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Karl Benz's Patent-Motorwagen of 1885 is universally recognised as the first automobile. Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach independently developed a high-speed petrol engine the same year. The two companies merged in 1926, combining the Benz name with the Mercedes model name (originally a name requested by race promoter Emil Jellinek for his daughter). Pre-war Silver Arrow racing cars (W25, W125, W154) were unbeatable in Grand Prix racing. Post-war rebuilding produced the legendary Gullwing 300 SL (1954). Fuel injected, it was the fastest production car of its era. The W222 S-Class epitomises modern luxury technology. AMG, a racing-oriented tuning company, was absorbed in 1999 and became the performance arm. EQ electric vehicles launched in 2019.