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87-590: Following the 1998 acquisition of Thomas Built Buses by Freightliner , Thomas ended the production of the Vista in favor of the standard Saf-T-Liner Conventional. While the 2004 Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 was not intended as a direct replacement, elements of its body design incorporated features previously used in the Thomas Vista. During the early 1980s, school-bus manufacturing in the United States underwent

174-546: A 50/50 joint venture with Geely . By unit sales, the Mercedes-Benz Group is the tenth-largest car manufacturer in the world; shipping two million passenger vehicles in 2021 and by revenue the seventh-largest car manufacturer worldwide in 2023. Also in 2023, the company was ranked 42nd in the Forbes Global 2000 . The group provides financial services through its Mercedes-Benz Mobility arm. The company

261-519: A German startup that has built an app for peer-to-peer-style carpooling, has invested in Storedot, Careem , Blacklane and FlixBus , and has acquired car2go and mytaxi (now Free Now ). Li Shufu of Chinese automobile manufacturer Geely took a 9.69% stake in the company, through Tenaciou3 Prospect Investment Limited, in February 2018, making it the company's largest single shareholder. Geely

348-593: A cab with an overhead-mounted sleeper (further shortening the cab). The first-generation "shovelnose" cab was retired for 1954 in favor of the taller, flatter "WFT" design; as an option, a "Mountaineer" 4x4 system was offered. For 1958, the cab design was updated to tilt forward 90 degrees, increasing access to the engine. To reduce import tariffs imposed by Canada (later removed by Auto Pact ), Freightliner opened its first Canadian manufacturing facility in 1961, in Burnaby, British Columbia . To increase production in

435-881: A closure of the St. Thomas plant. Following the closure of Sterling, the Freightliner model line underwent a transition. While the M2 remained unchanged, the FLD 120/132 Classic/Classic XL were discontinued for 2010; after the model year, the Columbia and Century Class were also discontinued (in North America). In line with the Argosy, production of the Century Class shifted entirely to export. The Coronado long-hood conventional

522-470: A deal to sell its Here digital maps division to a consortium of three German automakers— BMW , Daimler AG, and Volkswagen Group , for €2.8 billion. This was seen as an indication that the automakers were interested in automated cars. In 2017, Daimler announced a series of acquisitions and partnerships with car startups focused on car sharing, in a move towards what it sees as the next generation of car ownership and usage. Part of its corporate strategy

609-482: A design from Navistar International. While heavily derived from the International 3800 , Navistar developed the purpose-built 3600 semi-forward control chassis specifically for the Vista. To showcase the model change, Thomas fitted the Vista with a Navistar-supplied hood (cut nearly in half to fit the shortened chassis). For the first time, the Vista was available with multiple engines, as Navistar offered both

696-418: A marque of automobiles had been given by Gottlieb Daimler for use by other companies. It is or was used principally by Daimler Motor Company and Austro-Daimler later Steyr-Daimler-Puch but also, very briefly by Daimler Manufacturing Company and Panhard-Daimler , and others. The new company, Daimler-Benz, did not obtain consent to include Daimler in its brand name and used the name Mercedes to represent

783-486: A new Medium Conventional series (FLC112), using the passenger portion of the cabin from the then recently introduced Mercedes-Benz LK. Mercedes cabins gradually became used for a number of Freightliner trucks. In 1989, Freightliner acquired a standing plant in Cleveland, North Carolina , near Statesville, that had been producing transit buses for German manufacturer MAN . In 1991, parent company Daimler-Benz withdrew from

870-509: A period of relative turmoil, as the exit of the baby boom generation from the public education system created a sharp decline in student populations. In the late 1970s, the US federal government had significantly upgraded crash protection standards for school buses. While safety had long played a key role in the marketing and development of school buses, designers were forced to take a proactive stance to increase innovation to production. By improving

957-824: A range of vans, medium-duty trucks, and heavy-duty trucks; under its Freightliner Custom Chassis subsidiary, the company produces bare chassis and cutaway chassis for multiple types of vehicles. The company popularized the use of cabover (COE) semitractors, with the Freightliner Argosy later becoming the final example of the type sold in North America. The company is headquartered in Portland, Oregon (the city of its founding); vehicles are currently manufactured in Cleveland, North Carolina , and Mount Holly , North Carolina, and Santiago Tianguistenco and Saltillo , Mexico. As of December 2020, Freightliner

