Mercedes-Benz To Launch Super-Luxury Maybach Marque

          Rebirth of Legendary Maybach Luxury Sedan Expected in 2003

    MONTVALE, N.J., Aug. 20 Maybach, one of the world's most
exclusive automotive names during the 1920s and 1930s, will be reborn in 2003
as a super-luxury car marque within the Mercedes-Benz division of
DaimlerChrysler AG.
    "We are using the Maybach name to emphasize the unique nature of our
future premium-quality product," said Professor Juergen Hubbert, DCAG board
member in charge of the Mercedes-Benz and smart car division, "and to carry on
the tradition of a legendary marque, whose exciting cars were the ultimate in
design and technical perfection in the years between 1921 and 1940.  We are
pursuing these very same goals in the development of the new Maybach.  Based
on state-of-the-art Mercedes technology, these vehicles will set new standards
in the world of premium cars, thus paying due honor to the great name of
Maybach."

                        A New Emblem for a New Marque

    Based on the distinctive emblem that adorned the much-admired Maybach
cars, a new double-M insignia will recall the German luxury car brand of years
gone by.
    Originally signifying "Maybach Motorenbau," the double-M badge in the
future will stand for "Maybach Manufaktur," highlighting the marque's original
focus on individualized hand-craftsmanship.

                  Each Maybach Will Be Uniquely Handcrafted

    Individuality, elegance and exclusivity are cornerstones of the Maybach
marque, and giving each customer close attention will be a priority.  An
unprecedented range of fine materials and paint choices as well as innovative
technical features will be available, ranging from specially designed inlays
to high-tech business equipment for the rear-seat passenger area.  As a
result, each and every Maybach model will be a unique, custom-made specimen.
    High expectations for the Maybach name will be matched by the
manufacturing process at the Sindelfingen plant, which is flexible enough to
ensure that personalized equipment and trim requests can be fulfilled while
guaranteeing the highest levels of hand-craftsmanship.

         Pioneering Technological Innovations in Mercedes-Benz Style

    In addition to individuality, aesthetics and quality, the new luxury
marque is aiming for technological leadership.  Maybach development is in the
hands of top engineers at the Mercedes Technology Center in Sindelfingen, so
the new car can benefit from a smooth transfer of expertise.  The Maybach is
thus destined to exceed established Mercedes levels of quality in important
areas such as safety, reliability and longevity.
    Maybach customers will be able to choose between two basic versions -- a
standard -- or long-wheelbase model.  Fewer than ten vehicles will be built
each day in the Maybach Manufaktur, which will have a maximum annual capacity
of 1500 cars.  Top markets for the super-luxury model will be the U.S.,
Western Europe and Japan.

                         Twin-Turbocharged V12 Power

    A newly developed 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12 will make over 500 horsepower
and -- even more impressive -- 664 lbs.-ft. of torque.  At a mere 2,000 rpm,
this Maybach engine produces 90 percent of its train-pulling power.

               High-Tech Electronic Braking and Air Suspension

    In addition to safety features such as ABS anti-lock brakes and ESP
stability control, the new Maybach will be equipped with yet another Mercedes
technology first -- electronic braking, which provides faster brake response
with exactly the right brake pressure at each wheel.  The lightening-fast
electronic controls also provide a number of other benefits to make driving
safer and less stressful.
    A new type of electronic air suspension is designed to adjust for a wide
range of driving conditions, to ensure highest level of active safety and
driving comfort.  Other appointments include four-zone automatic climate
control, ventilated comfort seats and a new audio system that provides Dolby
surround-sound at every seat.

                  Maybach -- Inventor of the First Mercedes

    When cars were first taking to the roads in the early 1900s, the name
Maybach was already closely linked to Mercedes. Wilhelm Maybach was the
technical director of the Daimler Motor Company and a close collaborator for
many years with Gottlieb Daimler, who had developed the first Mercedes car in
1900.  With its front-mounted, dual-camshaft engine and advanced honeycomb
radiator, this car was the precursor of all modern passenger cars.  Its
inventor, Wilhelm Maybach, was considered the "king of engineers" at the time.
    Maybach left the Stuttgart company in 1907 to start his own company.
Specializing in designing large airship engines, "Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau
GmbH," was to become MTU Friedrichshafen, now part of DaimlerChrysler AG.

                   High-Tech Super Luxury Cars in the 1920s

    In 1921, Maybach's son Karl began to produce technologically advance
luxury cars in Friedrichshafen.  His company's flagship model was the Maybach
Zeppelin DS 8, the largest German luxury car of the 1930s.  The bodies for
these Maybach cars were made by renowned coachwork specialists based on
individual customer specifications, so that every single Maybach was a one-off
model to suit its owner's style.  No two cars were alike.
    This unparalleled focus on individuality, exclusivity and stylish elegance
will again come alive with the new Maybach, this time with all of the
no-holds-barred, industry-leading technology from Mercedes-Benz.

                           About Mercedes-Benz USA

    Responsible for the sales and marketing of all Mercedes-Benz passenger
vehicles in the U.S., Mercedes-Benz USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of
DaimlerChrysler AG.  MBUSA is headquartered near New York City in Montvale,
New Jersey and employs approximately 1,500 people in 20 locations across the
U.S.  Mercedes-Benz sold 205,614 vehicles in the U.S. during 2000, setting the
highest sales volume in its history for the third year in a row.