Mercedes
Mercedes are probably the oldest car makers in the world, they literally invented the car. Actually the company was formed by two rival designers who had independently built the cars in the same year. Realizing that competing with each other wasn't good for business they decided to merge their companies and form Mercedes Benz. Oddly in the early years they continued to operate as two separate companies producing two different car models under different brand names. They had a partnership to keep them from competing with each other but for all intents and purposes they were operating as two separate companies. This continued for twenty years before they decided to combine their operations and the Mercedes Benz that we know today was born.
Unlike a lot of early car makers who really struggled to survive and had to turn to manufacturing other things to stay afloat this was never an issue for Mercedes. They have been on relatively strong financial footing pretty much right from the start. Certainly they have expanded their product line over the years and now produce a number of products besides cars. However for them the centerpiece of their business has always been high performance luxury cars. The company are also well known as being major innovators when it comes to car design.
It should probably come as no surprise that the company that invented the car has been at the cutting edge when it comes to new developments. The list of firsts to appear on Mercedes cars is an impressive one. Not only did they invent the car they are the ones who created the modern layout of the car. The drop chassis in which the carriage is lowered between the wheels was a Mercedes innovation. Up to that time the carriage was set above the wheels like it was for horse drawn carriages creating a high center of gravity. Mercedes changed this with the drop chassis and it has become the standard layout of all cars ever since.
A lot of the innovations that were pioneered by Mercedes have gone a long way to making cars safer. They were the first to put brakes on all four wheels of the car. They were the first to use the safety cell and crumple zones. Mercedes where also the first manufacturer to include traction control and airbags. This has gone a long way to establishing Mercedes as the leaders when it comes to automotive safety.
Today Mercedes are a major manufacturer with a reputation for building high performance luxury cars. In reality they produce a wide variety of cars across a wide range of classes. Regardless of what class they are in Mercedes has a reputation for quality. They also have a reputation for innovation which they are continuing to this day. They are working on the next generation of cars like electric cars or robot cars that can drive themselves.