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1044-668: A re-badged Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van. In 2000, DaimlerChrysler acquired the Detroit Diesel Corporation and placed its on-highway division under Daimler Trucks North America. The off-highway division was placed under MTU Friedrichshafen to form MTU America. Detroit Diesel branding has been maintained by DTNA and MTU America. In 2005, MTU-Friedrichshafen was sold to the Swedish investment firm EQT Partners. That same year, DaimlerChrysler entered into an alliance with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in an effort to reach

1131-530: A small Type B bus, the design of the Patriot adopted the heavier-duty components of a full-sized Type C bus body design. Through its production, Thomas Built Buses produced two different versions of the Thomas Vista. From 1989 to 1991, the Vista was built using a General Motors chassis and model-specific bodywork. From 1992 to 1998, the Vista was built on Navistar International chassis, using modified International bodywork. For 1989, Thomas Built Buses introduced

1218-537: A small number of motor racing cars built to his specifications by Maybach, stipulated that the engine must be named Daimler-Mercedes , and made the new automobile famous through motorsports. That race car later became known as the Mercedes 35 hp . The first of the series of production models bearing the name Mercedes had been produced by DMG in 1902. Jellinek left the DMG board of directors in 1909. The name of Daimler as

1305-610: A traditional, unionized carrier that flourished in the era before deregulation, realized it was in a fight for its life. In May 1981, it sold its truck manufacturing business and the Freightliner brand to Daimler-Benz , allowing it to concentrate its management attention and financial resources on its traditional trucking business. Around this time, the Chino and Indianapolis plants were closed permanently. Consolidated Freightways continued carrier business until 2002, when it ceased operation on Labor Day weekend. In 1985 Freightliner introduced

1392-484: A trucking company, Freightliner sought to establish a distribution network for its product line, allowing for higher production volumes and reduced costs. In 1951, Freightliner entered into an agreement with White Motor Company of Cleveland, Ohio. One of the largest truck manufacturers in the United States at the time, White sold Freightliner COEs under the "White Freightliner" co-branding (all vehicles produced for CF were Freightliners). In 1953, Freightliner introduced

1479-548: Is a German multinational automotive company headquartered in Stuttgart , Baden-Württemberg , Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufacturers. Daimler-Benz was formed with the merger of Benz & Cie. , the world's oldest car company, and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft in 1926. The company was renamed DaimlerChrysler upon the acquisition of the American automobile manufacturer, Chrysler Corporation in 1998, it

1566-1120: Is a component of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index . The central company headquarters, the Mercedes-Benz offices, a car assembly plant, the Mercedes-Benz Museum and the Mercedes-Benz Arena are situated in the Mercedes-Benz complex in Stuttgart. The Mercedes-Benz Group origin is in an Agreement of Mutual Interest signed on 1 May 1924 between Benz & Cie. (founded in 1883 by Carl Benz ) and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (founded in 1890 by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach ). Both companies continued to manufacture their separate automobile and internal combustion engine marques until 28 June 1926, when Benz & Cie. and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft formally merged – becoming Daimler-Benz AG ( Aktiengesellschaft ) – and agreed that thereafter, all of

1653-747: Is already known from its ownership of Volvo Car Corporation . In September 2018, Daimler invested $ 155 million in US-based electric bus and its battery management technology manufacturer Proterra . In July 2019, BAIC Group purchased a 5% stake in Daimler, which is a reciprocal shareholder in BAIC 's Hong Kong listed subsidiary. In September 2019, Daimler announced that it would be "stopping its internal combustion engine development initiatives as part of its efforts to embrace electric vehicles ." In February 2020, Daimler partnered with Twelve to create

1740-450: Is an American semi truck manufacturer. Founded in 1929 as the truck-manufacturing division of Consolidated Freightways (from which it derives its name), the company was established in 1942 as Freightliner Corporation . Owned by Daimler AG from 1981 to 2021, Freightliner is now a part of Daimler Truck subsidiary Daimler Truck North America (along with Western Star , Detroit Diesel , and Thomas Built Buses ). Freightliner produces

1827-509: Is available on the U.S. market as a panel van, crew bus and chassis in several variants with three lengths and roof heights, six-cylinder diesel or gasoline engines. The Sprinter has been assembled and sold in the United States since 2001. The Mercedes-Benz Group sells automobiles under the following brands worldwide: Share Now - Now part of Stellantis The Mercedes-Benz Group has a worldwide network of production plants and research centers. The following list describes all locations around

