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Daimler AG Reports Mercedes-Benz Cars Division Sales in the U.S. for September 2009


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- Mercedes-Benz USA Records September Sales of 16,985 - New E--Class with an increase of 28.4 percent in September - smart USA Records 814 Sales in September

NEW YORK, Oct. 1 -- Daimler AG (stock exchange abbreviation DAI) today reported sales for the Mercedes-Benz Cars division in the U.S. (Mercedes-Benz and smart combined) of 17,799 units, a decline of 13.4 percent compared to September 2008. All sales figures in this release are on an unadjusted basis unless otherwise noted.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported September sales of 16,985 vehicles. While sales were down 9.6 percent compared to September 2008, the monthly volume was MBUSA's second highest of the year.

The volume leaders for the month were the C-, E-, and M-Class with sales of 5,002, 3,812, and 2,552 respectively. The all-new 9th generation 2010 E-Class continues to exhibit strong sales performance, topping September 2008 by 28.4 percent.

On a year-to-date basis, MBUSA sold 135,413 new vehicles, a decrease of 23.6 percent over the comparable period last year.

smart USA recorded 814 sales in September 2009. Year-to-date sales now total 12,421 units. Since its introduction in the United States, there are over 37,000 smart fortwos traveling the highways throughout America. The smart fortwo offers the right balance of power, outstanding fuel efficiency, innovative safety features, environmental friendliness and excellent value. smart center Kansas City opened in September, bringing the total to 79 smart centers located in 36 states.

Detailed vehicle sales information for MBUSA will be announced later today in a separate press release issued by Mercedes-Benz USA.

      Mercedes-Benz Cars Division in the U.S. Sales Summary Through
                               September 2009
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
                             Month Sales    %        Sales CYTD     %
                           Curr Yr  Pr Yr Change  Curr Yr   Pr Yr Change
                           ------- ------ ------  ------- ------- ------

  Mercedes-Benz USA         16,985 18,779  -9.6%  135,413 177,298 -23.6%
  -----------------         ------ ------  ----   ------- ------- -----
  smart USA                    814  1,778 -54.2%   12,421  18,156 -31.6%
  ---------                    ---  ----- -----    ------  ------ -----
  Mercedes-Benz USA / smart
   USA combined             17,799 20,557 -13.4%  147,834 195,454 -24.4%
  ------------------------- ------ ------ -----   ------- ------- -----

About Daimler

Daimler AG, Stuttgart, with its businesses Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Daimler Financial Services, Mercedes-Benz Vans and Daimler Buses, is a globally leading producer of premium passenger cars and the global market leader of heavy- and medium-duty trucks as well as buses. The Daimler Financial Services division has a broad offering of financial services, including vehicle financing, leasing, insurance and fleet management. Daimler sells its products in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities on five continents. The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, continued to make automotive history following their invention of the automobile in 1886. As an automotive pioneer, Daimler and its employees willingly accept an obligation to act responsibly towards society and the environment and to shape the future of safe and sustainable mobility with groundbreaking technologies and high-quality products. The current brand portfolio includes the world's most valuable automobile brand, Mercedes-Benz, as well as smart, AMG, Maybach, Freightliner, Western Star, Mitsubishi Fuso, Setra, Orion and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt, New York and Stuttgart (stock exchange abbreviation DAI). In 2008, the Group sold 2.1 million vehicles and employed a workforce of over 270,000 people; revenue totaled EUR 95.9 billion and EBIT amounted to EUR 2.7 billion. Daimler is an automotive Group with a commitment to excellence, and aims to achieve sustainable growth and industry-leading profitability.