual mobility in a new dimension. All over the world, it becomes part of everyday life. Since these beginnings, Mercedes-Benz has been continuously reinventing the automobile in an unrelenting process of innovation, and setting industry standards. Bertha Benz dies in Ladenburg on 5 May 1944, two days after her 95th birthday.

Carl and Bertha Benz received numerous honours during their lifetime – and far beyond: both were posthumously inducted into the prestigious Automotive Hall of Fame for their achievements, he in 1984 and she in 2016. A copy of the original patent, which no longer exists, was added to the Memory of the World Register of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2011. Here, the patent of 1886 ranks right next to testimonies such as the Gutenberg Bible, the Song of the Nibelungs and the Magna Carta.

2 Liter 1924 Daimler Targa Florio Winner Restored

Mercedes 2-litre Targa Florio racing car from 1924. Paint analysis by restorer Dr Gundula Tutt. (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archives: D829648)
 

• Extensive restoration of the legendary supercharged racing car after 100 years
• Overall victory and triple class victory in the 1924 Targa Florio
• Mercedes-Benz Classic to present the original racing car at international events in 2024

100 years after Mercedes’ triumph in the legendary Targa Florio endurance race in Sicily on 27 April 1924, a Mercedes 2-litre racing car used at the time is returning to the road. Mercedes-Benz Classic has restored the vehicle from the company’s own collection to the highest standards of authenticity. It will be presented at international events in 2024. The racing car with its characteristic red paintwork is a highlight in the 130 years of Mercedes-Benz motorsport.

“Mercedes made motorsport history with this racing car in 1924. A century later, the vehicle can now be seen in action again in its original condition – meaning that Mercedes-Benz Classic is making history. That’s because something like this is only possible thanks to the combined expertise of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Centre, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive and a strong network of experts. This fascinating project makes the innovative strength of our company tangible – from its beginnings in 1886 to the future.”
Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Heritage

Mercedes-Benz Classic accompanied the restoration of the Targa Florio racing car and its return to action – with extensive photo and video recordings.

• The documentary film will be released to coincide with the 100th anniversary on 27 April 2024. It can be found in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Web Special:
  https://www.mercedes-benz.com/targaflorio/
• Press photos of the complete restoration project and video footage:
  https://mercedes-benz-archive.com/marsMuseum/de/instance/ko/Mercedes-2-l-Targa-Florio-Rennwagen.xhtml?oid=191293448
• The Mercedes-Benz press kit on the media site contains numerous details and background information on the restoration project, the vehicle and the 1924 Targa Florio.

Victory in Sicily

In the early 1920s, the Targa Florio was a top event in European motorsport. It offered German companies an important opportunity because, after the First World War, they were initially excluded from participating in the European Grand Prix Championship. Mercedes took second place overall in 1921 and a privateer won in a Mercedes in 1922. In 1924, the brand came back to compete with a new racing car. This vehicle was based on designs by Paul Daimler. Ferdinand Porsche, Technical Director and Chief Development Officer of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft from April 1923 on, developed it to the point where it was ready to race.

The racing team travelled from Stuttgart to Sicily with four 2-litre competition cars on their own power. Mercedes entered three of these racing cars in the Targa Florio and Coppa Florio. One special highlight was the red paintwork, which was actually reserved for Italian vehicles: it was intended to prevent any potential interference by Italian fans during the race. German racing cars were usually painted white back then.

Mercedes works driver Christian Werner won the Targa Florio over a distance of 432 kilometres (four laps of 108 kilometres each) in the number 10 car, clocking a time of 6:32:37.4 hours. It was the first victory in the Targa Florio for a driver from outside Italy. Werner also led the team in a triple class victory for racing cars with a displacement of up to 2 litres. In the overall standings, Christian Lautenschlager (number 32) finished in 11th place, Alfred Neubauer (number 23) in 16th place. The Mercedes team received the Coppa Termini as the best factory team. Werner then put the icing on the cake: another lap was required for the Coppa Florio classification. The works driver from Stuttgart also won this contest after a total of 8:17:1.4 hours. His teammates finished 9th (Lautenschlager) and 13th (Neubauer).

Restoration with maximum authenticity

In 2022, Mercedes-Benz Classic decided to rebuild the original 2-litre Targa Florio racing car from the company’s own collection as authentically as possible for the anniversary – in accordance with the high standards of a factory restoration. It is the vehicle in which Christian Lautenschlager completed the Targa Florio in 1924. Werner’s winning car has not survived.

The removal of the racing car from the Mercedes-Benz Museum was followed by a meticulous inventory analysis and extensive search in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive – the brand’s “memory”. Original technical drawings and historical photos are crucial sources for the authentic restoration. The Classic Centre carries this out together with a network of experts.

Project highlights

• Repair of the supercharged engine: This includes welding work on the housing, reworking the original camshafts and restoring screw connections with hybrid threads typical of the time.
• Body work: The racing car, which was converted by a private customer in the 1920s, is restored to its original condition according to historical blueprints.
• Paintwork: Detailed analysis of small remnants of the original paintwork provides information about the colour scheme and method of painting in 1924. The racing car is repainted by hand using a brush and reconstructed linseed oil paint.

At every stage, the Classic Centre experts and external partners preserve the original substance as much as possible. For example, traces of past body modifications remain visible under the historically correct paintwork. Very sensitive original components are conserved. For example, a faithful reproduction of the steering wheel from 1924 will replace the original for the car’s outings in the anniversary year.

In April 2024, the racing car completed its first drive following the restoration – on the test track at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Untertürkheim. This is where the vehicle was built in the racing workshop 100 years ago. And it set off from there in 1924 on its journey to Sicily, which ended with one of the greatest successes in the 130 years of Mercedes-Benz motorsport history.