1961

Event13

Double victory in Central Africa

Double victory in Central Africa

19 January - 6 February 1961
In the Algiers – Central Africa Rally covering some 11,000 km, Mercedes-Benz scores a spectacular one-two victory overal...

Diagonal shoulder belts in all Mercedes-Benz volume-built sedans

Diagonal shoulder belts in all Mercedes-Benz volume-built sedans

1 February 1961
Instead of the lap belts previously available ex factory, all Mercedes-Benz volume-built saloons are equipped with diag...

Hitzinger becomes Chairman of the Board of Management

Hitzinger becomes Chairman of the Board of Management

10 February 1961
Walter Hitzinger is appointed Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler-Benz AG, succeeding Dr Fritz Könecke, who...

Opening of the new Daimler-Benz Museum in Untertürkheim

Opening of the new Daimler-Benz Museum in Untertürkheim

25 February 1961
The new Daimler-Benz Museum is opened in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim and the 111-series 220 SE Coupé is unveiled to coincid...

Premiere for the 220 SE Coupe

Premiere for the 220 SE Coupe

16 - 26 March 1961
The new 220 SE Coupé premieres at the Geneva Motor Show. A technically revised version of the 300 SL with disc brakes al...

Third overall win for Mercedes-Benz in East Africa

Third overall win for Mercedes-Benz in East Africa

31 March - 4 April 1961
The East African Safari Rallye ends for the fourth time with an overall victory for Mercedes-Benz. The winners are John...

More land leased near Untertürkheim

More land leased near Untertürkheim

1 April 1961
In order to increase capacity at the Untertürkheim plant, Daimler-Benz leases factory installations and land in Brühl n...

Automatic transmission for 220 SE and 220 SE Coupé

Automatic transmission for 220 SE and 220 SE Coupé

10 April 1961
The 220 SE and 220 SE Coupé models are offered with automatic transmission as an optional extra. The four-speed planeta...

Auto Union concentrates overall production in Ingolstadt

Auto Union concentrates overall production in Ingolstadt

31 May 1961
The Supervisory Board of Auto Union GmbH decides to concentrate overall production at the Ingolstadt plant. This create...

Heavy-duty engine production transferred to Friedrichshafen

1 July 1961
Daimler-Benz AG and Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH agree to relocate production of the MB 820/836, MB 835/839 and MB 518 heavy-...

Many innovations in Frankfurt

Many innovations in Frankfurt

21 September - 1 October 1961
The new passenger car models 190 and 190 D (internal designations 190 c and 190 Dc, W 110), 220 SE Convertible (W 111)...

Victory in the Argentinean Touring Car Grand Prix

Victory in the Argentinean Touring Car Grand Prix

26 October - 5 November 1961
The Walter Schock and Manfred Schiek driver pairing wins the Touring Car Grand Prix of Argentina, a gruelling race over...

Production of the newly developed automatic transmission

November 1961
Manufacture of the newly developed Daimler-Benz automatic transmission is relocated from the main Untertürkheim plant t...