April

Event39

Reduction of working hours to 38.5

1 April 1985
The working week in the German metalworking industry is reduced to 38.5 hours.

Daimler AG reaches settlement with US Authorities

1 April 2010
The conclusion of investigations into violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) sees Daimler AG reach a se...

Mercedes becomes brand name

2 April 1900
Emil Jellinek and DMG reach an agreement in Nice on the sale of Daimler automobiles and engines, setting out retail pric...

Mercedes-Benz at the New York International Auto Show

Mercedes-Benz at the New York International Auto Show

2 - 11 April 2010
The new-generation R-Class makes its debut at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS). The upgraded Grand Sports T...

Daimler patent: engine with vertical cylinder

Daimler patent: engine with vertical cylinder

3 April 1885
Gottlieb Daimler submits a patent application for an engine with vertical cylinder. Daimler developed the unit jointly...

First special protection vehicle with diesel engine

4 April 2005
The E 320 CDI Guard is the first special protection vehicle with diesel engine to be approved for sale. The new model e...

Malaysian Grand Prix: Nico Rosberg third

Malaysian Grand Prix: Nico Rosberg third

5 April 2010
With a third place in the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang, Nico Rosberg takes the first podium position for the MERCEDES...

Anniversary in Gaggenau: ten-thousandth compression ignition engine

Anniversary in Gaggenau: ten-thousandth compression ignition engine

6 April 1935
The ten-thousandth Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle with diesel engine leaves the Gaggenau plant.

New sales outlet in North America

7 April 1955
The Daimler-Benz of North America, Inc. import company is founded in the US state of Delaware.

Duo bus: combined battery/overhead cable operation

Duo bus: combined battery/overhead cable operation

7 April 1975
In Esslingen Daimler-Benz presents a test bus which can run on battery power or overhead cables. Based on the OE 302, th...

Renault-Nissan Allianz and Daimler AG agree broad strategic cooperation

Renault-Nissan Allianz and Daimler AG agree broad strategic cooperation

7 April 2010
The Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler AG agree a broad strategic cooperation. The successor to the current smart fort...

Half a million diesel cars since war's end

Half a million diesel cars since war's end

8 April 1965
The 500,000th post-war Mercedes-Benz diesel passenger car, a 190 D (W 110), rolls off the assembly line at Sindelfingen.

Season starts with win for Sauber-Mercedes C 9

Season starts with win for Sauber-Mercedes C 9

8 April 1990
At the first race of the Sports Car World Championship in Suzuka, Japan, Jean-Louis Schlesser/Mauro Baldi and Jochen Mas...

Truck racing: one-two win in Spain

Truck racing: one-two win in Spain

8/9 April 1995
The first event of the truck-racing season, taking place for the first time not in Brands Hatch, UK, but in Albacete, Sp...

French occupy Gaggenau plant

9 April 1945
The Gaggenau plant is occupied by French troops.

Baden-Württemberg's police drive Mercedes-Benz

Baden-Württemberg's police drive Mercedes-Benz

15 April 2000
The Minister of the Interior for the German state of Baden-Württemberg, Dr Thomas Schäuble, is presented with 29 C-Class...

Mercedes-Benz 219 wins again in Africa

Mercedes-Benz 219 wins again in Africa

15 - 18 April 1960
William A. Fritschy and John Ellis repeat their success of the previous year in the East African Safari Rally and again...

First customer vehicle produced at Fujian Daimler Automotive in China

First customer vehicle produced at Fujian Daimler Automotive in China

16 April 2010
The first Mercedes-Benz Viano to be built by Fujian Daimler Automotive (FJDA) leaves the production line at the new FJD...

Unimog U 150 debuts at Hanover

16 - 24 April 1975
The Unimog U 150 (425 series) as a new road-going tractor and the MB-trac 65/70 in a version as industrial tractor unit...

"Virtual Reality" facilitates development

17 April 2000
DaimlerChrysler opens the doors to the automotive industry's most cutting-edge Virtual Reality Centre within Mercedes-B...

