Information, documents, pictures and much more from the history of the world’s oldest automobile manufacturer: the archives of Mercedes-Benz Classic house a unique treasure. In future, anyone interested can go to the Public M@RS website to directly access this knowledge about the history of the brand and its products. The portal is available without login at the address https://mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com.
“Fascinating history consists of exciting stories. This is especially true of the history of Daimler AG, which dates back to the invention of the automobile by Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler in 1886. Our aim is to bring this resource even closer to the general public,” says Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic and Customer Center. “With Public M@RS, therefore, we are providing information from our unique brand, company and technology history in the form of an extensive database.”
The abbreviation “M@RS” stands for Multimedia Archive and Research System. This is the name under which Mercedes-Benz Classic 15 years ago developed an internet portal with information from the archives where, for example, registered journalists and researchers are able to explore details and backgrounds concerning the diverse history of Daimler. This database, which is used intensively by the specialist public, was also the starting point for development of the new Public M@RS, which is online from 30 January 2015 and is freely available without login to anyone interested.
The focus of the new portal in its first stage of development is the subject area of the passenger car. The corresponding vehicle portraits, technical data and illustrations are structured in five historical chapters (Benz & Cie. to 1926, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and Mercedes to 1926, Mercedes-Benz from 1926 to 1945, Mercedes-Benz from 1946 and Maybach from 2002). Within these chapters, the basic framework of the portal is made up of vehicle classes and model series. For example, there is fast and transparent access to information from the product history, from the first automobiles of 1886 to the predecessor series of the current Mercedes-Benz models. This initially available content will in future be extended to include further subject areas from the history of the company and its products.
A future always needs a past, and innovation is built on tradition. With Public M@RS, the archives and collection of Mercedes-Benz Classic present the foundations of the brand to anyone around the world who is interested. The relevance of the company’s history for current developments as well as for the future is made apparent on the website by two other areas that are contained from the outset: the anniversary data from 2015 as well as the illustrated chronicle of the company document the continuous will to innovate that has existed for almost 130 years of automotive history.
The Mercedes-Benz Classic archives are one of the largest industrial archives in Europe and their scope is unique in the automotive industry. Their history officially begins with administrative order No. 1145 of the then Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft from 1936, which instructed engineer Max Rauck to “collect and examine our historical literature and photographic material for the purpose of establishing and managing an historical archive”. The new online portal Public M@RS now provides public access to the work results of Rauck and his successors.
