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Mercedes-Benz is one of the most recognized names in today’s automotive market. That status isn’t accidental but the natural outcome of a carmaker that has run profitable operations since the early 20th century. Yet while most people associate Mercedes-Benz with high-end automobiles, the company has been involved in many other businesses. Here are 20 fun facts you may or may not know about Mercedes-Benz:

Today, Mercedes-Benz is considered a marque. Interestingly, the term “marque” has Scandinavian roots, even though it entered English through the French word marquer, meaning “to brand.” This isn’t too surprising given Viking influence across Europe. In fact, the Normans who conquered Anglo-Saxon England began as Vikings, although by the time of the Norman Conquest they had largely settled and adapted.

Originally, Mercedes-Benz was owned by Daimler-Benz AG, a German automaker founded in 1926. As its name implies, Daimler-Benz AG was formed by merging two existing German firms. Karl Benz of Benz & Cie stayed involved until his death in 1929, but the founders of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft had either died or left before the merger. Over its long history, Daimler-Benz AG experienced both highs and lows—for example, using forced labor to produce weapons and engines during World War II under horrific conditions.

In the late 1990s, Daimler-Benz AG merged with Chrysler to create DaimlerChrysler AG. Although marketed as a 50-50 partnership, it quickly became clear that Daimler held the upper hand—Chrysler executives were pushed aside, and investors sued, claiming the merger wasn’t the equal deal promised. A U.S. class-action settlement ultimately totaled about $300 million in the early 2000s.

After selling Chrysler in 2007, DaimlerChrysler AG became Daimler AG. By global sales, Daimler AG ranks around the 13th-largest automaker in the world—and it’s also the biggest truck manufacturer on the planet. Under its umbrella are numerous brands, including surprising ones like Daimler Financial Services, which provides car loans and leases to boost vehicle sales.

When Benz & Cie merged with Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft in 1926, the Mercedes-Benz name was born. The new brand combined elements from both companies, but its roots go back even further—Mercedes had already been used as a standalone model name by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft long before the merger.

Mercedes is a female given name widely used in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries. It’s believed to come from María de las Mercedes (“Mary of Mercies”), a title of the Virgin Mary. Fittingly, the very first Mercedes car was named after Emil Jellinek’s daughter. Jellinek, an Austrian diplomat and racing enthusiast, had raced Daimler cars to good effect; in gratitude, the company made him a board member and adopted his daughter’s name for its models. Jellinek even changed his surname to Jellinek-Mercedes.

On the Benz side, Mercedes-Benz traces its heritage to the Benz Patent-Motorwagen—the world’s first production automobile powered by an internal-combustion engine. Karl Benz built it, but his wife, Bertha Benz, was crucial: she funded the project with her dowry and, in 1888, drove one on a historic 65-mile journey from Mannheim to Pforzheim with their sons—without telling her husband. She handled every mechanical problem along the way, proving her technical prowess.

From the 1930s into the ’40s, Mercedes-Benz was known for the opulent Mercedes-Benz 770, often used as a state car. Figures like President Paul von Hindenburg and Pope Pius XI rode in them. Today, the 770 is perhaps best remembered for its association with high-ranking Nazis, thanks to its frequent appearance in wartime footage.

Between 1936 and 1940, Mercedes-Benz built the 260 D, one of the first passenger cars with a diesel engine—an internal-combustion engine that ignites fuel by compressing only air. Offered in several body styles, production ceased when Daimler-Benz AG shifted to military manufacturing.