Whether it's a classic convertible, a city-friendly coupe, or a speed demon, we all have a dream car in mind. With so many different brands and, consequently, varieties, it's not hard to find a car we like.
The brands that produce these cars, which are essential to the dreams we don't want to wake up from today, certainly didn't get to where they are overnight. Let's take a look at the interesting and inspiring stories of the manufacturers of the cars that take us to those happy places at sunset!
Mercedes-Benz
The history of Mercedes-Benz goes back almost 40 years before its official founding. In 1886, Karl Benz, using his wife Bertha Benz's dowry, took the first steps in the birth of the Mercedes-Benz brand we know today with the "Benz Patent-Motorwagen," which he first patented and then produced. Following this, two engineers whose surnames are almost synonymous with the brand today, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, patented the gasoline-powered engine, turning car manufacturing from a dream into a reality, and in 1901, the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) company was founded.
Let's answer a likely question that might come to mind right about here: "Okay, Benz is the man's last name. We get that. But where does Mercedes come from?" The answer is this: Austrian aristocrat Emil Jellinek nicknamed the first Benz car he bought "Mercedes," after his eldest daughter. Jellinek, who won the Nice race with his car, ordered 36 more cars from DMG and stipulated that they bear the name Mercedes, and thus the name Mercedes stuck to the car. In this situation, we can only say, "What fathers there were!"
Considered the first manufacturer of vehicles classified as automobiles, Mercedes-Benz is not only the oldest but also the world's largest luxury car manufacturer. Attracting considerable interest from billionaire families such as Rothschild, Rockefeller, and Astor in Europe and America at the beginning of the 20th century, the brand quickly associated itself with the upper class, and that influence continues today.
Producing cars for important historical figures from the Pope to Adolf Hitler, Mercedes-Benz, with its 6 Formula 1 championships in the last 7 years, proves that it is not just a luxury car brand but also an engineering marvel.
Lamborghini
Lamborghini is one of the brands that have firmly established themselves at the pinnacle of the automotive world and are among the first that come to mind when thinking of sports cars today. However, while it now identifies with speed and luxury, Lamborghini's roots actually come from a very different place.
Founded by Ferruccio Lamborghini, who worked as a mechanic in the Italian Air Force, the company produced tractors that could be used even in difficult conditions in its early years. Thanks to his rapidly growing businesses in the 50s, Ferruccio became one of Italy's biggest industrialists.
As his fortune grew as quickly as his success, Ferruccio began to take an interest in sports cars. Lamborghini, who was introduced to sports cars with a Ferrari 250GT, noted that the 250GT was too noisy and unsuitable for normal roads. Enzo Ferrari, the founder of Ferrari, did not take this criticism kindly and told Ferruccio that he would not take advice from a tractor manufacturer. Thus began the Lamborghini-Ferrari rivalry, which continues on asphalt roads all over the world even after the deaths of both men.
Combining his interest in sports cars with his ambition against Ferrari, Ferruccio opened his first automobile factory in 1963, and the rest is history.
Porsche
Did you know that the electric and hybrid car technologies that are sweeping the world today were actually produced 120 years ago?
Designed by Ferdinand Porsche in 1898, the "Egger-Lohner C2 Phaeton" was one of the world's first electric cars.
A young Austrian engineer fascinated by electricity and mechanics, Ferdinand Porsche was initially only a designer working for Mercedes-Benz. Working on the production and design processes of Benz racing cars in the 1920s, Ferdinand decided to leave Daimler in 1931 and establish his own company.
Only a few years after establishing his own business, Adolf Hitler asked Ferdinand to design a car for the German people. Ferdinand and his son, who shared the same name, became the designers of the cult car known today as Volkswagen's "Beetle," which still maintains its worldwide popularity.
Noticing Ferdinand's success in car design, Hitler asked Porsche to design tanks for use in the war, and thus one of the most famous tanks of World War II, the "Tiger," was born.
After the war, Ferdinand senior was tried, found guilty, and imprisoned. During this period, his son Ferdinand, trying to keep his father's company afloat, designed the "Type 360 Cisitalia" sports car for a wealthy Italian businessman to pay his father's bail, thus shaping the destiny of the Porsche brand.
As the Bonherre team, we think it's probably a twist of fate that the same person produced the sweetest car ever seen on the roads and one of the most feared tanks in battle.
The company of the sensational father and son, Porsche, at its current position, sets the limit of prestige in the automobile market.
Ford
Another name who used his childhood dream to make the world a better place, unlike Porsche, is Henry Ford. Discovering his interest in mechanics at a young age by repairing watches for his family and friends, Ford gained familiarity with steam engines and mechanics at the age of 19 while working as a technician in a factory.
In 1891, Ford joined Thomas Edison's company as an engineer and became the chief engineer of the company only 2 years later. Thanks to his new position, Ford dedicated his time to his passion, gasoline-powered engines, and in 1896, he met Thomas Edison face-to-face and received support to build a car, but he left his job in 1899 to establish his own company.
Although he produced his dream car in 1901, he could not market it due to its high cost and failure to achieve the desired quality. Under the umbrella of the "Ford Automobile Company" which he founded the same year, Ford gathered successful engineers of the time like Henry Leland and, after 7 years of work, produced the "Model T," the world's first middle-class car.
The legacy of Ford, who blended his childhood passion with his labor and effort, is one of the world's largest car brands today.
And Let's Not Forget
Whether you're someone who just wants a car to get around or someone who lives for the sound of an engine, it's quite important to know the story behind the cars that bring you together with your loved ones and how they got to where they are today.
As the Bonherre team, we care about you and your loved ones. We also urge you to obey traffic rules for your safety and the safety of others.