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1914-401: Is no longer affiliated with Freightliner. 1996 – American LaFrance was purchased; a 130-year-old manufacturer of fire apparatus, it was Mr. Hebe's first employer. American LaFrance had fallen on hard times and was moribund at the time of the acquisition. At the end of the year, Freightliner acquired the rights of the heavy-truck product lines of Ford Motor Company . 1997 – As a result of

2001-560: Is renamed Motoren und Turbinen-Union Friedrichshafen GmbH (MTU Friedrichshafen) in 1969. In 1989, Daimler-Benz InterServices AG (Debis) was created to handle data processing, financial and insurance services, and real estate management for the Daimler group. In 1995, MTU Friedrichshafen became a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler-Benz. In a so-called "merger of equals," or "marriage made in heaven", according to its then CEO and architect Jürgen E. Schrempp , Daimler-Benz and United States–based automobile manufacturer Chrysler Corporation ,

2088-440: Is to "transition from being an automobile manufacturer to a mobility services provider". In April 2017 it announced a partnership with Via , a New York–based ride-sharing app, to launch a new ride-sharing service across Europe. In September, it was announced that Daimler had led a fundraising round for car-sharing start up Turo , which is a platform that lets owners rent their vehicles out to other users. It also acquired Flinc,

2175-580: Is under a court order to improve safety, and was fined $ 30 million by the NHTSA after an investigation found that Freightliner had failed to recall dozens of known safety defects in its vehicles. In 2019 alone, Freightliner was forced to issue safety recalls 24 separate times by the NHTSA, and there have been over 100 recalls total on its flagship truck, the Cascadia. The judge found that Freightliner had no system in place to track faults, and ordered $ 5 million of

2262-707: The Hague System during 2020. This position is up on its previous 10th-place ranking in 2019. On 28 January 2022, CEO Ola Källenius announced that Daimler will be rebranded as Mercedes-Benz to pursue a higher valuation for the company as it shifts deeper into high-tech electric vehicles. On 1 February 2022, Daimler officially changed its registered company name to Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Sales of Mercedes-Benz Group vehicles in 2023 – 2,491,600 (+1.5%). Sales of superior products increased: Mercedes-Maybach (+19%), G-Class (+11%) and Mercedes-AMG (+4%). Fully electric Mercedes-Benz passenger car sales rose by 73% during

2349-653: The Mercedes-Benz 770 luxury car. Daimler also produced parts for German arms, most notably barrels for Mauser Kar98k rifles. During World War II , Daimler-Benz had over 60,000 concentration camp prisoners and other forced laborers to build machinery. After the war, Daimler admitted to its links and coordination with the Nazi government. In 1966, Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH merged with Mercedes-Benz Motorenbau Friedrichshafen GmbH to form Maybach Mercedes-Benz Motorenbau GmbH, under partial ownership by Daimler-Benz. The company

2436-582: The Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co., Ltd. , trading as " Denza " was established between BYD and Daimler to produce luxury electric vehicles. In November 2014, Daimler announced it would acquire 25 percent of Italian motorcycle producer MV Agusta for an undisclosed fee. MV Holding acquired the 25 percent of MV Agusta back from Daimler in December 2017. On 3 August 2015, Nokia announced that it had reached

2523-551: The Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 relaxed weight and length standards and imposed a new excise tax on heavy trucks and the tires they use. No longer was the overall length of semitrailer combinations restricted; rather, only the trailer was specified, to be not greater than 53 ft in length. Individual states retained more restrictive overall length laws, but fundamentally, the rules had changed forever. Consolidated Freightways,

2610-586: The eCascadia , an all-electric semi-truck by Freightliner, was handed to customers for field tests in 2019, then officially premiered in May 2022. An all-electric variant of the M2 box truck has undergone field tests. In 2022, Freightliner revealed an update for the M2 Business Class series. Models of Freightliner trucks over the decades have included: Daimler AG Mercedes-Benz Group AG (formerly Daimler-Benz , DaimlerChrysler and Daimler )

2697-550: The Asian market. The alliance resulted in the platform sharing between the 2002-2013 Colt and first-generation Smart Forfour , but the declining performance of Mitsubishi led DaimlerChrysler to sell its shares back by 2004. In 2006, Chrysler reported losses of US$ 1.5 billion. It then announced plans to lay off 13,000 employees in mid-February 2007, close a major assembly plant and reduce production at other plants in order to restore profitability by 2008. That same year, Chrysler

