Are Car Shipping Rates Higher Because I Drive a Mercedes ?

Just because a person owns an expensive car, such as a Mercedes, it does not mean that the person can (or should have to) afford to pay high car shipping rates. For this reason, many owners of expensive or luxury cars need to be sure that they will not be charged higher shipping rates for the car shipping services that they utilize simply because they drive an expensive car. 

At National Transport LLC, we offer our customers FREE, Instant car shipping rate quotes, no matter what kind of vehicle you are interested in having shipped. From luxury cars that may require enclosed vehicle transport to construction equipment, RVs and boats, National Transport LLC is one of the nation’s leading providers of vehicle transport. Call us today at 1.800.665.5022 to find out more!

History of Mercedes 

Founded in the 1880s, Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler laid the foundation for the motorization of road transport. During 1886, Mercedes-Benz introduced its first petrol-powered car, the Benz Patent Motowagen. It was designed by Karl Benz and later that year, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach presented the stagecoach with a petrol engine. 

Two years later, the first Mercedes automobile was marketed by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft. The two companies would see their paths cross in this emerging industry and in 1926; the Mercedes-Benz brand name vehicles were born when the Benz and Daimler companies merged into Daimler-Benz Company.  

The name Mercedes came from the trademark engine when it merged with the familiar Benz name. The origin of the name Mercedes comes from a Spanish girl’s name that means grace. It was the name of the daughter born to Austrian businessman Emil Jellinek. Jellinek was an early car enthusiast and purchased a car from the Daimler Company in 1897. He soon became involved in the industry and evolved into a businessman with large orders for the cars. Jellinek was the impetus for engine advancements and in 1902, the name Mercedes became the trade name for the fast, state of the art engines. 

The famous Mercedes-Benz star evolved from the Daimlers looking for a symbol for their product. The senior Daimler had used the star as a symbol and the young businessmen soon adapted it for their growing business in1910. The three-point star had initially been intended to represent the Daimler’s ambition for motorization: on land, on water and in the air. Mercedes-Benz has introduced many technological and safety innovations that later became common in other vehicles and respected worldwide. Today, it is one of the most well-known and established automotive brands in the world and one of the world's oldest automotive brand that still exists after many decades. 

Mercedes-Benz C 

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class launched in 1993 and it features a front engine, rear-wheel drive. It is a compact, executive car and it was introduced by the company as a replacement for its 190 series of cars as known as “Baby-Benz.”  At one time this was the smallest class of cars in the lineup for the company but in 1997, the company introduced the A-Class. This series of cars is built in the Mercedes-Benz factories at two locations in Germany and Brazil and the Daimler AG’s South African factory in East London. 

While the C-Class is in its third generation since 1993, it was not introduced by the company to the United States until 2007. The C-series platform has been used for several coupes including the CLC-Class, the E-Class coupe and in 2012, the C-Class coupe will be launched by the company. The design of the car is steeped in tradition and elegant with a lot of horsepower underneath for those looking for speed. 

Mercedes-Benz E

The Mercedes –Benz E was first launched by the company in the 1950s and it features a front engine, rear-wheel drive/four-wheel drive. The initial E stood for Einspritzmotor, which is German for fuel injection engine. At the time this was considered by the industry as state of the art in vehicles and Mercedes-Benz added it to their car for marketing purposes. This series of cars is executive and mid-sized with varying engine and body sizes. In the current series, fuel injection is not included in the vehicles and therefore the company renamed it as the E-Series. These cars because of their large size and durability are commonly used as taxis in Europe. However, this series is driven worldwide. In Asia, Malaysia drives its older models such as the W123 and W124 for inter-state taxis, and in Singapore, the W211 is used as a taxi. From this series, Mercedes-Benz can also produce from its factory, special-purpose vehicles such as police or ambulances. This series also produces sedans, coupes, cabriolets and wagons seen in the United States. 

Mercedes-Benz S

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class launched in 1972 and features a large six-cylinder engine. This is a series of luxury four-door sedans and it was initially introduced by the company with its W116 S-Class. These were produced by the company through 1979 and they featured a four-wheel independent suspension and disc brakes. The 280, 350, and 450 (4.5L version) models featured SE and SEL versions. 

