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100,000th Mercedes-Benz M-Class Rolls Off Production Line

29 February 1999

100,000th Mercedes-Benz M-Class Rolls Off Production Line

    TUSCALOOSA, Ala., Feb. 26 -- The 100,000th Mercedes-Benz
M-Class rolled off the production line here this week, marking another
milestone for Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI).
    MBUSI "team members" (employees) celebrated the milestone Friday with a
visit from DaimlerChrysler executives and the 100,000th vehicle customer,
Frank and Debbie Pizza from Atlanta.  The 100,000th M-Class is special for
another reason:  it is the first vehicle to be picked up at the plant by a
customer, thereby inaugurating the Mercedes-Benz M-Class factory delivery
program.
    Prof. Juergen Hubbert, DaimlerChrysler AG Board Member with responsibility
for Mercedes-Benz and Smart Passenger Cars; Helmet Petri, Divisional board
member, production for DaimlerChrysler's Passenger Car Division; and Mike
Jackson, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz of North America (MBNA) joined the
close to 1,700 MBUSI "team members" for the festivities.
    "Two years ago, when the first M-Class came off the line, we were building
one vehicle a day, and we thought that was tough.  Today, we're building
nearly 380 a day and reached the 100,000th milestone ahead of schedule," said
MBUSI President and CEO Bill Taylor.  "All I can say is 'unbelievable.'  All
the credit goes to our team members and our suppliers."
    MBUSI plans to produce over 80,000 vehicles this year, more than a
20 percent increase from the 68,700 produced in 1998.  MBUSI has continued to
ramp up production since the first vehicle rolled off the line on February 14,
1997, and is producing nearly 380 units on two shifts, the maximum planned
daily rate.
    The company has invested an additional $80 million in the plant, over its
original $300 million investment, in order to increase production and
accommodate future product variations like the high-performance ML55 AMG and
the ML430 Sport, both recently shown at the North American International Auto
Show in Detroit and at the Chicago Auto Show.  The investment will also enable
the plant to support production in Austria of up to 30,000 M-Classes annually
over a three-year period to help meet European demand.  Supplemental M-Class
production begins there this spring.  The investment will also enable the
Tuscaloosa plant continue to increase its efficiency and productivity.
    MBUSI currently produces V6, V8, 4-cylinder and left and right-hand-drive
versions of the M-Class for the world market.
    Mercedes-Benz U.S. International is a DaimlerChrysler AG company.