Mercedes-Benz USA Sales Up 2.6 Percent for April 2004

MBUSA Sales Reach 67,543 Units Sold for 2004 to Date

MONTVALE, N.J., May 3 -- Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) reported sales of 18,384 new vehicles in April, contributing to the total of 67,543 sold year-to-date.

Volume for the month was led by the C-Class model line which recorded 5,967 units sold, up 22.6 percent from the 4,869 sold last April. The C-Class also led volume for the year with 21,374 units sold. Other highlights for the month included continued increases on a monthly and year-to-date basis for the SL-Class (8.8 percent and 39.3 percent respectively) and the highly acclaimed E-Class sedans and wagons (18.7 percent and 5.1 percent respectively).

In addition, across the model lines, the company's 4MATIC all-wheel-drive vehicles were up 101.1 percent (10,634 vs. 5,289 units) for the year-to-date and its high-performance AMG vehicles recorded an increase of 7.8 percent (3,391 vs. 3,146) for year-to-date.

The company's new 2005 models will begin arriving this month, led by the fuel-efficient E320 CDI, a special edition of its M-Class sport utility vehicle and a newly redesigned C-Class model line. Over the remainder of the year, the company will introduce the 617-hp SLR McLaren supercar, a new- generation SLK roadster, the G55 sport utility vehicle, and two more high-end AMG models -- the SL65 and the CL65.

Separately, MBUSA recorded its best month ever for its Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned program with sales of 5,105 units, an increase of 14.8 percent over April 2003. On a year-to-date basis, Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned sales increased 19.4 percent over the same period last year (19,075 vs. 15,970 units).

Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz products in the United States. In 2003, MBUSA achieved its tenth consecutive year of sales growth by setting the highest sales volume in its history with 218,717 new vehicle sales. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found on the Internet at www.mbusa.com.

                            MERCEDES-BENZ USA
                           Sales -- April 2004

  Model         April '04  April '03  Monthly %  YTD 2004  YTD 2003 Yearly %
  C-CLASS           5,967     4,869     22.6%    21,374    22,436     -4.7%
  E-CLASS           5,065     4,267     18.7%    17,867    16,992      5.1%
  S-CLASS           1,399     2,042    -31.5%     5,778     7,292    -20.8%
  CL-CLASS            234       384    -39.1%       892     1,309    -31.9%
  SL-CLASS          1,341     1,232      8.8%     5,225     3,752     39.3%
  CLK-CLASS         1,767     2,058    -14.1%     6,588     6,356      3.7%
  SLK-CLASS           466       591    -21.2%     1,423     1,857    -23.4%
  M-CLASS           2,028     2,303    -11.9%     7,860     8,919    -11.9%
  G-CLASS             117       165    -29.1%       536       575     -6.8%
  GRAND TOTAL      18,384    17,911      2.6%    67,543    69,488     -2.8%