9. Creation And Evolution of the Mercedes Logo Star!

Mercedes first appeared as a trademark in 1902 and started to adorn the radiators of passenger cars as curved lettering.

Benz & Cie. presented itself with the original BENZ lettering framed by a black gear ring. The benz logo was very technical. It aimed to point out the competence in engine and vehicle construction.

On June 24, 1909, Daimler applied for legal protection for a graphically designed version of the star symbol as the brand emblem. In 1911 it became a registered trademark. The Stuttgart automaker added the ring around the star a few years later.

On the Mannheim-based brand side, rival Benz & Cie. also registered a distinctive Benz lettering framed by a laurel wreath on August 6, 1909. Significant victories in motorsport made Benz use laurel wreaths.

Daimler also applied for registration of a symbol comprising a four-pointed star in 1909, only four days after his application for a three-pointed star. The company didn’t use it until 1989 when Daimler-Benz founded an aerospace company called DASA. Using the fourth star is meant to represent space.

Daimler registered a variant of the trademark with the lettering “Mercedes” and four smaller stars in 1916.

After Benz and Daimler formed Mercedes-Benz by merger, they needed a new logo and tried to combine each car maker’s symbols. The Board of Directors opted for the three-pointed star framed by a laurel wreath and Mercedes-Benz lettering in 1926.

The 1926 version Mercedes-Benz logo still decorates almost all vehicles in various formats.

In 1933, the Stuttgart-based firm simplified its logo. It became more straightforward by omitting the laurel wreath and lettering.

Since 1933, Mercedes has been updating its star logo in color, texture, thickness, and dimension. The latest version, introduced in 2011, has a softer shade of grey, a heavier wordmark, and a 3d look.