'Most Deserving Mom' Wins Mercedes-Benz M-Class

'Most Deserving Mom' from the Dr. Phil Show Experiences Her New Vehicle at the Mercedes-Benz Road Rally in L.A.

MONTVALE, N.J., May 6 -- Josephine Maniscalco of Orange City, Florida, was awarded a 2006 ML350 SUV on the Dr. Phil Show, courtesy of Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), as part of the show's "Most Deserving Mom" contest airing on today's program.

Maniscalco, of Orange City, Florida, recently lost her husband of 32 years, Salvatore. For 28 years of their marriage, he was disabled in a wheelchair due to a work-related accident. Salvatore died in her arms 2 months ago, as she and her son Matt tried to resuscitate him in their home. Josephine was going to sell one of their old cars to make ends meet.

To celebrate and familiarize herself with the newest vehicle introduced by Mercedes, Maniscalco will attend the Mercedes-Benz M-Class Road Rally event at the Santa Anita Racetrack today. The M-Class Road Rally is a nationwide ride- and-drive tour stopping in the Los Angeles area this weekend. There, Maniscalco will be guided by professional drivers for a first-hand driving experience on a variety of challenging courses that simulate real-world, on- road driving conditions.

"'M' stands for 'mothers' and we are delighted to have joined forces with the Dr. Phil Show to reward Josephine for representing the best in American moms," said Carol Goll, general manager of Brand Experience Marketing at MBUSA.

With Dr. Phil and Mercedes knowing every mom deserves a little pampering, Mercedes-Benz has given passes to all moms in the studio audience of the special Mother's Day-themed episode to share a "Mercedes Moment" at the Mercedes-Benz M-Class Road Rally. Not only will all moms have the opportunity to take a Mercedes out for a spin, but they also get to spend a couple of hours in the lap of luxury, complements of the Road Rally's partners such as Smashbox Cosmetics which will give free gifts to each mom attending the Road Rally event in Los Angeles May 6 - 8. This free event takes place at the Santa Anita Racetrack, in Arcadia, located at 285 W. Huntington Drive. Details about the tour, including how to register to attend, can be found at http://www.mclassroadrally.com/ .

"We are excited to bring the Mercedes-Benz's 2006 M-Class directly to the drivers of Los Angeles for this very special Mother's Day event," added Goll. "Like the M-Class itself, so many Los Angeles moms are sporty, stylish, multi- talented, focused and strive to differentiate themselves from their peers," Goll added.

Stopping in a total of 37 cities, the M-Class Road Rally provides an exciting test drive environment, free of sales pressure and invites consumers to enjoy a lifestyle experience commensurate with Mercedes-Benz ownership. The M-Class Road Rally first revved up in San Francisco on April 22 and culminates at its finish line in early August.

Each event will feature a luxury tent furnished comfortably chic by Pottery Barn. Other tour partners include harman/kardon, KitchenAid, Michelin, Dr. Perricone, Saks Fifth Avenue, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Smashbox, and Voss Water. Each will provide added lifestyle elements on the tour that reflect the M-Class lifestyle for guests to enjoy.

MBUSA, headquartered in Montvale, N.J., is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz products in the United States. In 2004, MBUSA achieved an all-time sales record of 221,610 new vehicles, setting the highest sales volume ever in its history and achieving eleven consecutive years of sales growth.