Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:11:40 -0500
Reply-To: JRodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: JRodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Why I love Mercedes Benz but would never own one of their
cars (Friday ramblings)
In-Reply-To: <012101ce6935$b23d0650$16b712f0$@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
Studebaker inventd the first independent front suspension. They put it
on their Coaches back in the 1800's. Also invented the hill-holder for
the manual transmission vehicles so one would not roll back when stopped
on a hill. I think it was Kaiser who came up with the dropped floor for
passenger cars.
John
On 6/14/2013 2:30 PM, Stuart MacMillan wrote:
> Ive never been into luxury cars and never will be, but I have always had
> tremendous respect for the company that arguably invented the automobile in
> 1886 and has advanced the safety of it throughout the decades with
> engineering innovations and liberal licensing of their technology. Did you
> know they invented airbags and first installed them in Europe in 1981? We
> could have had them in our Vanagons, not that they would help much without
> the front crumple zone they also invented in 1951 (the defunct Eurovan had
> both). But in many other ways our VWs are descendants of this lineage. A
> Wikipedia excerpt:
>
> Numerous technological innovations have been introduced on Mercedes-Benz
> automobiles throughout the many years of their production, including:
> The internal combustion engined automobile was developed independently by
> Benz and Daimler & Maybach in 1886
> Daimler invented the honeycomb radiator of the type still used on all
> water-cooled vehicles today
> Daimler invented the float carburetor which was used until replaced
> by fuel injection
> The "drop chassis" the car originally designated the "Mercedes" by
> Daimler was also the first car with a modern configuration, having the
> carriage lowered and set between the front and rear wheels, with a front
> engine and powered rear wheels. All earlier cars were "horseless carriages",
> which had high centres of gravity and various engine/drive-train
> configurations
> The first passenger road car to have brakes on all four wheels (1924)
> The "safety cage" or "safety cell" construction with front and
> rear crumple zones was first developed by Mercedes-Benz in 1951. This is
> considered by many as the most important innovation in automobile
> construction from a safety standpoint
> In 1959, Mercedes-Benz patented a device that prevents drive wheels from
> spinning by intervening at the engine, transmission, or brakes. In 1987,
> Mercedes-Benz applied its patent by introducing a traction control
> system that worked under both braking and acceleration
> Airbags were first introduced in the European market, beginning with model
> year 1981 S-Class.
> Mercedes-Benz was the first to introduce pre-tensioners to seat belts on
> the 1981 S-Class. In the event of a crash, a pre-tensioner will tighten the
> belt instantaneously, removing any 'slack' in the belt, which prevents the
> occupant from jerking forward in a crash
> In September 2003, Mercedes-Benz introduced the world's first
> seven-speed automatic transmission called '7G-Tronic'
> Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), brake assist, and many other types
> of safety equipment were all developed, tested, and implemented into
> passenger cars first by Mercedes-Benz.
>
> Mercedes-Benz has not made a large fuss about its innovations, and has even
> licensed them for use by competitors in the name of improving automobile
> and passenger safety. As a result, crumple zones and anti-lock brakes (ABS)
> are now standard on all modern vehicles.
>
> I'm a bit of a car history buff. I have a short automobile history reading
> list if anyone is interested.
>
> Stuart
> '85 Westy and VW driver since 1976
>
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