Daimler Chrysler - 2000 dated Automotive Stock Certificate - DaimlerChrysler

Daimler AG, formerly known as Daimler-Benz and DaimlerChrysler, is a prominent German multinational automotive company based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It ranks among the foremost manufacturers of cars and trucks globally. The establishment of Daimler-Benz occurred in 1926 through the merger of Benz & Cie. and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft. In 1998, the company rebranded as DaimlerChrysler following its acquisition of the American automobile manufacturer Chrysler Corporation, but it reverted to the name Daimler AG in 2007 after divesting Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management (Chrysler is now owned by Stellantis). As of 2021, Daimler AG stands as the second-largest automaker in Germany and the sixth-largest in the world by production volume.

The foundation of Daimler AG can be traced back to an Agreement of Mutual Interest signed on May 1, 1924, between Benz & Cie., established in 1883 by Karl Benz, and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, founded in 1890 by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach. Both entities continued to produce their distinct automobile and internal combustion engine brands until June 28, 1926, when they officially merged to form Daimler-Benz AG (Aktiengesellschaft). They agreed that all factories would subsequently use the "Mercedes-Benz" brand for their vehicles. The name "Mercedes" was included to honor the significant model series of DMG automobiles, which were designed and manufactured by Wilhelm Maybach. This name originated from a 1900 engine named after Emil Jellinek's daughter. Jellinek, who became a director at DMG in 1900, commissioned a limited number of racing cars tailored to his specifications by Maybach, insisting that the engine be named Daimler-Mercedes, thereby popularizing the new automobile through motorsport. The race car eventually became known as the Mercedes 35 hp, with the first production models bearing the Mercedes name produced by DMG in 1902. Jellinek later departed from DMG.