Detroit Diesel Corporation Achieves Milestone with Medium-Duty Engine

MBE 900 continues to grow in popularity in NAFTA market

DETROIT, June 15 -- Detroit Diesel Corporation today announced that it has shipped its 100,000th MBE 900 medium-duty engine in the North American market. The MBE engine was delivered to the Freightliner Mount Holly, North Carolina, truck plant recently. Detroit Diesel supplies two Mercedes Benz engines in North America -- the MBE 900 and a heavy-duty platform, the MBE 4000.

"The success of the MBE 900 in North America demonstrates the extraordinary commitment by Detroit Diesel and Freightliner in providing our customers with the most reliable and trouble-free product in the commercial vehicle market," said Carsten Reinhardt, President and Chief Executive Officer of Detroit Diesel Corporation.

The MBE 900 medium-duty engine was launched in the North American market in 1998. Since then, more than 100,000 MBE 900 engines have been shipped to Freightliner Trucks, Sterling Trucks, Thomas Built Buses and Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation.

The MBE 900, known for its durability, fuel economy and low operating costs, has enabled the company to penetrate markets that have been a challenge to infiltrate in the past with traditional engines. "More and more delivery, vocational, school bus, recreational vehicle and emergency service vehicles are operating with an MBE 900 under their hoods," Reinhardt added.

  Some of the benefits of the MBE 900 engine include:
  *  Excellent fuel economy
  *  Superb durability
  *  Long service intervals for lubrication, fuel and cooling systems,
     thereby reducing cost of ownership
  *  High torque at low RPM for more usable power at lower gearshifts
  *  Best-in-class engine braking
  *  Easy access to oil and fuel filters for ease of service and maintenance
  *  Easy-to-use electronic controls for engine and truck protection
  *  Class-leading power-to-weight ratio for excellent vehicle performance
     and increased payloads

"This important milestone comes as Detroit Diesel begins preparations to manufacture the 2007 MBE 900 at its Redford, Michigan, plant later this year," said Reinhardt. "The need for domestic production stems from the increasingly strong demand for the MBE 900, which we believe will continue to grow in the marketplace based on the great approval by customers thus far."

Detroit Diesel Corporation is a leading manufacturer of on-highway heavy- duty diesel engines for the commercial truck market. The company offers a complete line of engines from 170 to 515 horsepower for the on-highway and vocational markets. Through its corporate headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, Detroit Diesel is engaged in the design, manufacture, sale and service of these products, in addition to supporting alternative and hybrid engine strategies for the commercial truck marketplace. Detroit Diesel is a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler and part of the Freightliner group of companies.