New four-axle truck range presented

New four-axle truck range presented

17 - 24 April 1985
Mercedes-Benz displays its new four-axle truck range at the Hanover Trade Fair. It comprises six basic models in four o...

Natural gas buses in operation at Expo 2000

Natural gas buses in operation at Expo 2000

19 April 2000
Hanover's transit company üstra Hannoversche Verkehrsbetriebe AG gets the first of 56 natural gas powered regular servic...

Untertürkheim plant in French hands

20 April 1945
The Untertürkheim plant is shut down and occupied by French troops three days later. On 8 July it is handed over to the...

Mercedes-Benz at the Turin Motor Show

Mercedes-Benz at the Turin Motor Show

20 April - 1 May 1990
At the Turin Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz unveils the new 201-series 190 E 1.8 with 1.8-litre fuel injection engine, which...

Truck race: Hegmann brothers triumph

21/22 April 1990
Thomas Hegmann, European Truck Racing champion in Class C the previous year, wins both runs of the season's first truck...

Fagioli wins Grand Prix of Monaco

Fagioli wins Grand Prix of Monaco

22 April 1935
At the Monaco Grand Prix, the first race of the 1935 grand grix season, Luigi Fagioli takes first place in a Mercedes-Be...

New assembly plant for buses in Brazil

22 April 1975
The Board of Management of Daimler-Benz AG decides to purchase a 1.7 million sq m site in Campinas, about 100 km from t...

Mitsubishi Fuso unveils new Super Great trucks

Mitsubishi Fuso unveils new Super Great trucks

22 April 2010
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) launches the new generation of its Fuso Super Great heavy-duty truck,...

New on Board of Management: Nallinger becomes chief design engineer

New on Board of Management: Nallinger becomes chief design engineer

23 April 1940
Fritz Nallinger, as technical manager responsible for design, development and production of heavy-duty engines from 193...

Daimler-Benz acquires Dornier shares

23 April & 15 May 1985
The Baden-Württemberg state authorities help to create the contractual foundations for the acquisition of a majority st...

Red Army occupies Berlin-Marienfelde plant

24/25 April 1945
The Berlin-Marienfelde plant is occupied by Red Army troops overnight. Any machines still in the plant are confiscated...

Mercedes-Benz at "Auto China 2010”

Mercedes-Benz at "Auto China 2010”

25 April - 2 May 2010
Mercedes-Benz introduces the "Concept Shooting Brake" at Auto China 2010 in Peking. Also making its debut here is the l...

Start of sales in Czech Republic

26 April 1995
Mercedes-Benz Bohemia s.r.o. is founded in Prague as the sales company for the Czech Republic.

Succesful debut for Mercedes-Benz C 11

Succesful debut for Mercedes-Benz C 11

29 April 1990
In its first competitive outing the new Group C Mercedes-Benz C 11 racing sports car posts a one-two win. The Silver Arr...

Mille Miglia: Stirling Moss wins in a 300 SLR

Mille Miglia: Stirling Moss wins in a 300 SLR

30 April - 1 May 1955
In the Mille Miglia, the legendary thousand-mile race from Brescia to Rome and back, Mercedes-Benz scores a one-two win...

Success in Tulip Rally

Success in Tulip Rally

30 April - 7 May 1955
W. J. J. Tak/W. C. Niemöller in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL win the Tulip Rally, which finishes in the Dutch town of Noordwij...

Specializing on axles: Kassel plant

Specializing on axles: Kassel plant

April 1980
After 55 years and production totalling 155,892 vehicles – 111,555 from the Henschel and Hanomag-Henschel brands – truck...

Second catalytic converter generation available

Second catalytic converter generation available

April 1985
The Mercedes-Benz 230 E (124 series) is the first car model to feature as an optional extra an emission control system...

Van for Asia rolls off assembly line at SsangYong

Van for Asia rolls off assembly line at SsangYong

April 1995
Series production of a light van jointly developed with Mercedes-Benz on the basis of the MB 100 starts up at the Pyungt...