In a recent competition held by the German newspaper "Bild am Sonntag," the 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class was honored for the second time this week, earning the prestigious "Golden Steering Wheel" in the "Luxury Class" category of their annual awards.

The Bild am Sonntag awards, which are regarded by many as the German car of the year awards, date back to 1976.   Winners are chosen by a panel of German celebrities and industry analysists who test the vehicles, and then award points based on their selections.

In addition to the S-Class, the new Mercedes M-Class and B-Class both performed admirably as well, taking the runner-up spots in the "Off-Roaders" and "Mini-MPV" categories.

As if that weren't enough, Dieter Zetsche, head of the Mercedes Car Group, rounded off the night with the "Honorary Steering Wheel," a prize created to honour outstanding personalities within the car industry.

For more information on the awards and details of the event, you can check out the full press release below.


OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


Mercedes-Benz – Most Successful Brand In “Bild am Sonntag” Awards: New S-Class And Dr Dieter Zetsche Honoured At “Golden Steering Wheel” Awards

Stuttgart, Nov 10, 2005

The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class has been awarded the “Golden Steering Wheel”. With runners-up places for both the B-Class and the M Class, Mercedes-Benz proved the most successful brand in this long-established competition, staged by the German newspaper “Bild am Sonntag”. Dr Dieter Zetsche, Member of the DaimlerChrysler Board of Management and responsible for the Mercedes Car Group, was awarded the “Honorary Steering Wheel”.

The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class proved a runaway winner at the awards ceremony, staged by “Bild am Sonntag”, Germany’s highest-circulation Sunday newspaper, in Berlin yesterday evening. The jury, made up of celebrities such as the television presenter Barbara Schöneberger and racing drivers such as Hans Herrmann and Walter Röhrl, unhesitatingly awarded it the highest number of points in the “luxury class” category, ensuring that the new S-Class achieved the best result of any car in the 2005 awards.

The new top-of-the-line model from the Stuttgart-based car manufacturer, which celebrated its market launch at the end of September, supersedes its successful predecessor, the world’s bestselling luxury saloon, with a sales total of around 500,000 models. The new S-Class features a wealth of technical innovations as standard – from Brake Assist PLUS with its radar sensors to the infrared technology-based night view assist, from the upgraded COMAND system to the preventive PRE SAFE® occupant protection with additional functions, from Active Body Control to the dynamic multicontour seat with extended massage function – all of which make the Mercedes flagship a benchmark for car development as a whole.

Mercedes-Benz most successful brand at “Golden Steering Wheel” awards

In addition to the outstanding victory of the new S-Class, the B-Class and M-Class also made the victory rostrum. The B-Class came second in the readers’ “mini-MPV” category, and the M-Class achieved the same result in the special “Off-roaders” class. The fact that Mercedes-Benz picked up one first and two second prizes at the prestigious award ceremony serves to underline the exceptional position of the brand. The awards were accepted by Dr Thomas Weber, Member of the DaimlerChrysler Board of Management responsible for Research and Technology and for Passenger Car Development within the Mercedes Car Group. With a total of 14 victories to date, Mercedes Benz has proven one of the most successful car brands in the “Bild am Sonntag” competition, which began back in 1976.

“Honorary Steering Wheel” for Mercedes Car Group boss Dr Dieter Zetsche

Dr Dieter Zetsche, Member of the DaimlerChrysler Board of Management and responsible for the Mercedes Car Group, was presented with the “Honorary Steering Wheel”. This special annual prize, awarded by the publisher Axel Springer Verlag, was created to honour outstanding personalities within the car industry. The Chairman Elect of the DaimlerChrysler AG Board of Management was commended for his achievements throughout his career and in particular as CEO and President of the Chrysler Group.

Copyright © 2005, DamlerChrysler AG