1883 Benz & Co formed by Germans Karl Benz, Max Rose and Friedrich Wilhelm Esslingerin, in Mannheim, Germany.

1890 Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft formed by German Gottleib Daimler, near Stuttgart, Germany.

1894 In the first recorded motorcar race, Daimler engines power the first three winning cars.

1901 Daimler renames itself Mercedes to appeal to the anti-German French market.

1912 Brit Walter Bentley and his brother sell the cars of French company DFP in the UK.

1913 On a visit to DFP's factory, Walter Bentley notices a paperweight made of lightweight aluminium. He is inspired to use this material in piston engines; later used in the aeroengines of the RAF's Sopwith Camels during the First World War.

1919 Bentley forms Bentley Motors Ltd and builds his first car, the 'Experimental Engine No 1'.

1920 Production of the first 3-litre Bentley.

1921 Bentley achieves first racing victory when Frank Clement wins the Junior Sprint Handicap at the Brooklands track in Surrey.

1921 Max Sailor wins the over 4.5-litre class at the Targo Florio in Italy, driving a supercharged Mercedes.

1923 The first 24-hour endurance race for production cars is run at Le Mans this year. A Bentley Sport comes in 4th, driven by John Duff and Frank Clement. Their car records the fastest average lap time, with a speed of 67mph.

1923 The Benz 'tear drop' car revolutionizes car design with an aerodynamic shape and progressive mid-mounted engine. It wins the first ever race at Monza, Italy.

1924 Duff and Clement return for another attempt at Le Mans and win first place in their Bentley Sport.

1924 The Mercedes and Benz companies form a cooperative working relationship, using the name Mercedes-Benz.

1925 Bentley enters its first car at Le Mans but takes no prizes. Bentley introduces its first 6.5-litre car, capable of cruising all day at 70mph.

1926 Mercedes and Benz finally fully merge. A supercharged eight cylinder Mercedes-Benz wins an important victory at the German Grand Prix, with Rudolf Caracciola at the wheel. Shortly afterwards, they develop the 'K Type', the fastest tourer in the world, with a top speed of 90mph.

1927 The Bentley Boys, Sammy Davis and John Benjafield win the Le Mans endurance race, driving their Bentley Sport. Mercedes-Benz compete in more than 90 races, gaining 76 victories.

1928 Bentley wins Le Mans, again as Woolf Barnato and Bernard Rubin drive their Bentley 4.4 to victory. Bentley Boys, Tim Birkin and Jean Chassange come 5th in another Bentley 4.4.

1929 Bentley wipes the board at Le Mans coming 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Barnato and Rubin drive the winning Bentley Speed Six. Birkin goes it alone with his own supercharged Bentley.

1929 Bentley meets Mercedes-Benz head-to-head at Ards in Ireland. Mercedes-Benz win with Caracciola driving.

1930 Bentley's finest hour at Le Mans and a hat trick for Barnato, accompanied by Birkin driving the Speed Six. Bentley also takes 2nd place.

1931 Mercedes-Benz come 2nd at Le Mans when Boris Ivanowski and Henri Stoffel enter the race with the powerful SSK.

1931 Bentley, suffering from the depression, is taken over by Rolls Royce. Mercedes also hit by the depression but with state-backing from Hitler they concentrate on Grand Prix racing, abandoning Le Mans. Without Mercedes-Benz and Bentley, Le Mans is now dominated by Italians Alfa Romeo.

1932 The Mercedes- Benz SSKL enters the Avus race in Berlin. Private driver Manfred Von Brauchitsch has fitted the car with a streamlined body. He wins the race with an average speed of 120mph.

1937 Mercedes-Benz showcase their new W125, the master of its class.

2003 The Bentley team wins at Le Mans with the Speed Eight, 69 years after first winning the race.