Making a Mercedes Your Reality on European Roads

The Amazing Race Contestants Visit Mercedes-Benz Factory in Germany

MONTVALE, N.J., March 23 -- Teams on CBS's Emmy winning reality show The Amazing Race have been traversing all over the world, overcoming Roadblocks in grueling conditions and relying on strangers to help them navigate. While trekking across foreign soil on select legs of the races over the years, teams have been racing in Mercedes-Benz cars to help them reach the pit stop. This week, for the first time, teams stopped at the Mercedes-Benz factory in Stuttgart, Germany -- an opportunity that Mercedes-Benz has been offering its customers for over 40 years through its European Delivery Program.

On this week's episode of The Amazing Race 9, the teams took a thrilling test drive on the "Wall of Death" at the Mercedes-Benz factory. Through the Mercedes-Benz European Delivery Program, about 1,300 people from the United States travel each year to the Mercedes-Benz factory in Sindelfingen, Germany to experience the "birthplace" of their vehicles before venturing out for a thrill ride of their own across the Autobahn on a European road trip.

European Delivery customers purchase vehicles through their local Mercedes-Benz dealer to take advantage of the program -- which includes an array of amenities, not the least of which is a seven percent savings off the total vehicle price on selected models -- that is, the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) plus all factory options and accessories.

"We created the European Delivery Program over 40 years ago as a convenience of our customers," said Michael Augello, manager, European Delivery for MBUSA. "European Delivery enables customers to combine the excitement of driving their brand new Mercedes-Benz off the factory floor with an unforgettable European vacation or business travel in their new Mercedes-Benz vehicle."

All Mercedes-Benz vehicles can be purchased through European Delivery, except for light trucks (M-Class, R-Class, GL-Class, G-Class). The discount is available on all C-Class, E-Class, CLK-Class, CLS-Class, SLK-Class, and SL-Class models purchased through the European Delivery Program. All other vehicles are available at the MSRP. Models are subject to availability.

For those travelers looking for an adventure where driving was born, the Standard European Delivery Package is a great way to discover the wonders of Europe while driving a new Mercedes-Benz. The package includes:

  * One night's accommodation, including breakfast, at one of 12
    participating first-class hotels

  * 15 days European road insurance

  * A full tank of fuel

  * Two taxi vouchers for Stuttgart to cover expenses from the airport to
    the hotel and to the European Delivery Center

  * A 90-minute tour of the Mercedes-Benz factory in Sindelfingen, Germany
    where customers experience first-hand the care, quality, engineering and
    skill that go into creating every Mercedes-Benz vehicle

  * Breakfast or lunch at the European Delivery Center

  * Inland transportation from 12 European drop-off points to the port of
    shipment

  * Marine insurance and ocean freight to the U.S.

  * Vehicle Preparation Center processing and transportation to the
    selling/delivering dealer

  * No handling or shipping charge.

  * Optional two-for-one economy airline tickets available with Lufthansa
    airlines

Unlike the competitors on The Amazing Race who rely on maps and the kindness of strangers for directions, the Mercedes-Benz Delivery Center lends DVDs of European maps to those who have purchased a navigation system with their new Mercedes-Benz.

While in Stuttgart, travelers can also immerse themselves in automotive history by visiting the Mercedes-Benz Museum in nearby Unterturkheim. The museum traces the company's preeminent role in the evolution of the automobile and over 100 vehicles are on display. Also nearby is the Classic Center, which is a working facility, dedicated to restoring, repairing and servicing classic Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

The Classic Center also features the Classic Collection, a unique body of literature on Mercedes-Benz history, vehicle models, operator manuals, maintenance instructions, advertising signs and posters, clothing, accessories and detailed miniatures of classic Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

For those more adventurous travelers, The Black Forest-Alps Rally Package, a self-guided "rally" tour through Germany and Austria is available for extended travel. This package combines the complimentary one night's accommodation with four additional nights at exceptional hotels and provides a recommended itinerary. Leaving the Mercedes-Benz factory in Sindelfingen, participants drive into the Black Forest, with its beautiful mountain landscape and dense population of pine trees, and then into the Austrian Alps, where the Alberg Pass brings them close to Innsbruck. From there, customers head north to scenic Munich. Detailed step-by-step driving route instructions are available as well as accommodation recommendations for each night of the tour. The package costs $1,300 per couple.

Regardless of which package is chosen, every effort is made to ensure that European Delivery is truly a unique and enjoyable journey. Once a customer has ordered their vehicle and planned their itinerary, the Mercedes-Benz dealer handles all of the paperwork, including arrangement of European road insurance. Mercedes-Benz sends the customer a Confirmation Portfolio with everything that will be needed for the pick-up of the vehicle. The customer simply arranges his or her air travel (although, if required, the Mercedes-Benz Travel Department is available to assist with air travel arrangements).

Further information regarding the European Delivery Program can be found at all U.S. Mercedes-Benz dealerships and on-line at http://www.mbusa.com/edp. The web site has a wealth of details about the program, from travel tips to the ability to let viewers build their own virtual Mercedes-Benz by selecting from a variety of color combinations and options to determine the price of a specific configuration.

About Mercedes-Benz USA

MBUSA, headquartered in Montvale, N.J., is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz products in the United States. In 2005, MBUSA achieved an all-time sales record of 224,421 new vehicles, setting the highest sales volume ever in its history and achieving twelve consecutive years of sales growth. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found on the Internet at http://www.mbusa.com/.