Mercedes-Benz USA Records Sales of 19,275 for May 2001

         Best May Sales Ever and Second-Highest Sales Month for MBUSA

    MONTVALE, N.J., June 1 Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) reported
sales of 19,275 new vehicles during the month of May -- the best May sales
volume ever by MBUSA -- and the second-highest monthly sales record of all
time for MBUSA.  Month-to-date sales increased 15 percent over May 2000
(19,275 vs. 16,803).  Year-to-date sales also increased by .5 percent
(82,894 versus the 82,480 vehicles sold during the same period last year).
    Sales for the month were led by the E-Class, which recorded 4,485 vehicles
sold, up 3.4 percent (vs. 4,338).  Following the E-Class, the C-Class posted a
May sales record of 4,416 vehicles, which is the second-highest C-Class sales
ever for MBUSA and an increase of 89.7 percent from 2,328 vehicles sold during
the same month last year.  M-Class sales recorded 4,259 units, a .7 percent
increase from 4,228 in 2000.  The best-selling model for MBUSA in May was the
ML320, which 3,518 vehicles were sold.  The S-Class recorded an increase of
23.9 percent in May with 2,245 units sold versus the 1,812 sold last May.  The
top-of-the-line CL-Class recorded its best May ever with sales of 333 coupes,
a 95.9 percent increase (vs. 170).  The SL-Class finished the month with
741 units sold, an increase of 38 percent (vs. 537).
    The CLK family of coupes and cabriolets came in at 1,621 units, a
14.8 percent decrease (vs. 1,902).  The SLK showed a decrease of 21 percent to
1,175 (vs. 1,488).
    On a year-to-date basis, the C-Class accounted for the largest volume with
19,345 vehicles sold, up 66.3 percent (vs. 11,631).  Trailing closely behind
the C-Class, E-Class sales recorded 18,713 units (vs. 20,559).  The M-Class
reported 17,902 units sold (vs. 21,519).  Year-to-date S-Class sales decreased
to 10,941 (vs. 11,509).  The CL-Class jumped 102.5 percent to 1,600 vehicles
(vs. 790).  The CLK model line sold 7,955 units, a decrease of 9.1 percent
(vs. 8,752).  Sales of the SL-Class posted a decrease of 26.1 percent to
1,870 (vs. 2,531).  The SLK showed a decrease of 12 percent to
4,568 (vs. 5,189).
    Separately, through its Starmark pre-owned vehicle program, MBUSA recorded
sales of 3,428, an increase of 33.2 percent compared to May 2000 sales of
2,573 vehicles.  May 2001 sales represents the highest month ever for the
Starmark program. On a year-to-date basis, Starmark sales increased 20 percent
to 14,930 units sold (vs. 12,446 in May 2000).