The competition in the auto industry is arguably one of the toughest among all businesses in the world. The level by which automakers compete against each other often leads to deep-rooted rivalries, but even the fiercest of rivals have on occasion addressed the competition with respect and over the years, we’ve seen it from two of the biggest rivals in the industry: Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Mercedes did it a year ago when it congratulated BMW on its 100th anniversary. Now that Merc’s AMG division is turning 50 years old, Bimmer’s M division is returning the favor with a billboard at the Nürburgring congratulating AMG on its golden anniversary.
The billboard, which contained the message “You ordered cake, we made donuts” was on full display at the Nürburgring on the occasion of AMG’s 50th anniversary celebration over the weekend, showing up at the exact time Mercedes-AMG unveiled a limited edition version of the track-focused AMG GT3 Edition 50 that featured a unique livery that AMG unveiled for the time. In addition to showcasing the GT3 Edition 50, Mercedes-AMG also released the first salvo of revealing details pertaining to its Project One hypercar. With BMW also having its own busy weekend unveiling the 8 Series Concept, it’s nice to see these two German rivals acknowledge one another out of respect for the year’s worth of tough competition.
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It’s nice to see rivals acknowledging one another
No matter how competitive the auto industry can be (and it can even turn messy from time to time) these automakers know that they’re only at their best when the competition pushes them in that position. No two automakers have embraced and continue to embrace this back-and-forth competitive dynamic more than Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
In just about every imaginable way, the two German automakers are rivals. From the models they offer to the segments that they’re in, Mercedes and BMW will forever be linked to one another. The mutual respect between the two companies also exemplifies the kind of effect both have had on each other. If either one of them didn’t exist, it’s hard to imagine the other being as prominent as it is today. Sure, there are other companies like Audi, Jaguar, and Lexus that compete in the same premium segment, but none of them are considered top-of-the-head rivals for either Merc or Bimmer. That spot belongs to the “other” company. That’s been the case for years and with both companies embarking on expanding their models, that’s going to be the case in the future.
I do appreciate the cheekiness both Mercedes and BMW have in recognizing the other’s achievements. Remember when BMW celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016? Mercedes posted a video message on Instagram, congratulating Bimmer for its centenary before adding that the “previous 30 years were a bit boring.” BMW returned the favor with its Nürburgring billboard by including a photo of the BMW M2 doing donuts to hammer home the point of the company “bringing” the donuts. Subtle digs at each other are great components of the Mercedes-Benz and BMW relationship because everybody knows that for all the teasing, Merc and Bimmer won’t be where they are without the other.