Mercedes-Benz Celebrates 100 Years With Petersen Centenary Exhibit
The Mercedes-Benz Centenary Exhibit rolls into the Petersen Automotive Museum May 23
Carl Benz rolled out the Benz Patent-Motorwagen back in 1885. Three wheels, one cylinder, and 0.75 horsepower changed the planet. Fast forward over 140 years and tens of millions of vehicles, and Mercedes-Benz is one of the most recognizable brands in the world. Now, the iconic German automaker is teaming up with the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles for a celebratory centenary.
But wait: how does 141 years make a 100-year celebration exhibit? Daimler and Benz didn’t merge until 1926. That means 2026 is the 100-year anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz brand. Starting May 23, 2026, the Petersen Automotive Museum will host “World-Class: 100 Years of Mercedes-Benz,” a unique exhibit celebrating a century of the Stuttgart car marque.
“The exhibition brings together a broad range of models that have shaped and cemented the company’s legacy over the past century, exploring how two pioneering automakers evolved into a single global symbol of engineering excellence, innovation, and renown,” the Petersen Automotive Museum said in a press release. “No other carmaker has been responsible for such a vast range of vehicles across so many categories while maintaining an enduring and singular association with luxury, prestige, and class.”
Gullwings & Unimogs
To commemorate a century of Mercedes-Benz, the Petersen will host many iconic and rarely-seen vehicles from the automaker’s past. For starters, the exhibit page displays a 1991 Mercedes-Benz C 112, a V12-powered concept vehicle with gravity-defying gullwing doors. Speaking of gullwing doors, the bottom of the page features a 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. It’s a curvaceous, road-friendly version of the 1952 race car with a 3.0-liter inline six up front and doors so crazy, it looks as though it was ripped from a bedroom poster. Prefer your Mercedes-Benz vehicles a little, well, bigger? A 1966 Mercedes-Benz Unimog will also grace the museum’s entrance in anticipation of the exhibit.
Want to check it out for yourself? The Petersen Automotive Museum is hosting a reception for the exhibit on May 21. The exhibit itself opens up on May 23, with tickets for kids under 11 and adults going for $12 and $22, respectively.
Photos: Mercedes-Benz
You must be logged in to post a comment.