1961

  • 19 January - 6 February 1961
  • In the Algiers-Central Africa Rally covering some 11,000 km, Mercedes-Benz scores a spectacular one-two victory overall. Karl Kling/Rainer Günzler win, Sergio Bettoja/Hermann Eger are second, with both teams driving a 220 SE.
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  • 25 February 1961
  • The new Daimler-Benz Museum is opened in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim and the 111-series 220 SE Coupé is unveiled to coincide with the "75 Years of Motorised Transport" anniversary. The new two-door is the first Mercedes-Benz car to feature disc brakes on the front wheels.
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  • 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 all around also makes its debut.
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  • 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 Manussis, Bill Coleridge and David Beckett in a 220 SE. Second place is taken by the team of William A. Fritschy/Kim Mandeville, also in a 220 SE.
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  • 1 April 1961
  • In order to increase capacity at the Untertürkheim plant, Daimler-Benz leases factory installations and land in Brühl near Esslingen from the company Württembergische Baumwollspinnerei und -Weberei (Cotton Spinning and Weaving Factory).
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  • 10 April 1961
  • The 220 SE and 220 SE Coupé models are offered with automatic transmission as an optional extra. The four-speed planetary gear group with hydraulic clutch is an in-house development specially tailored to Mercedes-Benz passenger cars.
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  • 31 May 1961
  • The Supervisory Board of Auto Union GmbH decides to concentrate overall production at the Ingolstadt plant. This creates availability at the Düsseldorf plant, which is initially taken over on a leasehold basis by Daimler-Benz in April 1962 and where at the turn of the year production of the L 319 van and OM 636 diesel engine starts, in addition to steering gears and shift linkages. In early 1962 production of the O 319 minibus is also relocated to Düsseldorf.
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  • 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-duty engine series from Untertürkheim to Friedrichshafen. Maybach takes over production of the MB 820 and 836 as early as September, with the other series following by the end of 1962.
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  • 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) and 300 SE (W 112) are presented at the Frankfurt International Motor Show. The 190 and 190 D models are available not only as saloons, but also as chassis for estate cars and ambulances. The 300 SE is fitted as standard with automatic transmission, air suspension and disc brakes on the front and rear wheels. The MB 833 and MB 838 heavy-duty engine series also make their debuts in Frankfurt.
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  • November 1961
  • Manufacture of the newly developed Daimler-Benz automatic transmission is relocated from the main Untertürkheim plant to the Hedelfingen sub-plant after steering system production had been transferred from there to Düsseldorf.
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