Mercedes-Benz has an illustrious motorsports historical past, courting again to the primary race thought of to be a world occasion, the 1894 Paris to Rouen race organized by the journal Le Petit Journal.

Mercedes didn’t compete within the race straight. Mercedes as a model wouldn’t floor till early the next century. Nevertheless, some competing automobiles ran engines licensed from Daimler, which might later turn into Mercedes, together with the winner of the race, a Peugeot Kind 7 piloted by Albert Lemaître.

The Peugeot wasn’t the primary automotive to cross the end line, although. That honor went to a steam-powered automotive pushed by Jules-Albert de Dion, although the steam automotive’s outcome was disqualified because it required a stoker, which was in opposition to the principles.

A yr later, one other automotive powered by a Daimler-licensed engine gained the primary timed automotive race, which ran from Paris to Bordeaux.

It wouldn’t be lengthy till the primary Mercedes-branded automobiles had been on the monitor. The primary was the Mercedes 35 HP, which in 1901 was pushed by Wilhelm Werner to victory in a number of races close to Good within the south of France.

In 1906, the primary French Grand Prix was held, marking the beginning of the grand prix format. The prize for that race was 45,000 French francs, the equal of 13 kilograms of gold. A Mercedes first gained the occasion in 1908, and once more in 1914.

Ultimately, Mercedes entered extra prestigious occasions, together with the Targa Florio in Sicily, and a number of different grands prix races that sprung up round Europe. There was a pause in racing through the Second World Battle, however Mercedes made a comeback in 1952 with the 300 SL. The automotive proved profitable that yr within the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Carrera Panamericana, and a significant race on the Nürburgring.

Shortly after, Mercedes started competing in System 1 with the W196. Legendary driver Juan Manuel Fangio was topped the F1 world champion in 1954 and 1955 whereas driving for Mercedes.

Within the Nineteen Sixties, Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher and their engineering firm, AMG, entered the image. They ready Mercedes manufacturing automobiles for racing responsibility, and shortly discovered success, significantly in these early years with the 300 SEL 6.8 in occasions just like the 24 Hours of Spa.

Different partnerships had been fashioned, together with with Sauber in Group C racing and F1, in addition to with McLaren in F1. An important transfer was Mercedes buying the Brawn GP F1 workforce in 2010, which was adopted beginning in 2014 with successive championship titles because of the efforts of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. The workforce has racked up seven drivers’ and eight constructors’ titles, and can proceed to hunt for extra.

HIGH-RES GALLERY: Mercedes-Benz in motorsports all through the years

This text was initially printed by Motor Authority, an editorial associate of ClassicCars.com