Vs Automobile Magazine - FEATURES: Great Rivalries: Mercedes Benz vs BMW

[Merc1]

The rivalry between BMW and Mercedes-Benz dates back to 1959. On December 9, Daimler-Benz tried, via the Deutsche Bank, to take over BMW, which was on the brink of bankruptcy. But the minor shareholders, the dealers, and the unionized workforce prevented the takeover at the eleventh hour. Over the next few years, the Quandt family bought a majority stake in BMW, but even with fresh cash, it took the company until the early 1970s to establish a truly competitive model range. From that point to the present day, Mercedes-Benz and BMW have been fighting each other in the marketplace. Instead of aiming at gaps in the enemy's product portfolio, each would invariably challenge the other head-on. The current lineup still reflects this eternal duel: 1-series vs. A/B-class, 3-series vs. C-class, 5-series vs. E-class, 6-series vs. SL, 7-series vs. S-class, X3 vs. GLK, X5 vs. ML, Z4 vs. SLK, Mini vs. Smart, M division vs. AMG, Rolls-Royce vs. Maybach, BMW Sauber vs. McLaren-Mercedes. Both makes ventured downmarket by teaming up with a volume brand, and both failed: while the Bavarians almost went under together with Rover, the Swabians can still feel the aftermath of the Chrysler debacle. BMW hasn't followed its rival into trucks and buses, and Mercedes has steered clear of motorcycles.

Strangely, neither firm recognized the importance of hybrids until recently. In the small-car segment, BMW has been arguably more successful than Mercedes with its pricey and prestigious Mini brand. The opposing Smart brand has only the rear-engine ForTwo, which is still dynamically flawed. The ForFour sedan and the roadster/coupe were quickly withdrawn due to slow sales, and the proposed ForMore never saw the light of day. In 2012, BMW will launch the supergreen Project i family to form its third satellite (after Mini and Rolls-Royce), while Mercedes is currently looking for a partner (Peugeot? Renault-Nissan?) that will develop, build, and share the still-tentative next-generation Smart microcar.


Full (short) Story: Automobile Magazine - FEATURES: Great Rivalries: Mercedes Benz vs BMW


M

 

[HighestOfHigh]

The rivalry between BMW and Mercedes-Benz dates back to 1959. On December 9, Daimler-Benz tried, via the Deutsche Bank, to take over BMW, which was on the brink of bankruptcy. But the minor shareholders, the dealers, and the unionized workforce prevented the takeover at the eleventh hour. Over the next few years, the Quandt family bought a majority stake in BMW, but even with fresh cash, it took the company until the early 1970s to establish a truly competitive model range. From that point to the present day, Mercedes-Benz and BMW have been fighting each other in the marketplace. Instead of aiming at gaps in the enemy's product portfolio, each would invariably challenge the other head-on. The current lineup still reflects this eternal duel: 1-series vs. A/B-class, 3-series vs. C-class, 5-series vs. E-class, 6-series vs. SL, 7-series vs. S-class, X3 vs. GLK, X5 vs. ML, Z4 vs. SLK, Mini vs. Smart, M division vs. AMG, Rolls-Royce vs. Maybach, BMW Sauber vs. McLaren-Mercedes.

Oh how I wish Mercedes-Benz could have successfully taken BMW over then!

Hmmm...So the 6 series and SL are competitors??? That's news to me considering the 6 series is really just a 5 series coupe, but slightly up market (and lacks the SL's V12 option choice). Thought it was more of a CLS competitior. Then again that's just my IMO.

 

[Mr Robert]

In that case the E coupe would be a 6-series competitor, but the E coupe is just a C-class, slightly up market

I have never really seen the 6-series as an SL competitor, they are a bit too different in execution.

 

[HighestOfHigh]

In that case the E coupe would be a 6-series competitor, but the E coupe is just a C-class, slightly up market

I have never really seen the 6-series as an SL competitor, they are a bit too different in execution.

It should be, but then again Mercedes-Benz has left that job CLS.

 

[Mr Robert]

It should be, but then again Mercedes-Benz has left that job CLS.

When it was released, the CLS had no competition.

 

[cawimmer430]

Rivalry?

I think "rivalry" is something the press made up because by most accounts BMW and Mercedes have always coexisted peacefully together. If you wanted sport and luxury you went to BMW and if you wanted luxury and less sport you went to Mercedes, basically.

In the 1950s and 1960s most competition for BMW actually came from Italy: Alfa Romeo. Both brands were represented in the mainstream and premium market and their main focus was sport.

Mercedes, before World War II and after all the way until the 1970s competed even with the luxury cars from Citroen and Renault and Lancia.

 

[cawimmer430]

The opposing Smart brand has only the rear-engine ForTwo, which is still dynamically flawed.

Wow, I didn't know people bought the ForTwo for handling reasons!!!

 

[HighestOfHigh]

Rivalry?

I think "rivalry" is something the press made up because by most accounts BMW and Mercedes have always coexisted peacefully together. If you wanted sport and luxury you went to BMW and if you wanted luxury and less sport you went to Mercedes, basically.

In the 1950s and 1960s most competition for BMW actually came from Italy: Alfa Romeo. Both brands were represented in the mainstream and premium market and their main focus was sport.

Mercedes, before World War II and after all the way until the 1970s competed even with the luxury cars from Citroen and Renault and Lancia.

