Hidden Garages of Mercedes Benz - The First Mercedes

" The famous 3-pointed star, it's everywhere in Stuttgart except for 1 secret location, off-limits to the public. Inside these doors are the hidden garages of Mercedes-Benz. "

" Inside the hidden garages is the first real Mercedes, the first car to wear the Mercedes name. Built in 1901, it's also the world's first modern car."

" This car is a very, very important one for the company because it is the first Mercedes. Wilhelm Maybach who was head of construction and the Daimler-Motoren both started in developing the car, the so-called Mercedes 35 hp, and technically wise, the car was extremely interesting because it had the first forged steel frame, and I think basically said the most important technical and good innovation at that time was the radiator to cool the water, which cools the engine."

" The first real Honeycomb radiator, the first real stirring wheel, the first time an engine bolts directly to the frame, the first coil spring clutch and a transmission with 4 forward gears and reverse. Virtually, everything about this car is a first. Well, almost everything. The car becomes known as the Simplex, after our company's slogan describes all its remarkable innovations as providing comfort by means of simplicity."

" In 1903, 3 years after the launch, the car was shown on a car show in Berlin. Emperor Wilhelm II visited the different exhibition displays, showed up at Daimler and saw the Mercedes, and Wilhelm Maybach, the designer and constructor, explained in a very long and detailed speech all the technical innovations on the car itself and at the end, the emperor made a remark, which went into the direction that sounds all quite interesting and fascinating, but it isn't as Simplex as it sounds."

" Not far from the hidden garages, are the Mercedes-Benz's corporate archives. Remarkably, the company has records on every car it has ever built."

" For example, you'll find Emil Jellinek, who gives the idea for the name Mercedes to the company, and you'll find his first car in this book. So, here you'll find our commission books. For example, it is the car Emil Jellinek bought in 1900."

" Emil Jellinek is a rich Austrian living on the French Riviera. He likes his first Mercedes so much, he orders 36 more at the cost of 3 million US dollars. He has 2 conditions to the deal, make the cars more powerful and name them all after his daughter, Mercedes."

" At those times, let's say these cars basically were used for racing. The millionaire Vanderbilt in the US was 1 of the well-known and appreciated customers of Daimler at that times and he owned 1 of the first Mercedes Simplexes."

" Vanderbilt for example, ordered a Mercedes in 1902 and he also made a land record with his car, the speed record."

" Vanderbilt's record is 69.5 miles an hour."

" And you must imagine, you have no tarmac on the road, you have gravel roads. No seat belts, airbags, etc., just glasses to avoid dust and gravel to get in your eyes."

" The white Vanderbilt car inside the hidden garages is the oldest Mercedes in existence. It's discovered parked in a barn in San Diego, California some time after 1960. At the hidden garages, some things stay hidden forever. All they will say is the company buys it back and brings it home."

" So, let's say our company was lucky enough to be able to get this car back from the US long years ago."