With the sale of Chrysler nearly complete, the folks in Stuttgart are looking for a new name to represent the automaker formerly known as Daimler Chrysler. Company executives would like to call the company Daimler AG, but others want the company name to once again include both 'Daimler' and 'Benz' to reflect both of the company's original founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz. CEO Dieter Zetsche has instead proposed changing the name of all manufacturing plants from Daimler to Mercedes as a compromise. We'd like to point out that none of luxury cars the company produces is called Daimler anyway, so why hold on to that part of the name? In any case, the final name will be decided at the October 4 shareholder meeting in Berlin.
[Source: Auto News - sub. req'd]
New KITT Attack Mode revealed at Comic Con
London 2008: Honda OSM concept roadster says, "Cheerio!"
London 2008: Lotus unveils the Evora
2010 Chevy Camaro - Official Details and Images
2010 Chevy Camaro - LIVE from the reveal
First Drive: Maserati Quattroporte S in Europe
First Drive: 2008 MINI Cooper S JCW
In the Autoblog Garage:2009 Nissan GT-R
North American Exclusive First Drive: Alfa MiTo
First Drive: 2009 Kia Borrego
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Stuart @ Jul 13th 2007 3:42PM
Thats a no brainer. No back to Daimler-benz as before and while you at it buy the Daimler back from Jaguar.
Then merge two of the best name in the automotive industry (Daimler & Maybach) to create Daimler-Maybach to go directly against Rolls-Royce.
While you at it kill the B-class and C-coupe and transform the A-class into a smart built together with Mini.
Little Lord Poopy-Pants @ Jul 13th 2007 3:46PM
Why hold on to Daimler in the name? Are you stark raving?
That outfit is abandoning the things that made it great. Little things, like product quality, value, engineering integrity, conservative style, and dealer respectability.
If they forget where they came from they will never make it back. Remember, "Mercedes" was the name of the daughter of one of the firm's early financiers and boosters, so I'd prefer that one go first, if any.
Mike @ Jul 13th 2007 6:20PM
Daimler - even though the manufacturing name is now owned by Jag and their lone model is a rebranded Super 8 - is still a very well respected name in auto's in Europe and evokes feelings of nostolgia and elegance amongst many Europeans.
It might not be a bad idea to take advantage for Ford and get the name back from Jag since the outfit is having a fire sale...Benz could make it another line or use it as a trim level to indicate uber-luxurious models...
Little Lord Poopy-Pants @ Jul 13th 2007 7:46PM
Mike has it bloody well right. Daimler and Benz were both storied marques and the merged company kept both names for a reason. And that reason has not faded with time.
psarhjinian @ Jul 13th 2007 3:54PM
When a company is spending cycles deciding about it's name, it's trying to distract itself from it's more serious problems.
Darrell @ Jul 13th 2007 4:01PM
back to BENZ!
Pedro @ Jul 13th 2007 4:06PM
What is they just called it Benz Daimler. :D
iamhoff @ Jul 13th 2007 4:12PM
Carl's Jr. (I kill me)
felipe @ Jul 13th 2007 4:15PM
how about
Da'Benz
felipe @ Jul 13th 2007 4:15PM
how about
Da'Benz
Gerard @ Jul 13th 2007 5:42PM
How about "Failed German Enterprise Stuck with Failing Quality"?
Mike @ Jul 13th 2007 6:22PM
Ha ha, I agree. I can finally afford a real German car. I went shopping this afternoon. Was tossing the 3-Series and C-Class back and forth in my mind. I went with the BMW for that same reason, declining reliability in MB.
Change the name if you want, but for God's sake improve the quality.
bookrevs @ Jul 13th 2007 5:44PM
How about Bobby Benz?
--Mike
John Cressy @ Jul 13th 2007 9:25PM
How about "Benzvagon"? That sounds German. How could such a large corporation (cars,trucks,and planes)be run by such a bunch of curs!
Barney @ Jul 14th 2007 12:55AM
Everyone refers to it as Mercedes Benz and renaming the company isn't going to change that. Other then the British Daimler, no one refers to the car or company as Daimler. Mercedes!
JapaneseNostalgicCar @ Jul 14th 2007 3:00AM
That's Karl with a K, as in Marx, Rove, and Popper.
MH @ Jul 14th 2007 2:16PM
The company should go back to Daimler-Benz. That's who they are, and I kind of like it.
There are, as #4 pointed out, very good reasons for this, one of which is quite simply tradition.
Daimler has always been bound by tradition, this is the only reason why they got rid of Chrysler. The Daimler patriarcs and bankers simply decided that Chrysler wasn't good enough for them.
No reason why the company name shouldn't reflect the sole of the company.
Tradition is the name of the game.