Yes, I would say it's a rivalry. If not the companies, then the fans. No matter where you go, BMW and MB fans are always at it (not physical fighting but the "my car is better then yours"). I remember a few years ago, I was a the DC AUTO SHOW. Everyone was surrounding the brand new Maybach (and this was before the Phantom showed up). They had the Maybach opened and playing that 21 speaker sound system and everyone was drooling over it. Then comes to BMW fans just boasting about how a 7 series is better. Not to mention I have seen this several times before at car driving events and other automotive events. These to car companies will always be "Arch Rivals" as several media outlets have pointed out. Same thing could be said for Honda vs. Toyota, Lincoln vs. Cadillac or Lamborghini vs. Ferrari. They all have competiting products, which automaticially makes them competitors aka rivals.


Also, I have always considered Mercedes-Benz to focus more on Luxury and Safety and where as BMW focused on Luxury and Sport.

 

[cawimmer430]

Yes, I would say it's a rivalry. If not the companies, then the fans. No matter where you go, BMW and MB fans are always at it (not physical fighting but the "my car is better then yours"). I remember a few years ago, I was a the DC AUTO SHOW. Everyone was surrounding the brand new Maybach (and this was before the Phantom showed up). They had the Maybach opened and playing that 21 speaker sound system and everyone was drooling over it. Then comes to BMW fans just boasting about how a 7 series is better. Not to mention I have seen this several times before at car driving events and other automotive events. These to car companies will always be "Arch Rivals" as several media outlets have pointed out. Same thing could be said for Honda vs. Toyota, Lincoln vs. Cadillac or Lamborghini vs. Ferrari. They all have competiting products, which automaticially makes them competitors aka rivals.


Also, I have always considered Mercedes-Benz to focus more on Luxury and Safety and where as BMW focused on Luxury and Sport.

People interpret it differently, but to me it was never a real rivalry. I call it "peaceful coexistence".

A BMW always stood for one thing, a Mercedes for another thing.

 

[Merc1]

True, but their product plans are litterally carried out at each others headquarters. Mercedes does something BMW follows and vice versa. Mercedes and BMW is a big a rivalry as Ford and Chevy.

M

 

[HighestOfHigh]

True, but their product plans are litterally carried out at each others headquarters. Mercedes does something BMW follows and vice versa. Mercedes and BMW is a big a rivalry as Ford and Chevy.

M

Exactly!

I doubt the X5 would even be in existence if it weren't for the ML. Same could be said about the production of Maybach. I'm sure Benz knew way in advance that BMW was going to get Rolls-Royce and they knew to get work on a rival.

Those two will be battling as long as their companies exist.

 

[chonkoa]

Oh how I wish Mercedes-Benz could have successfully taken BMW over then!

Hmmm...So the 6 series and SL are competitors??? That's news to me considering the 6 series is really just a 5 series coupe, but slightly up market (and lacks the SL's V12 option choice). Thought it was more of a CLS competitior. Then again that's just my IMO.

In this case, it is a good thing that we still have the two of them as independent companies. The ones that have benefited the most are the consumers because of the rivalry that exist between them.

 

[Mr Robert]

True, but their product plans are litterally carried out at each others headquarters. Mercedes does something BMW follows and vice versa. Mercedes and BMW is a big a rivalry as Ford and Chevy.

M

This might be due to lack of knowledge about the brands, but I have never found anything that differentiate American Ford from Chevrolet whereas the difference in character between BMW and Mercedes have always been quite noticeable.

 

[Merc1]

This might be due to lack of knowledge about the brands, but I have never found anything that differentiate American Ford from Chevrolet whereas the difference in character between BMW and Mercedes have always been quite noticeable.

Brilliant post doc. Yes there are very few if any differences from your average Chevy and Ford. They've both been found lacking in so many ways in the past it isn't even funny. The Ford vs Chevy rivalry is mainly based on the Mustang vs the Camaro and what they'll do at the track......in a straight line, their hp numbers etc. They do tend to follow each other into certain segments, sometimes....but MB vs BMW is a far more encompassing, sophisticated rivalry.

M

 

[Merc1]

FEATURES: Great Rivalries: Auto Union vs Mercedes Benz

In 1933, German chancellor Adolf Hitler promised Mercedes-Benz the 500,000-reichsmark (approximately $3 million today) incentive offered to any German racing team willing to campaign a car in the new grand prix era beginning the following year. To the Führer's chagrin, Ferdinand Porsche stepped forward to request equal treatment. Porsche presented drawings of a supercharged V-16 engine ideal for propagandizing Germany's technical eminence and nominated the Auto Union combine as Mercedes-Benz's sparring partner. Hitler's resolution - an equal split of the sponsorship largesse - triggered the Age of Titans, one of the fiercest rivalries in motorsports history.

The new-for-1934 grand prix formula was intended to curb speeds by limiting the maximum (not the usual minimum) car weight to 750 kilos (1654 pounds, not including tires and liquids). Rules writers expected the incumbent Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, and Maserati teams to field 3.0-liter engines producing about 200 hp. What they got was a major surprise. Before the 750-kilo era ended in 1937, the two German teams pummeled rivals - and each other - with supercharged engines that topped 6.0 liters and 500 hp. The lighter materials, exotic fuels, suspension advancements, and streamlining implemented by these so-called silver arrows fostered 200-mph racing speeds.

Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union butted heads on forty-seven occasions between 1934 and 1939, with the front-engine Mercedes cars from Stuttgart winning twenty-eight times versus eighteen victories for the mid-engine team from Chemnitz. Both teams were trumped but once, when an unstoppable Tazio Nuvolari triumphed in the 1935 German Grand Prix in an Alfa Romeo campaigned by Scuderia Ferrari.

The heroic Germans fought equally hard in mountain-climb and speed-record venues. Over six seasons, Mercedes won three climbs and shattered seventeen speed records, versus seventeen climb victories and forty-one speed records achieved by the Auto Union team.


Auto Union vs Mercedes Benz - Great Rivalries - Automobile Magazine


Nice read, but entirely too short.


M