Gottlieb Daimler

Gottlieb Daimler worked closely with Wilhelm Maybach, a brilliant German engineer and designer. Together, they developed crucial automotive technologies that would eventually lead to the creation of the Mercedes-Benz brand.

In 1885, Daimler and Maybach successfully built the "Grandfather Clock" engine, a compact, high-speed internal combustion petrol engine. They fitted this engine to a wooden bicycle, creating what is widely considered the first internal combustion motorcycle, known as the Reitwagen.

No, Daimler passed away in 1900, just months before the very first Mercedes vehicle was delivered. The first Mercedes was designed by Wilhelm Maybach for Emil Jellinek, cementing Daimler's legacy through his company.

Daimler was the founder of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG), the company that would eventually produce Mercedes vehicles. Decades after his death, DMG merged with Karl Benz's company to form Daimler-Benz AG, the precursor to the modern Mercedes-Benz Group.