Mercedes-Benz USA Records 18,323 New Vehicle Sales in October

MONTVALE, N.J., Nov. 3, 2004 -- Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) reported sales of 18,323 new vehicles in October, pushing the total to 175,882 units sold for the year to date.

Volume for the month was led by the E-Class with 5,011 vehicles sold of the model line's sedans and wagons, including the new E320 CDI diesel model. The C-Class model line followed closely behind with 4,748 vehicles sold. Sales for October were elevated by the popularity of Mercedes coupes and convertibles - sales of the new generation SLK350, which launched last month, more than doubled (124 percent) sales for the SLK model line, and sales of the CLK-Class coupes and cabriolets rose 11.6 percent over last October. The M-Class luxury SUV also recorded significant gains with a 9.9 percent sales increase for the month.

Highlights for MBUSA's sales on a year-to-date basis include the volume-leading C-Class model line with 54,084 units sold. The E-Class model line grew by 5 percent for year-to-date from 44,227 to 46,453 units compared to the same period last year. In addition, the CLK-Class line of coupes and convertibles posted an 11.6 percent increase, and the high-end SL-Class roadster posted a 5.9 percent sales increase on a year-to-date basis.

MBUSA's Senior Vice President of Sales Keith May said, "As we approach what has traditionally been the strongest sales period for us annually, we are looking forward to achieving our 11th consecutive year of sales growth by breaking last year's record sales volume."

The company is preparing to launch the largest product offensive in 2005, further expanding its product portfolio in the luxury market. Highlights will include introductions of new products in new segments -- from January's launch of the CLS, an all-new highly styled four-door coupe, to the Spring launch of the all-new M-Class SUV, to highly anticipated offerings in the sport touring segment scheduled for the Fall of 2005: the Grand Sports Tourer ("R-Class") and the Compact Sports Tourer ("B-Class").

Separately, MBUSA recorded 4,122 units for its Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned program in October, bringing the year-to-date total to 47,593 units sold, an increase of 7.9 percent over the same period last year.

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. Headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, MBUSA is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz products in the United States. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found on the Internet at http://www.mbusa.com/.

                            MERCEDES-BENZ USA
                          Sales -- October 2004

  Model               Oct '04 Oct '03 Monthly % YTD 2004 YTD 2003 Yearly %

  C-CLASS              4,748    5,250   -9.6%     54,084   55,796   -3.1%

  E-CLASS              5,011    5,190   -3.4%     46,453   44,227    5.0%

  S-CLASS              1,733    2,576  -32.7%     16,349   18,557  -11.9%

  CL-CLASS               232      261  -11.1%      2,190    2,858  -23.4%

  SL-CLASS             1,175    1,503  -21.8%     11,010   10,394    5.9%

  CLK-CLASS            1,950    1,747   11.6%     18,823   15,976   17.8%

  SLK-CLASS            1,005      447  124.8%      4,366    5,310  -17.8%

  M-CLASS              2,319    2,111    9.9%     21,419   24,053  -11.0%

  G-CLASS                150      188  -20.2%      1,188    1,549  -23.3%

  GRAND TOTAL         18,323   19,273   -4.9%    175,882  178,720   -1.6%