Nubwo amateka yarwo ahera mu myaka ya kera na kare, mu 1926 ni bwo habayeho ukwihuza gukomeye kw’ibigo bibiri, kwatumye habaho sosiyete ikora imodoka zihenze kandi zigonderwa n'abanyacyubahiro tuzi uyu munsi.

Kugira ngo dusobanukirwe impamvu yishingwa rya Mercedes-Benz, tugomba gusubiza amaso inyuma aho byose byatangiriye. Nubwo uyu munsi iyi sosiyete yizihiza imyaka 140 ishize ibayeho, amateka y’imodoka ya mbere ahera mu 1886.

Ku wa 29 Mutarama muri uwo mwaka, Karl Benz yayandikishije mu buryo bwemewe n’amategeko ndetse ahabwa uruhushya rwo gukora ikinyabiziga cyitwa Benz Patent-Motorwagen (no. 37435), kuri ubu benshi bemeza ko ari cyo cya mbere cyabayeho mu mateka y’Isi gikoresha moteri.

Ku rundi ruhande abashakashatsi Gottlieb Daimler na Wilhelm Maybach na bo bari bari gukora ku mushinga uzasiga hakozwe imodoka ikoresha lisansi igendera ku muvuduko wo hejuru.

Mu gihe kitari gito, sosiyete ebyiri za Benz & Cie. na Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) ni zo zari zihanganye mu ruganda rwo gukora imodoka zigezweho.

Izina ‘Mercedes’ ryatangiye gukoreshwa mu mwaka wa 1901, ubwo umunyemari w’umunya-Autriche Emil Jellinek yasabaga uruganda rwa DMG gukora imodoka nshya ikomeye kandi igezweho, ayitirira umukobwa we, Mercedes Jellinek.

Iyi modoka ya Mercedes 35HP yari ifite imbaraga, ifite imiterere yihariye yayishobozaga kugenda neza mu muhanda, inafite moteri ikomeye yatumaga yihuta kandi ikagira imbaraga kurusha izindi modoka nyinshi zo muri icyo gihe.

Kubera ibibazo by’ihungabana ry’ubukungu byatewe n’Intambara ya Mbere y'Isi, byatumye izahoze ari sosiyete zihanganye [Benz & Cie. na Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft] zihuza, bituma muri Kamena 1926, hashingwa inshya yitwa Daimler-Benz AG.

Nyuma gato imodoka za Mercedes-Benz zatangiye kujya ku isoko. Ikirango cyazo cyahurizaga hamwe bibiri bya za sosiyete zihuje; birimo icya ‘laurel wreath’ cya sosiyete ya Karl Benz n’icy’inyenyeri ifite ibyerekezo bitatu cyari icya sosiyete ya Daimler.

Iyi ni na yo nkomoko y’ikirango tubonana imodoka za Mercedes-Benz.

Mu myaka 100 ishize, Mercedes-Benz yahinduye byinshi mu ruganda rw’imodoka. Benshi banyurwa n’imiterere y’imodoka zayo iryohera amaso ndetse n’ubushobozi ziba zifite mu bijyanye n’imbaraga.

Mu myaka ya 1930, imodoka z'irushanwa zayo za ‘Silver Arrow’ ni zo zari ziyoboye izindi. Ni zo zatanze ifatizo ry’imodoka tubona ubu mu mikino ya Formula 1.

Nyuma y’Intambara ya Kabiri y'Isi, mu myaka ya 1950, Mercedes-Benz yashyize ahagaragara imodoka ya 300 SL, yabaye ikimenyabose kubera imiryango yayo ifunguka ijya hejuru aho kuba mu mpande nk’ibyari bisanzwe [gullwing doors], ikaba ari na yo ya mbere yagize moteri izwi nka ‘direct-injection engine’. Ibi byari agashya muri iyo myaka.

Si ibyo gusa kuko Mercedes-Benz yakomeje kuba ubukombe, aho nko mu 1959 yamuritse ikizwi nka ‘crumple zone’, igice kiba imbere n’inyuma y’imodoka cyagenewe kugabanya ingaruka z’impanuka imodoka ihura na zo mu rwego rwo kurinda abayirimo.

Mu1978 bakoze ‘Anti-lock Braking System [ABS]’ uburyo butuma amapine y’imodoka adahita ahagarara burundu mu gihe hafashwe feri ihutiyeho, bigatuma umuyobozi w’ikinyabiziga agumana ubushobozi bwo kukiyobora neza.

Mercedez-Benz yanagize uruhare rukomeye mu kuzana ‘airbags’ zirinda benshi muri iki gihe mu bihe by’impanuka.

Ubwo hashyirwaga ku isoko imodoka za ‘S-Class’ mu 1972, zahinduye byinshi kuko zahawe ikoranabuhanga ryahindutse ihame mu modoka zose zakozwe mu myaka 10 yakurikiyeho.

Muri iki kinyejana cyayo cya kabiri, iyi sosiyete ihanze amaso imodoka zikoresha amashanyarazi, aho izizwi nka EQS na Vision EQXX ari urugero rwiza.

Kugeza ubu Mercedes-Benz ifite amashami atandukanye akora imodoka mu byiciro bitandukanye; nka AMG ikora imodoka zifite ubushobozi bwisumbuye nk'ubw’izizwi nka ‘sports car’, ishami rya Maybach rikora imodoka zihenze cyane zifite imiterere yihariye.

Hari kandi irya EQ rikora imodoka z’amashanyarazi, n’irya Smart rikora imodoka nto zagenewe gukora ingendo ahantu horoheje nko mu mijyi na zo zikoresha amashanyarazi.

Imodoka zikorerwa muri aya mashami zose zihuriye ku mwihariko wa Mercedes-Benz wo gukora imodoka zigaragara neza kandi ziyubashye.