Thomas Vista - Misplaced Pages Continue

2784-551: The Cascadia, nearly 20% of trucks produced by the plant (including the Argosy and Century Class) were exported to South Africa , Australia and New Zealand . In 2013, Freightliner expanded its alternative-fuel lineup, adding a natural-gas version of the Cascadia. Introduced as a premium option for the Cascadia, the Cascadia Evolution further enhanced aerodynamics and fuel economy (distinguished by its full rear wheel covers) and improved interior features. The Coronado

2871-536: The Charlotte metropolitan area. Volumes continued to increase. The year 1979 marked a consequential event in the evolution of Freightliner, and of the whole trucking and truck manufacturing industries. President Carter signed bills into law deregulating transport both on the ground and in the skies. Deregulation changed the economics of trucking and removed the system of regulated carriage that protected carriers, instead allowing more competition. Three years later,

2958-413: The Columbia conventional. While sharing the same cab structure, the Columbia is developed primarily for fleet applications (though both model lines become popular with owner-operators). The 1990s were a busy era for truck manufacturers in general, and for Freightliner in particular, under the leadership of flamboyant James L. Hebe, a former Kenworth sales executive who joined the company in 1989. During

3045-581: The DT inline-six and IDI V8 diesels. As before, the driver of the Navistar-chassis Vista was positioned next to the engine, similar to a Thomas EF bus. In 1994, the Vista underwent a redesign of its forward body; to eliminate several blind spots, the side window was enlarged (adopting a single piece of glass) and the windshield was changed to a wraparound, four-piece configuration. During the mid-1990s, Thomas introduced smaller-capacity versions of

3132-481: The Daimler acquisition, the Argosy largely eliminated the engine intrusion into the cab, sharing many body components and electronics with the Century Class conventional. In 1997, Freightliner acquired the truck-producing division of the Ford Motor Company and rebranded it as Sterling. In 1999, Freightliner built its one-millionth vehicle. The Century Class conventional model family was expanded, adding

3219-613: The Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft interest. Karl Benz remained as a member of the board of directors of Daimler-Benz AG until his death in 1929. Although Daimler-Benz is best known for its Mercedes-Benz automobile brand, during World War II , it also created a notable series of engines for German aircraft , tanks , and submarines . Its cars became the first choice of many Nazi, Fascist Italian, and Japanese officials including Hermann Göring , Adolf Hitler , Benito Mussolini and Hirohito , who most notably used

3306-729: The Ford heavy-truck acquisition, Freightliner created Sterling Trucks (using a long-dormant nameplate once owned by White Motor Company). Intended primarily as vocational trucks, the Sterling product line consisted of rebranded versions of the Ford Louisville/AeroMax and Ford Cargo . 1998 – Freightliner acquires bus manufacturer Thomas Built Buses , based in High Point, North Carolina . Sterling-brand trucks entered production in St. Thomas, Ontario (sold concurrently with

3393-488: The German Securities Trading Act (Wertpapierhandelsgesetz, WpHG) paragraph § 38 owner of rights like financial options to buy common shares with voting rights have to be reported in case certain threshold values are achieved. These owners must report the sum of owned common shares and potential rights to buy additional shares. The German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) reports

3480-576: The Inspiration was loosely based on a Cascadia. A Level 3 autonomous vehicle , the autonomous driving system was equated to the autopilot system of an airliner or a Tesla (requiring operator presence). For 2017 production, Freightliner introduced a second-generation Cascadia, adopting elements of the design from the Inspiration autonomous vehicle. For 2018, Freightliner debuted the EconicSD low-entry COE. Intended largely for refuse applications,

3567-670: The M2 was designed entirely by Freightliner. The Century Class model family was expanded further, debuting the Freightliner Coronado premium conventional. Styled similar to the FLD132 Classic XL, the Coronado shared its cab structure and technology with the Century Class and Columbia, marketed towards owner-operators. In a further expansion of the vocational model line, the Freightliner Condor

Thomas Vista - Misplaced Pages Continue

3654-520: The Revolution concept vehicle. Constructed of carbon fiber and plastic, the cab featured a redesigned layout. Intended for use by a single driver, the passenger seat was replaced by a jumpseat (converting into a sleeper bed); to optimize trailer hookups, the design included a rear access door. As a result of increased demand for the Cascadia, parent company DTNA announced plans in 2012 to expand its workforce at its Cleveland, NC, facility. Alongside

