Daimler AG Reports a 14.2 Percent Increase for Mercedes-Benz and smart Vehicles in the U.S. for January 2011

NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 2011 -- Daimler AG reported U.S. sales of 17,631 Mercedes-Benz and smart vehicles, an improvement of 14.2 percent compared to January 2010. All sales figures in this release are on an unadjusted basis unless otherwise noted.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) continued its strong momentum of the past year with a 14% increase for January 2011 (17,273 vs. 15,158). 16,398 passenger cars, light truck vehicles and 875 Sprinter vans are included in this total.

Strong demand in both the Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles and SUVs fueled sales for the month, including diesel models which were up as a group by 136 percent over January 2010.  The 9th generation E-Class was the volume leader with sales of 4,759, a 24.5 percent increase over last year, followed by the C-Class – the gateway to the Mercedes-Benz brand for younger and first-time Mercedes-Benz buyers – with sales of 4,172, a 3.6 percent increase over last year. Rounding out the top three volume lines is the popular M-Class SUV, which posted monthly sales of 2,484, a 28.9 percent over last January.

Notable sales at the high-end were the flagship CL-Class coupe, up 72.6 percent over last January and the SLS AMG supercar, 70 of which were retailed in January.

smart USA recorded 358 sales in January 2011, an increase of nearly 29 percent from January 2010.  In January, smart USA delivered its first smart fortwo electric drive to a retail customer and began selling the 2011 smart fortwo with an all new interior, double the number of airbags on coupe models and new available technology and entertainment features.

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

*Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Sprinter Vans are sold and marketed in the U.S. by Mercedes-Benz USA and Daimler Vans USA, respectively.

Further information on Daimler is available on the internet at www.media.daimler.com

About Daimler

Daimler AG is one of the world's most successful automotive companies. With its divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the Daimler Group is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world's biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a global reach. Daimler Financial Services provides its customers with a full range of automotive financial services including financing, leasing, insurance and fleet management.

The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. As an automotive pioneer, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility. The Group applies innovative and green technologies to produce safe and superior vehicles which fascinate and delight its customers. With the development of alternative drive systems, Daimler is the only vehicle producer investing in hybrid drive, electric motors and fuel-cell systems, with the goal of achieving emission-free mobility in the long term. This is just one example of how Daimler willingly accepts the challenge of meeting its responsibility towards society and the environment.

Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities on five continents. Its current brand portfolio includes, in addition to the world's most valuable automotive brand, Mercedes-Benz, the brands smart, Maybach, Freightliner, Western Star, Fuso, Setra, Orion and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges of Frankfurt and Stuttgart (stock exchange symbol DAI). In 2009, the Group sold 1.6 million vehicles and employed a workforce of more than 256,000 people; revenue totaled euro 78.9 billion and EBIT amounted minus euro 1.5 billion.