Mercedes-Benz to Restore Some New York City History; Showroom Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright to Be Expanded

MONTVALE, N.J., Feb. 7 -- Mercedes-Benz Manhattan has begun plans to restore its Park Avenue showroom, originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and to expand the showroom to approximately three times its size in the process.

``Among our priorities in restoring the showroom is to stay true to Wright's original design as a piece of New York City's history and in honor of the legendary architect,'' said Ralph Fisher, general manager of Mercedes-Benz Manhattan. ``We've always felt that this stunning architectural space, with its complement of an esthetic design and functionality, is a perfect showcase for our Mercedes-Benz models.''

Currently in the planning phase, the project will unfold in two stages: expanding the showroom to the southern side of the building (55th Street) and restoring the existing showroom on the northern side of the building (56th Street).

The 46-year-old Mercedes-Benz Manhattan showroom will be open for business while the expansion is developed on the southern side during the upcoming months. Scheduled for completion in Summer 2002, the expansion will offer state-of-the-art showroom technology and feature an evocative contemporary design to complement the existing classic showroom on the north side. When the new space is completed and open for business, the existing showroom on the northern side of the building will be closed for restoration. When both sides are completed, scheduled for late 2002, Mercedes-Benz will have tripled the current space from 3,700 square feet to 10,100 square feet.

Originally designed by Wright for the legendary foreign car importer Max Hoffman, the showroom at 430 Park Avenue has been one of Mercedes-Benz's premier showrooms since 1955. Wright designed the space with a circular and sloping ramp reflected by mirrored surfaces which echoes the style Wright used for his later design of the Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan.

Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, NJ, is responsible for the sales, service and marketing of Mercedes-Benz products in the United States. The company employs approximately 1,500 people in 20 locations across the U.S. Mercedes-Benz sold 206,638 vehicles in the U.S. during 2001, setting the highest sales volume in its history.