The company produced 473,035 of these and it was groundbreaking vehicle for the company as it was the first time the company emphasized safety before blatant styling on the car. This reputation for safety continues in this series today. This line-up also introduced the company’s newest features including drivetrain technologies, new interiors with safety padding on the dashboard, headrests, and safety systems including the inaugural seatbelt pretensioners. It has ranked as the world's best-selling luxury sedan. The current generation, known as the fifth, the W221 S-Class, debuted in 2006 with a new design. It has short and long-wheelbase versions and four different engines. They are built in Mexico and in the United States only long wheelbase models are available.

Mercedes-Benz CL

The Mercedes-Benz CL-Class is a luxury coupe and the name CL means comfort light from the German word, Comfort Leicht. This series is based on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class because of its full-size luxury sedan features. It was originally known as the SEC and later S coupé before forging its own identity in 1998. However, it has the same development cycle as the S-Class but the current generation is heavier than the S-Class. 

The present generation of the CL-Class is the C216 and it is available in four models: CL 500, CL 600, CL 63 AMG and the CL 65 AMG, which is the most powerful model and the most expensive Mercedes-branded vehicle. CL sales are not high in North America and its main competitors in this class include the Aston Martin DBS, Bentley Continental GT, BMW 6 Series and the Ferrari 612. The 2012 Mercedes-Benz W222 S-Class expected to replace the CL-Class in 2013. 

Mercedes-Benz CLS

The Mercedes-Benz CLS was first launched by the company in 2004 and it features a small selection of engines comparative to the E-Class. It is an executive-size sedan and the second generation was introduced by the company in September 2010. Production began in 2011. 

With its 2004 launch, it marked the return to the executive-size coupe market for the first time since 1995. It has a sleek design and four doors, seating four adults comfortably. The CLS has a V-8 engine, full LED-headlamps and a sport look. The company says it’s the first car to have a seven-speed automatic transmission and the car comes with a smooth drive. 

The CLS name has been confused with the four-door version of the CLS, a full-sized coupe based on the S-Class. The CLS-Class is popular and other manufacturers have created similar four-door fastback sedans, such as the Volkswagen Passat and the Honda Civic.

Mercedes-Benz GLK

The Mercedes-Benz GLK launched in 2009 as a compact luxury crossover and in 2010 it hit North American after debuting at the Beijing auto show in 2008 It was seen as a competitor to the Audi Q5. Its design is influenced by the Mercedes C-Class and it is the first Mercedes SUV to be built in Bremen, Germany. The car was unveiled by the company to the United States at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit under the form of Mercedes-Benz Vision GLK Freeside concept. Actress Kim Cattrall was part of the ceremony and the car was to be driven by her in the movie, Sex and the City. Custom designs for also available for the first generation in 2008. 

The GLK-Class shares a platform with the C-Class series. It is still in production and as a smaller, rugged SUV it appeals to a different crowd with its five seats and coupe design than the larger SUV series with its seven seats and bigger size.  

Mercedes-Benz M

The Mercedes-Benz M-Class first launched in 1997 and features a front engine, rear-wheel drive/four-wheel drive. It is a luxury mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) and it falls in between the smaller GLK class series and the GL-Class, sharing its platform. The car was initially offered in Germany and Europe but when it came to the United States in 2002, it sold well there. 

The model was the first luxury SUV to include stability control, which is a system that detects the loss of control with instantaneous intervention from selective braking, this helps bring the vehicle back on course. Its front- and side-impact airbags with advanced occupant detection has earned praise by safety experts in the industry and from industry crash tests. 

While it has received high safety marks, owners of the M-Class have expressed concerns about the car’s quality after a facelift in 2002. The company looked for improvements and in 2005, launched the second generation ML. Looking for a big splash on the $600 million improvement, the SUV appeared pre-launch in the movie, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and in an ad prior to the movie.