3741-461: The Thomas Vista as its own semi-forward control bus. Adopting the same reconfigured Chevrolet/GMC chassis as the Ward Patriot, Thomas introduced several new design elements for the Vista. To improve engine access, Thomas designed the bodywork to allow for a larger hood opening than the Ward Patriot. To minimize the blind spots in loading and unloading passengers, the bodywork ahead of the door

3828-576: The US market in those days, owing to overall length regulations that limited the bumper-to-taillight dimension of a semitrailer unit to 55 ft on interstate highways. Conventionals were popular on western roads due to more convenient ingress/egress, better ride, and easier access to the engine for servicing. In 1979, a new plant in Mount Holly, North Carolina , and a parts manufacturing plant in Gastonia, North Carolina , were constructed, both in

3915-480: The United States, assembly plants were opened in Chino, California, and Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1969, a second facility was opened in Portland for parts production. White Motor Company became troubled in the 1970s. Expansion into appliances and agricultural equipment consumed capital without producing a return, and the relationship with Consolidated Freightways became frayed. In 1974, the distribution agreement

4002-660: The Vista sat next to the driver (a Detroit Diesel 8.2 L V8), similar to the Saf-T-Liner EF. After 1991, General Motors entered into a supply agreement to supply the B-Series to body manufacturer Blue Bird Corporation , effectively ending the production of the GM-chassis Thomas Vista. For 1992, Thomas was able to continue production of the Vista, as it replaced the General Motors chassis with

4089-608: The Vista, serving as the functional successor of the Type B Mighty Mite. Following the acquisition of Thomas by Freightliner in 1998, the Thomas Vista was withdrawn in favor of the Thomas Saf-T-Liner Conventional and Thomas-Saf-T-Liner FS-65. As the Navistar 3600 chassis was designed specifically for the Thomas Vista body, its production ended as well. Freightliner Trucks Freightliner Trucks

4176-519: The attempt to integrate production of specialized emergency vehicles into a company noted for high volume production capabilities proved unworkable. While remaining the fifth-largest manufacturer in the emergency vehicle segment, American LaFrance was sold in 2005 to private equity fund, with DaimlerChrysler retaining ownership of the Ladson factory. For 2006, the Sprinter van underwent a redesign (for

4263-651: The company introduced the Freightliner Century Class , its first completely new Class 8 conventional in over 20 years. A year later, the company began production of cowled bus chassis, with the FS-65 derived from the medium-duty Business Class. For 1999 production, the Freightliner Argosy debuted; directly replacing the FLB, the Argosy consolidated four previous Freightliner COEs into a single model range. The first clean-sheet COE design from Freightliner since

4350-556: The company restored profitability when the market rebounded. Significantly, production also commenced in Santiago Tianguistenco, Mexico , about 30 miles (48 km) outside Mexico City, in a plant owned by Daimler-Benz. At that time, the plant was also producing buses, Brazilian-designed medium-duty trucks, and compact Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. Following the introduction of the medium-duty Business Class, Freightliner saw further evolution to its model range. For 1996,

4437-495: The company to start manufacturing Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans from scratch to meet demand in North America. From 2010, these vans were set up in Germany, then shipped to the United States partially disassembled for reassembly to avoid import tariffs. A Daimler official said that the Sprinter's popularity in North America was making that process less efficient. The North Charleston plant had been employing only 100 workers. The Sprinter

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4524-517: The decade, Freightliner made numerous acquisitions to further diversify itself: 1995 – Oshkosh Custom Chassis in Gaffney, South Carolina , became Freightliner Custom Chassis, producing the underpinnings for walk-in vans used by companies such as UPS to deliver parcels and Cintas for uniform laundry services; diesel recreational vehicles; conventional school buses ; and shuttle buses. The Oshkosh and Freightliner partnership has dissolved, and Oshkosh

4611-474: The factories would use the brand name of " Mercedes-Benz " on their automobiles. The inclusion of the name Mercedes in the new brand name honored the most important model series of DMG automobiles, the Mercedes series, which were designed and built by Wilhelm Maybach . They derived their name from a 1900 engine named after the daughter of Emil Jellinek . Jellinek became one of DMG's directors in 1900, ordered

4698-688: The final Ford heavy trucks). At the beginning of the 21st century, Freightliner was part of DaimlerChrysler, following the 1998 merger of its parent company with Chrysler; several changes in 2000 were made by the merged company that affected Freightliner. Canadian-based Western Star Trucks , a premium truck manufacturer was acquired in its entirety, giving Freightliner a third truck brand (along with assembly plants in Kelowna, British Columbia, and Ladson, South Carolina). Originally an entity of General Motors, DaimlerChrysler acquired Detroit Diesel , integrating its operations within Freightliner. Coinciding with

