Mercedes-Benz USA Records 17,816 New Vehicle Sales March 2004

MONTVALE, N.J., April 1 -- Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported sales of 17,816 new vehicles, down 10.1 percent from last year and bringing the year-to-date total to 49,159 units sold.

Volume for the month was led by the E-Class model line which recorded 4,971 units sold, up 11.6 percent from the 4,456 sold last March. The C-Class family of coupes, sedans and wagons sold nearly as many units for the month (4,825) and was the volume leader for year-to-date sales with 15,407 units sold.

Highlights for the month included continued increases for both the month and the year-to-date volumes of the SL-Class (39.1 percent and 54.1 percent respectively) and the CLK-Class of coupes and cabriolets (1.3 percent and 12.2 percent respectively). The high-end models as a group (S-, CL- and SL-Classes) increased by 3.4 percent for the month and 2.6 percent year-to-date. In addition, extensions to the product lines also recorded gains over the first quarter of 2003, such as the company's 4MATIC all-wheel-drive vehicles which were up 101.7 percent (7,704 vs. 3,819) and high-performance AMG vehicles, up 14.1 percent (2,516 vs. 2,206).

The company attributed the March decline to model changeover, particularly its volume C-Class line. "We've got ten new models in the pipeline for model year 2005 which will take us to another record year this year and our biggest product offensive in history coming in 2005 and 2006 which will take us forward from there," said Keith May, vice president of sales for MBUSA.

The new 2005 models will begin arriving within the month, led by the fuel-efficient E320 CDI, a special edition of its M-Class sport utility vehicle and a newly redesigned C-Class model line. Over the remainder of the year, the company will introduce the 617-hp SLR McLaren supercar, a new-generation SLK roadster, the G55 Kompressor sport utility vehicle, and two more high-end AMG models -- the SL65 and the CL65.

Separately, MBUSA recorded its best month ever for its Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned program with sales of 5,294 units, an increase of 21.8 percent over March 2003. On a year-to-date basis, Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned sales increased 21.2 percent over the same period last year (13,970 vs. 11,523 units).

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. Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, 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 www.mbusa.com.

Accredited news media can access press materials by registering at www.media.mbusa.com.

                            MERCEDES-BENZ USA
                           Sales -- March 2004

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

  C-CLASS                     4,825   7,266  -33.6%  15,407  17,567  -12.3%

  E-CLASS                     4,971   4,456   11.6%  12,802  12,725    0.6%

  S-CLASS                     1,572   1,805  -12.9%   4,379   5,250  -16.6%

  CL-CLASS                      265     328  -19.2%     658     925  -28.9%

  SL-CLASS                    1,430   1,028   39.1%   3,884   2,520   54.1%

  CLK-CLASS                   1,925   1,900    1.3%   4,821   4,298   12.2%

  SLK-CLASS                     379     554  -31.6%     957   1,266  -24.4%

  M-CLASS                     2,307   2,330   -1.0%   5,832   6,616  -11.9%

  G-CLASS                       142     170  -16.5%     419     410    2.2%

  GRAND TOTAL                17,816  19,837  -10.2%  49,159  51,577   -4.7%