Mercedes-Benz G

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class or G-Wagen launched in 1979. The G is derived from the German word Geländewagen or cross-country vehicle. This four-wheel drive/sport utility vehicle has a boxy styling and an onbody frame construction. It has three fully locking differentials, which is uncommon for this type of vehicle. It has off-road capability and it seats five. 

When the G-class was initially developed by the company in 1979, it was a first a military vehicle, before it was a civilian car. The car continues to have a military look to it but it replaced the Volkswagen Iltis in 1990 and has been referred to as the Wolf and LAPV enok. It has also been sold under the name, Puch in some markets and the Peugeot P4 with Peugot parts. The G-class is still produced today and expected to be around for a while. There may be an interior face lift for the series but there has been no set date. 

Mercedes-Benz GL

The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class launched in 2006 and debuted at the North American International Auto Show. It was designed by the company for the American market, rivaling the Audi Q7 at the time. It was also supposed to replace the previous G-class model but due to popular demand, it kept the G-Class in production, updating it in 2006. 

The Mercedes-Benz GL is a full size crossover SUV made out of steel and it is a counterpart of the seven-passenger Mercedes-Benz-M Class. The SUV is not boxy in shape but has been described as elongated and wide. It is three-row, seven passenger vehicle and is more luxurious than civilian G-Class vehicles. The car has 4MATIC all-wheel drive and is very versatile with its powerful V-8 engine. The multi-functioning steering wheel lets you control the car with your fingertips while enjoying different sound options such as CDs and satellite radio. These cars are manufactured in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. While predominately made for the U.S. market, the car does sell in Europe, in small numbers. 

Mercedes-Benz SLK

The Mercedes SLK launched in 1996 and was the modern version of the previous 1950s Mercedes-Benz 190SL. The car’s sales in the first year were very successful worldwide and continued through 2004. The name SLK is derived from the company's intent to design a roadster that was sporty, light and short for Sportlich, Leicht und Kurz in German. It is a compact roadster with a race-car look and is it currently in its third generation with the R172 in 2011.

The second generation was the R170 Mercedes SLK which was available from 1997 through 2004. Previous models included the SLK 230 Kompressor, which had been developed in competition with the Porsche Boxster and the BMW23 models. The series includes a modern retractable hardtop convertible. While the SLK Vario-roof was first shown on the SLK II concept car at the 1994 Paris Motor Show, sales didn’t begin until 1996 in Europe and in 1997 in the US. The SLK is built in Germany.

Mercedes-Benz SL

The Mercedes-Benz SL series launched in 1954. The name SL is derived from the German word Sport Leicht, or Sport Lightweight. It was included on the 300 SL 'Gullwing' cars, with gullwing referring to its upward-opening doors. The two-seater car is sleek and elegant. It was developed by the company as a race car and has always been a coveted car by regular consumers. 

The car is currently in its fifth generation and over time it has undergone numerous engine configurations. In 2008, the car received some aesthetic changes with the front end featuring a large grille with a prominent 3-pointed star and twin "power domes" on the hood. It also received new headlights with an optional "Intelligent Light System" and a new speed sensitive steering system. The hardtop roof can disappear into the car’s trunk in 16 seconds. 

The SL series has been in a number of popular movies and two of them made it a popular car. The first was with Grace Kelly in the 1956 movie High Society driving a gray 190SL and the second one was Richard Gere in American Gigolo driving a black convertible 500SL around Los Angeles. 

Mercedes-Benz SLS

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG launched in 2009 and it was developed by the company to replace the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. It is a luxury automobile and it is the first car designed by Mercedes –AMG in-house.  It comes in a coupe and has sports seats. The SLS AMG has a very sleek exterior with an aluminum space frame and it looks like a high-end European sports car with its low center of gravity. It has a V-8 engine and gullwing doors with advanced technology for the driver. 

The SLS AMG is appropriately offered in the color red. The car is currently sold in Europe, with sales beginning in the middle of 2010. This year, the company will begin selling it in the United States. It may already look familiar in the United States as it is the cover car for the PlayStation 3 game Gran Truism 5 and the safety car for the 2010 and 2011 Formula One seasons.