4785-534: The fine be applied to upgrading outdated paper-based systems and converting to recall software used by other automakers for decades. As of May 2021, Freightliner has at least three open investigations against it for electrical issues, including several fires. Several weeks after the fine was issued by the NHTSA, Freightliner CEO Roger Nielsen was replaced by John O'Leary, a senior executive from Mercedes Benz trucks, and former CFO of their parent company Daimler Trucks. Freightliner traces its roots to 1929; following

4872-492: The first time); final assembly shifts to the former American LaFrance facility in Ladson, South Carolina. While sold nearly exclusively as a cargo van, the Freightliner Sprinter is also offered as a passenger vehicle (alongside Dodge and Mercedes-Benz Sprinters). After 2006 production, Freightliner ended sales of the Argosy cabover in North America. The first company to produce a fully tilting cab, Freightliner

4959-528: The following shareholder structure based on § 39 WpHG, (Date: Tuesday, 19 November 2019): As of March 2010, Daimler owned a 22.5% share of EADS . In April 2013, Daimler sold its shares in EADS, and the same year, EADS restructured itself into a new aerospace company named Airbus . On 5 March 2015, Daimler AG announced a 1,200-job package to the North Charleston region for its van plant, to allow

5046-441: The founding of Consolidated Freightways (CF) in Portland, Oregon, company founder Leland James set up a company division to produce semitractors for company use. Developed in a CF maintenance facility, Freightways Manufacturing used Fageol vehicles as a starting point for the design, placing the cab above the front axle. Shorter in length, the new Freightways truck allowed for CF to use a longer trailer and remain in compliance of

5133-489: The fragile economy, Freightliner was awash in used trucks it could not sell; following the rapid expansion of the previous decade, Freightliner was left with multiple poor-performing operations outside of its core truck brand which was in decline in a poor economy. Seeking new leadership, DaimlerChrysler installed former company CFO to begin a turnaround for Freightliner. By 2002, the Kelowna Western Star plant

5220-468: The job of its architect, Chairman Jürgen E. Schrempp, who resigned at the end of 2005 in response to the fall of the company's share price following the transaction. Another issue of contention is whether the merger delivered promised synergies and successfully integrated the two businesses. Martin H. Wiggers ' concept of a platform strategy, like the VW Group's, was implemented only for a few models, so

5307-643: The joint venture was closed in 2018. From 1986 to 1989, Daimler produced the Mercedes-Benz W123 (200 and 230E) sedans in China under a joint venture with FAW Group , with 828 units assembled in Changchun. Beijing Jeep was a joint venture between Chrysler and BAIC Motor . After DaimlerChrysler was formed, its legal name was changed to Beijing Benz in 2004, and it started producing Mercedes-Benz models in 2006. The partnership has continued during

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5394-527: The launch, the company debuts the first truck with an all-aluminum cab. Shifting to military production during World War II, Freightliner resumed truck production in 1947. In 1949, Freightliner sold its first vehicle outside of CF (to Portland-based forklift manufacturer Hyster ); the vehicle is preserved in the Smithsonian collection in Washington, D.C. As it largely existed as a subsidiary of

5481-447: The medium-duty market in over a decade, the model line met with success. Another pronounced downturn in the industry's fortunes necessitated drastic measures to restore Freightliner to financial health, and Dieter Zetsche , now the chairman of Daimler-Benz's Board of Management, was dispatched to lead the project as CEO. The Burnaby assembly plant was closed, replaced by a new facility in St. Thomas, Ontario. Cost reduction programs across

5568-708: The medium-duty truck segment, shifting its presence to Freightliner. Serving as the replacement for the aging Mercedes-Benz L1117, the Business Class made its debut. Also called the FL series, the Business Class was a downsized version of the FLC112, sharing its cab with the Mercedes-Benz LKN cabover. Along with a lighter GVWR, the FL was given a shorter hood with two headlights. The first all-new entry in

5655-420: The model line is an adaptation of the Mercedes-Benz Econic . In September 2019, parent company Daimler announced that it would be halting "its internal combustion engine development initiatives as part of its efforts to embrace electric vehicles ." As of May 2022, the MT-series step van (called MT50e) is available as an all-electric vehicle, and so are school buses built on Freightliner's chassis. Also,

