When planning a friendly get-together, it’s usually best to keep the BMW and Mercedes-Benz devotees separate.

The companies have a long-standing rivalry but, while their customers tend to hit below the belt in the comments sections of fan pages, the companies themselves have kept things good-natured.

Let’s go back a couple of years.

In 1988, an Irish businessman lost control of his Mercedes-Benz while driving along Chapman’s Peak, plunging 100 metres down one of the cliffs. Miraculously, he not only survived the accident, but crawled out of the wreckage with hardly a scratch on his body.

Mercedes released the following ad:

BMW then used a clever play on words to clap back:

Beats the bends, or beats the Benz?

The latest contribution to the rivalry is an advert from BMW both honouring and making fun of recently retired Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche, reports Autoblog.

Daimler owns Mercedes-Benz, in case that connection doesn’t make sense:

It’s a touching video, depicting Dr. Z saying goodbye to his colleagues and walking out of the Daimler headquarters to an awaiting S-Class. Zetsche looks out the window wistfully as the car passes Stuttgart landmarks.

He arrives at home, and prepares to go for a leisurely drive. We see a garage door open, and the grille of a vintage Mercedes looms in the background.

Then comes the punchline. Check it out:

Yeah, that’s Zetsche depicted driving away in a BMW, because he’s ‘free at last’.

A fitting tribute from a historic rival.

The words at the end – “Thank you, Dieter Zetsche, for so many years of inspiring competition” – seems sincere.

Now we wait for Mercedes’ rebuttal.

[source:autoblog]