Mercedes-Benz Begins the Fall with Record Sales

Record sales worldwide for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars in October and the first 10 months of the year Sales of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars at record levels in Germany, the UK, Italy, France, and the U.S. through October Mercedes-Benz the most successful manufacturer of luxury sedans; particularly successful with SUVs

Stuttgart, Germany, November 08, 2001

Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars has begun the fall by setting new sales records, despite difficult general economic conditions: More than 100,000 passenger cars were sold in October, an increase of approximately four percent and the best result in the brand's history. DaimlerChrysler sold a record 938,200 Mercedes-Benz brand vehicles worldwide between January and October 2001, an increase of nearly nine percent on the same period last year.

More Mercedes-Benz passenger cars than ever before were also sold in the U.S. last month, despite the difficult market conditions in the country. The brand was able to slightly surpass last October's record result by selling nearly 18,500 vehicles, and also once again reached the high sales level posted for the first ten months of 2000 by selling more than 168,500 units in the period January to October 2001.

The increase in sales in the first ten months of the year was reflected on nearly all markets worldwide. When compared with the figures posted in the same period last year, sales of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars rose by around seven percent in Western Europe last month, to the record level of more than 64,800 units. More than 616,400 vehicles were sold in the period January to October 2001 - also a new record. Mercedes-Benz sold approximately 7,500 units in the UK last month, an increase of almost 40 percent; sales in the first ten months were also up around 40 percent to more than 69,000 vehicles. In Italy, Mercedes-Benz posted a more than 24 percent increase in passenger car sales in October; total sales in that market for the year to date are already at more than 56,000 units (up 4 percent). Sales also developed very positively in Switzerland, where 1,500 passenger cars were sold last month, some 20 percent more than in October 2000. More than 13,000 units were sold in Switzerland in the first ten months of the year, an increase of almost six percent.

Mercedes-Benz was the world's most successful brand in the luxury sedan segment through October, selling more than 72,100 S-Class sedans and over 135,700 E-Class sedans. The E-Class has been able to maintain its leading market position worldwide, despite the fact that a model update is only a few months away.

The new C-Class remains successful after some eighteen months on the market: Approximately 31,600 C-Class vehicles (sedans and station wagons) were sold worldwide in October, an increase of more than 14 percent on the same month last year. Sales for the first ten months of the year were up almost 43 percent to around 286,100 units.

M-Class sales were also up in October, with nearly 10,600 of the SUVs sold, an increase of around eight percent. The G-Class is doing particularly well. Sales of the off-roader, which has been in production for more than 22 years and has undergone numerous model updates, jumped 25 percent in the first ten months of the year, to around 4,100 units, while sales last month were up around 41 percent to nearly 500 vehicles.