Sales of the Mercedes Car Group, which is comprised of the Mercedes-Benz and smart car brands, continued its positive growth last month, rising 1.3% to 106,500 units.  Sales of the Mercedes Car Group for the first 10 months of the year also grew slightly, up .8% from 2004 with 985,100 units being sold.

For the Mercedes-Benz brand, sales rose 4.6% for the month of October with 94,200 vehicles being sold.  Sales for the first ten months of 2005 also rose slightly, up .4% with 868,100 units being sold to date.  The increase in sales is attributed to the success of Mercedes' new B-Class model, with already more than 37,000 units being sold since June.  An additional push also came from Mercedes newly-redesigned M-Class model, with sales rising 59% over October of 2004 with 9,300 units being sold.

Unfortunately for the Mercedes Car Group, sales of the smart car brand didn't fare nearly as well.  For the month of October, sales decreased 18.8% with 12,300 units being sold.  Despite the decrease in sales, sales of the smart brand for the first ten months of the year are still up slightly (3.2%) from 2004, with 117,000 vehicles sold to date.

For more fun-filled financial information, check out the full press release below.


OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


Positive Sales Development Continues at the Mercedes Car Group in October

Stuttgart, Nov 07, 2005

The positive sales development of recent months at the Mercedes Car Group continued in October, with worldwide deliveries of Mercedes-Benz and smart passenger cars increasing by 1.3 percent to 106,500 units (October 2004: 105,200). A total of 985,100 vehicles were delivered to customers in the first ten months of 2005, up around one percent on the figure for the corresponding period of 2004 (977,700 units).

Buoyed by the successful model launches of recent months and the positive response to the new generation of V6 and V8 engines, global sales of Mercedes-Benz vehicles climbed by five percent in October to 94,200 units (October 2004: 90,000). Customer deliveries totaled 868,100 vehicles in the first ten months of the year, up 0.4 percent from the 864,300 units sold in the same period of 2004.

Demand is growing strongly for the two sports tourers that Mercedes-Benz launched earlier this year. A total of more than 37,000 customers have already purchased the B-Class, which was introduced to the European market in June. A few weeks ago, deliveries of the R-Class began in its main sales market, the U.S., and the vehicle has received positive feedback from customers and the media. A short-wheelbase version of the R-Class will make its debut in Europe in February 2006, completing the product range in the sports tourer segment.

Rapid growth is also being posted for the new M-Class. In October, deliveries rose by 59 percent to around 9,300 units worldwide. Since the vehicle was launched in April in the U.S., its key sales market, sales have already reached 36,000 units. In Germany, the second-largest market for the M-Class, Mercedes-Benz achieved a market share of over 30 percent in September. This makes the M-Class the market leader in the premium offroader segment. The second generation of the M-Class is therefore continuing the success story of its predecessor, which posted total sales of over 650,000 units.

The S-Class, meanwhile, regained its leading position as the world’s best-selling luxury sedan. Deliveries of the vehicle increased by 25 percent in October, resulting in sales of 5,100 units - even though the new model will not be available in the key U.S. market until the beginning of 2006. In Germany, the market share of the S-Class rose to more than 44 percent in September, giving it a considerable lead over its competitors in its home market.

smart sales climb two percent through October

Sales of smart vehicles increased by three percent through October, reaching a total of 117,000 units. Customer deliveries totaled 12,300 models in October. As a result, the brand retained its market share despite the continued unfavorable situation in the segment for subcompact cars and roadsters.

smart is developing well in Italy, where demand is now also increasing for the smart forfour following the tremendous success of the smart fortwo. In Germany, however, the ongoing competitive pressure in the subcompact segment is having a negative impact on sales of smart vehicles. A nationwide campaign that allows customers to refuel free of charge for a year is designed to generate additional demand in the coming months.

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