5742-455: The name of its flagship marque, Mercedes-Benz, and spun off its heavy commercial vehicles unit, Daimler Truck , into a separate listed company . Daimler Truck is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and its first trading day was on 10 December 2021. In the 2021 review of WIPO 's annual World Intellectual Property Indicators Daimler ranked 8th in the world, with 65 of its designs in industrial design registrations being published under

5829-446: The parent company of the Freightliner Trucks brand, alongside Sterling, Western Star, Detroit Diesel, and Thomas Built Buses. For 2008, the company introduced Freightliner Cascadia , a new-generation Class 8 conventional. Intended as the successor to the Century Class and Columbia, the Cascadia consolidated the two model lines; while styled as a scaled-up M2, the Cascadia was optimized for fuel economy, safety, and reliability. Within

5916-452: The sale on 3 August 2007. The original agreement stated that Cerberus would take an 80.1 percent stake in the new company, Chrysler Holding LLC. DaimlerChrysler changed its name to Daimler AG and retained the remaining 19.9% stake in the separated Chrysler LLC. The terms saw Daimler pay Cerberus US$ 650 million to take Chrysler and associated liabilities off its hands. Of the US$ 7.4 billion purchase price, Cerberus Capital Management

6003-435: The sightlines of the driver, the chances of preventing accidents improved, as well. In 1985, AmTran/Ward introduced the Ward Patriot, a semi-forward control body configuration. By reconfiguring the Chevrolet/GMC B-Series chassis so that the engine was positioned next to the drivers' seat, the front body was modified significantly, with a sloped windshield, with the sloped hood nearly out of view. While similar in layout to

6090-494: The smallest of the main three American automakers, merged in 1998 in an exchange of shares and formed DaimlerChrysler AG. Valued at US$ 38 billion, it was the world's largest ever cross-border deal. The terms of the merger allowed Daimler-Benz's non-automotive businesses such as Daimler-Benz InterServices AG, "debis AG" for short, to continue to pursue their respective strategies of expansion. debis AG reported revenues of $ 8.6 bn (DM 15.5 bn) in 1997. The merger

6177-483: The stringent length laws of the time. In line with the company name, during the 1930s, Freightways Manufacturing began to brand its truck production under the "Freightliner" name. In addition to their shorter length, the trucks underwent weight reduction using aluminum instead of steel to maximize use of engine power (needed to climb mountain grades in the western United States). In 1942, Leland James renamed Freightways Manufacturing as Freightliner Corporation; as part of

6264-609: The synergy effects in development and production were low. As late as 2002, DaimlerChrysler appeared to run two independent product lines. Later that year, the company launched products that did integrate elements from both sides of the company, including the Chrysler Crossfire , which was based on the Mercedes SLK platform and utilized Mercedes's 3.2 L V6, and the Dodge Sprinter / Freightliner Sprinter ,

6351-522: The vocational model line, the Condor low-entry COE was discontinued. In 2009, Freightliner began production of natural gas versions of the Business Class M2 in its Mount Holly facility. In March 2009, DTNA discontinued Sterling Trucks, citing substantial model overlap with Freightliner and decreasing market share (in spite of multiple product launches). The closure of Sterling also brought

6438-461: The world's first C-pillar made with polycarbonate from CO 2 electrolysis in an effort towards a fully carbon neutral fleet. In September 2020, the company was fined 875 million dollars by the United States for having violated the Clean Air Act . It agreed to pay $ 1.5 billion to settle all related court actions. In February 2021, Daimler said it planned to rename itself adopting

6525-563: The world. In 2015, Daimler held interests in the following companies: Until the end of 2011, the company had also held shares in McLaren Group. Daimler held 25% of MV Agusta of Italy until 2017. Daimler sold its 50% stake in Engine Holding , to its joint venture partner, Rolls-Royce Holdings in 2014. It is now called Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG. Daimler used to own 50.1% Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation of Canada but

6612-572: The year. Only Core segment sales declined by 2%, with 1,096,800 units sold due to supplier bottlenecks and the transition to the new E-Class . The key trends for the Mercedes-Benz Group are (as at the financial year ending 31 December): Ola Källenius became the Chairman of Mercedes-Benz Group and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars on 22 May 2019. As of May 2018 , the members of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG were: According to

