Daimler Benz ma wielką ochotę przejąć znajdujace sie w tarapatach finansowych BMW. Konferencja w tej sprawie została zapowiedziana na 9 grudnia. Jeśli porozumienie dojdzie do skutku, Mercedes Benz / Auto Union i BMW utworzą drugi co do wielkości (po BMC) koncern samochodowy w Europie.

• January 8 - February 20: The Rallye Mediteranée-Le Cap (length 14,045 km) ends with a surprise victory in the overall classification for Kling/Günzler in a Mercedes-Benz 219.
• March 27 - 31: The Fritschy/Ellis driver pairing takes victory in the overall classification of the East African Rally in a Mercedes-Benz 219.
• March: Capacity in Untertürkheim and Sindelfingen is increased to a monthly output of 10,000 cars.
• March: The first Mercedes-Benz car assembled in Australia, a 220 S, rolls off the assembly line at the Melbourne plant of "Mercedes-Benz Australia Pty. Ltd.".
• March: Daimler-Benz AG plans involvement in the reorganization of BMW, with the Bavarian company retaining its independence and the BMW brand.
• March: The 190 D wins an American fuel economy competition over a distance of 5,122 miles. The cost per mile is 6 tenths of a Cent.
• July: Uprated model of the W 120 and W 121 gained wider radiator and bumpers without horns.
• 17 - 27 September: At the International Motor Show in Frankfurt am Main Daimler-Benz AG launches the new 6-cylinder 220, 220 S and 220 SE (W 111) with tail fins. These vehicles are the first series-produced cars to be constructed with the safety cell originally developed by Béla Barényi. Type 220b (W 111/1) is the successor of the type 219. Production from August (pre-production in May). Types 220 Sb (W 111/2) and 220 SE b (W 111/3) are to replace the same engined models of the W 180 and W 128 lines. Production from August 1959 (pre-production in May 1959).
  The facelifted four-cylinder cars 180 b/180 Db (W 120) and 190 b/190 Db (W 121) also presented at the same time.
• September: Systematic crash-testing starts at Sindelfingen. Initially the tests take place in the open air.
• September: 190 SL Coupe roof with larger rear window.
• December 9: The proposal for Daimler-Benz AG to acquire a stake in BMW is rejected at the BMW AGM.
• December 31: Daimler-Benz AG acquires the remaining shares in Auto Union GmbH.
• The total export turnover of Daimler-Benz AG exceeds the one billion mark for the first time. Passenger car deliveries to the USA are 5,320 units up on the previous year at 12,968 vehicles.

190 D

190 D

180a

180b

190b

180b

190 Db

1st Safari Rally 219 (Fritschy/ Ellis)

• 8 January - 20 February: The 14,045 km Méditerranée-Le Cap rally from the Mediterranean to Cape Town, South Africa, finishes with a surprise overall victory for the Karl Kling/Rainer Günzler pairing in a Mercedes-Benz 190 D.
• 27 - 31 March: Renewed success for Mercedes-Benz at the Coronation Safari in East Africa: the driver pairing of William A. Fritschy/John Ellis win the overall classification in a 219 model.

At the finish of Africa rally Méditerranée-Le Cap in Cape Town in the South African Union. Karl Kling (on right) and Rainer Günzler (on left) won the rally in a Mercedes-Benz 190 D.

The overall winner of the 7th Coronation Safari W. A. Fritschy and his co-driver Jack Ellis (start number 23) in a Mercedes-Benz 219.