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Mercedes-Benz Records Second Best All-Time Month Ever in March 2000

4 April 2000

Mercedes-Benz USA Records Second Best All-Time Month Ever in March 2000; Sales of 18,595 Best March Ever for Mercedes-Benz

    MONTVALE, N.J., April 3 Mercedes-Benz USA, Inc. (MBUSA)
reported sales of 18,595 new vehicles during the month of March 2000, a
15.8 percent increase over last year's March 1999 sales record of 16,054.
March represents the highest March sales volume ever by MBUSA, the second
all-time best month ever for MBUSA and the eleventh consecutive month where
the company posted year-over-year sales gains.  (MBUSA's monthly all-time
sales record was set in December 1999 with 19,118 vehicles sold.)
Year-to-date sales increased 17.9 percent to 47,788 versus the 40,536 vehicles
sold during the first quarter last year.
    Sales for the month were led by the E-Class, which recorded its best March
ever with sales of 4,667 vehicles, up 11.6 percent (vs. 4,183).  Following the
E-Class, the award-winning M-Class posted sales of 4,556, an increase of
36.9 percent from 3,328 vehicles sold during the same month last year, making
this the best March ever for the M-Class.  C-Class sales recorded 2,687 units,
a 4.0 percent increase from 2,584 in 1999.  The S-Class, MBUSA's flagship
model line, recorded a slight decrease in March sales with 2,806 units sold
versus the 2,887 sold last March when the new S-Class was launched.  The
all-new CL500 posted 205 units in its fourth month on the market.  The
SL-Class finished the month with 630 units sold, a decrease of 16.9 percent
(vs. 758).  The CLK model line established a March sales record with 1,853
units, an increase of 45.4 percent (vs. 1,274).  The SLK showed an increase of
14.5 percent to 1,191 (vs. 1,040), which represents an all-time sales record
for this model line as well.
    On a year-to-date basis, the M-Class accounted for the largest volume with
13,008 vehicles sold, up 38.3 percent (vs. 9,408).  Trailing closely behind
the M-Class, E-Class sales increased 4.7 percent to 11,831 (vs. 11,296).
Year-to-date S-Class sales increased 32.7 percent to 6,672 (vs. 5,026).  The
CLK model line sold 5,042 units, an increase of 38.0 percent (vs. 3,653).
Sales of the SL-Class posted a decrease of 20.6 percent to 1,466 (vs. 1,847).
The SLK showed a slight decrease of 1.1 percent to 2,617 (vs. 2,647), while
C-Class sales remained on par with last year's sales (6,752 vs. 6,659) as the
current model records its last year of production.
    Separately, through its Starmark pre-owned vehicle program, MBUSA recorded
sales of 2,806, an increase of 60.8 percent compared to March 1999 sales of
1,745 vehicles.  On a year-to-date basis, Starmark sales increased 47.6
percent to 7,269 units sold (vs. 4,923 in March 1999).