6699-605: Was added to SD model family, renamed the 122SD. On August 22, 2014, the Cleveland plant built the 3 millionth vehicle of Daimler Truck North America, a 2015 Cascadia Evolution. At the time, Freightliner employed 2600 workers at the facility and 8000 employees in North Carolina. In May 2015, the Freightliner Inspiration was unveiled near Hoover Dam. The first road-licensed autonomous semitruck,

6786-552: Was closed (shifting to Portland), along with a Thomas facility in Woodstock, Ontario (consolidating entirely to High Point). For 2002, the Freightliner product line underwent multiple updates. For the medium-duty segment, Freightliner introduced a second generation of the Business Class, the Business Class M2 , ranging from Class 5 to Class 8 severe-service conventionals. In place of the cab derived from Mercedes-Benz,

6873-454: Was contentious with investors launching lawsuits over whether the transaction was the 'merger of equals' that senior management claimed or actually amounted to a Daimler-Benz takeover of Chrysler. A class action investor lawsuit was settled in August 2003 for US$ 300 million while a suit by billionaire investor activist Kirk Kerkorian was dismissed on 7 April 2005. The transaction claimed

6960-560: Was given a "loading-zone" window, as on the Thomas Minotour . Sharing the General Motors chassis of the Ward Patriot, the first-generation Thomas Vista adopted much of its bodywork from the standard Thomas Saf-T-Liner Conventional. As with both the Conventional and Saf-T-Liner EF/ER, Thomas built the Vista its own dashboard and control panel, with the Vista receiving a GM-sourced steering column and instruments. The engine of

7047-483: Was introduced as the first low-entry COE; competing with the Autocar Xpeditor , the Condor was developed nearly entirely for refuse applications. In the early 2000s, the operations of Freightliner subsidiaries would undergo multiple changes. Following the acquisition of Western Star Trucks, Freightliner consolidated production of American LaFrance in the previous Western Star plant in Ladson, South Carolina;

7134-544: Was joined by the Coronado SD (developed primarily for vocational applications ). In 2010, Freightliner introduced its first diesel-electric hybrid vehicle, based on a M2 106. For 2011, the company debuted the SD model family. Alongside the Coronado SD introduced the previous year, two new models were added, the 108SD and 114SD, derived from the M2 model family. In 2012, Freightliner celebrated its 70th anniversary, unveiling

7221-474: Was overtaken by Toyota in the US market, leaving it outside of the traditional " Big Three " of US automakers for the first time. DaimlerChrysler had reportedly approached other carmakers and investment groups to sell Chrysler in early 2007. General Motors was reported to be a suitor, but Daimler agreed to sell the Chrysler unit to Cerberus Capital Management in May 2007 for US$ 6 billion and completed

7308-614: Was renamed to Daimler upon the divestment of Chrysler in 2007. In 2021, Daimler was the second-largest German automaker and the sixth-largest worldwide by production. In February 2022, Daimler was renamed Mercedes-Benz Group as part of a transaction that spun-off its commercial vehicle segment as an independent company, Daimler Truck . The Mercedes-Benz Group's marques are Mercedes-Benz for cars and vans (including Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Maybach ). It has shares in other vehicle manufacturers such as Daimler Truck, BAIC Motor and Aston Martin . Since 2019, Smart left Daimler AG and became

7395-507: Was terminated, and Freightliner Corp. began life as a freestanding manufacturer and distributor. Many of the first dealers were from the White Motor Co. network, but some entrepreneurs also signed up to represent the trucks without the White Motor Co. franchise as a complement. At the same time, the company introduced its first conventional model, an adaptation of the high COE mainstay product. High COEs accounted for well over 50% of

7482-508: Was the final truck manufacturer in North America to offer a Class 8 cabover. The Argosy remains in production in North America, sold exclusively for export. In the summer of 2007, DaimlerChrysler was split, with the Freightliner parent company reorganizing itself as Daimler AG. Freightliner begins production of trucks in Saltillo, Mexico. On January 7, 2008, Freightliner LLC was renamed Daimler Trucks North America , LLC (DTNA), operating as

7569-507: Was to invest US$ 5 billion in Chrysler Holdings and US$ 1.05 billion in Chrysler's financial unit. The de-merged Daimler AG received US$ 1.35 billion directly from Cerberus but directly invested US$ 2 billion in Chrysler itself. Chrysler filed bankruptcy in 2009. DC Aviation rose in 2007 from the previous DaimlerChrysler Aviation , an auxiliary of DaimlerChrysler AG, which was established in 1998. In May 2010,

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