Minister-President Opens Mercedes-Benz World

STUTTGART-UNTERTÜRKHEIM, Germany, May 19, 2006 The Minister-President of the State of Baden-Württemberg Günther H. Oettinger, and the Chairman of the Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler AG Dr. Dieter Zetsche opened Mercedes-Benz World today at a ceremony attended by numerous guests from the spheres of politics, economics and society.

At the conclusion of a construction phase lasting just under three years, Mercedes-Benz World has arisen on a site measuring approximately 53,000 square meters (570,000 square feet) outside the main gate of DaimlerChrysler's Stuttgart-Untertürkheim plant. The foundation stone for the new Mercedes-Benz Museum was laid on September 17, 2003, and the topping-out ceremony was held on March 3, 2005. The starting signal for the new Stuttgart Mercedes-Benz Center was given on September 7, 2004, followed by a topping-out ceremony on July 14, 2005. Mercedes-Benz World is opening its doors to visitors from throughout the world on May 20, 2006, about three weeks prior to the opening of the Soccer World Championship in Germany.

Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler AG: "Mercedes-Benz World creates a link between a fascinating museum and a state-of-the-art automotive center; it encompasses 120 years of history, from the very first motor car up to its boldest visions for the future. Here, and only here, can one experience the entire history of the automobile! And only here can the entire product range of Mercedes-Benz be experienced - passenger cars and commercial vehicles alike."

The new Mercedes-Benz Museum

As the inventor of the automobile, DaimlerChrysler has a responsibility to create an adequate forum for automotive history and to give a home to the unique tradition of the Mercedes-Benz brand. On a floor area of 16,500 square meters (178,000 square feet), the Mercedes-Benz Museum provides its visitors with an unforgettable experience of the brand. The central elements encompass the entire tradition of the brand with the three-pointed star - passenger cars, commercial vehicles and motor sport - thus creating a communication platform for the Mercedes-Benz brand that is unparalleled throughout the world. Imaginative, chronologically ordered presentations expound the entire "Mercedes Legend" - from the dawn of automotive history up to visions of the future. Accompanying showcase collections also elucidate the various thematic backgrounds.

The Stuttgart Mercedes-Benz Center

With the Stuttgart Mercedes-Benz Center, the company is setting a further bold landmark topped by the Mercedes star on its greened roof: with its striking cubic form, this fascinating, light-flooded building constitutes the architectonic counterpart to the museum. The light is directed through a glass axis and falls directly on the complete, constantly updated passenger car range, spread over an area of about 10,000 square meters (almost 110,000 square feet). On its entire floor area of almost 34,000 square meters (360,000 square feet) the three-story Center provides sufficient space for a generous presentation of some 130 vehicles. The Center also houses the vehicle delivery point and a service outlet. The range of attractions at the Stuttgart Center is rounded off by the brand gallery with its constantly changing exhibitions on topics from the fields of research, safety, design and motor sport.

The Center is directly connected to the museum: firstly via a link some 100 meters (330 feet) in length - the "Passage" - beneath the landscape, complete with catering islands, shops and some of Mercedes-Benz World's event areas; a further link is created through the uniform design and the joint utilization of the landscape area, with an open-air arena accommodating up to 500 visitors. The entire landscape site is available for functions attended by up to 30,000 persons.

Enrico Müller, phone: +49-(0)-711/8-87-87-113, mobile: +49-(0)-171/71-595-75 enrico.mueller@daimlerchrysler.com