Daimler AG is reporting that in the month of June 2009, sales at their Mercedes-Benz Cars division dropped to 111,300 new units, a decrease of 6.7 percent when compared to last year’s June figure of 119,300 new units.  As a result, worldwide sales of the Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and smart brands now total 544,400 new units through the first six months of the year, a decrease over last year’s six-month YTD total of 18.5 percent.

Individually, sales at Mercedes-Benz dropped 5.4 percent to 100,300 units in June – this compared to 106,000 units last year.  At smart, the brand noted a more substantial decline, with sales of the compact fortwo totaling 11,000 new units – down 17.1 percent when compared to the prior year.

Mercedes-Benz USA is reporting that for the month of June, sales dropped to 15,155 new units – a decrease of 22.6 percent when compared to June 2008.  As a result of this figure, MBUSA’s sales total 85,088 new units through the first half of the year, down 28.7 percent when compared to 2008’s six-month YTD total of 119,279 new units.

As for the models making headlines, a single Mercedes managed to achieve a sales gain for the month.  That model, surprisingly, is the R-Class, which noted a sales increase of 18.1 percent with 680 vehicles sold.  The volume leader for the month was the C-Class, which noted sales of 4,583 units (-23.3 percent compared to June 2008), while the E-Class noted the second highest sales volume with 2,781 new units sold (-36.2 percent compared to June 2008).

Daimler AG is reporting today that worldwide sales at its Mercedes-Benz Cars divisions dropped 12.4 percent in May 2009 to 97,300 new units, bringing total sales of the Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and smart brands to 433,100 units through the first five months of the year (a decrease of 21.1 percent).  Individually, sales at Mercedes-Benz were down 12.1 percent on the month (86,300 units), while smart noted a slightly larger decline, with sales trailing 14.9 percent when compared to May 2008 (11,000 units).  As a result of these figures, year-to-date sales at Mercedes-Benz are off 22.3 percent (383,000 units), while smart is down 9.9 percent (50,100 units) compared to 2008’s five-month ytd total.

It’s interesting to note:  despite the current economic climate, Mercedes-Benz Cars enjoyed a gain in its home market of Germany, where the group noted a sales increase of 12.2 percent (28,800 new units).  Of these, 25,600 units were of the Mercedes-Benz variety, bringing the Mercedes-Benz brand’s sales growth to 11 percent.  The Asia/Pacific region also benefited from a sales increase thanks to strong sales in China, with the area as a whole increasing sales 7.8 percent to 12,900 new units.

To read more about worldwide sales at Mercedes-Benz Cars for the month of May 2009, keep reading for the official press release

The sales figures for the month of May 2009 are in, and Mercedes-Benz USA is reporting that for the month, sales dropped a total of 30.5 percent to 15,134 new units.  As a result, sales at MBUSA now total 69,933 new units, down 29.9 percent when compared to 2008’s five-month year-to-date total.

As for the models making headlines, all of MBUSA’s model sales were in the red for the month, save for the GLK-Class, of which 2,598 were sold.  Then again, the GLK wasn’t on sale last year, so it’s not really a fair comparison.  Looking at the models that were on sale, the month’s biggest loser award goes to the CL-Class, with sales of the coupe dropping 77.1 percent to just 68 units.  Sales of the CLS-, R-, S-, and M-Class were all down significantly as well, with the group dropping 64.8 percent, 59.4 percent, 54.9 percent and 47.5 percent, respectively.

The best of the worst award surprisingly falls on the CLK-Class, with the soon-to-be-extinct model noting sales of 1,067 new units – down 12.1 percent over last year.

Daimler AG is reporting today that in April, sales of the Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and smart brands totaled 90,900 new units (compared to 119,000 new units in April 2008), a decrease of 23.6 percent. As a result, year-to-date sales at Mercedes-Benz Cars now total 335,800 new units, down 23.3 percent when compared to 2008’s four month ytd total.

Individually, sales at Mercedes-Benz dropped 23.4 percent for the month, down to 80,700 new units. To date, the luxury division has sold 296,700 new units, down 24.9 percent when compared to the prior year.

At smart, things were even worse in April, with the compact car division noting sale of 10,200 new units – a decrease of 25.2 percent when compared to last April. As a result, sales at smart have now reached a total of 39,100 new units through the first four months of the year, a decrease of 8.4 percent when compared to the prior year.

For more info regarding worldwide sales at Mercedes-Benz Cars in April 2009, you can find the full details in the press release below.

In April 2009, sales at Mercedes-Benz USA mimicked those noted by the majority of other automakers, with MBUSA noting yet another double digit decline of 28.1 percent. In total, April sales amounted to 14,565 new units, compared to 20,271 new units in April of 2008. As a result of the figures, year-to-date sales at Mercedes-Benz USA now amount to 54,799 new units (compared to 77,918 new units in April 2008), or in percentages, a 29.7 drop compared to the prior year.

Volume leaders for the month were the C-Class, GLK-Class and M-Class with sales of 4,274 units, 1,869 units, and 1,838 units, respectively, while taking top honors for the month’s most horrific performance is the R-Class, with sales of the half-minivan, half-SUV dropping a remarkable 73.9 percent to 192 new units.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has reported March sales of 15,602 vehicles, a decline of 25 percent. The volume leaders for the month were the C, E, and GLK-Class with sales of 5,008, 1,978, and 2,598 units, respectively. On a year-to-date basis, the company has sold 40,234 new vehicles, a decrease of 30.2 percent over the comparable period last year.

Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) program, MBUSA sold 6,614 vehicles in March; a 29.4 percent increase compared to March 2008 sales of 5,110 vehicles. Year-to-date sales for the MBCPO program are 19,162, a 44.6 percent increase over 2008 year-to-date sales (13,252 vehicles) during the same timeframe.

As for how Mercedes-Benz USA’s competitors fared for the month, here’s a quick rundown:

1) BMW USA

March 2009: 17,520 units (-24.2%)

YTD 2009: 42,731 units (-26.8%)

2) Audi USA

March 2009: 6,433 units (-19.4%)

YTD 2009: 15,808 units (-23.1%)

3) Lexus USA

March 2009: 14,239 units (-40.6%)

YTD 2009: 42,069 units (-35.9%)

Look at the bright side MBUSA: thanks to seemingly endless amount of advertising you’ve been running through the first quarter of this year, you’ve managed to note only the third worst sales declines in the luxury market segment. Hooray for that.

In March, Mercedes-Benz Cars delivered 110,400 (March 2008: 131,500) Mercedes-Benz, AMG, smart, and Maybach brand vehicles to customers worldwide (minus 16 percent). Mercedes-Benz sold 98,500 (March 2008: 119,400) passenger cars in March (minus 18 percent). Despite the continuing difficult situation on the automotive markets, and the E-Class model changeover, sales of Mercedes-Benz Cars in March were up from the previous month’s total. The division also posted an increase in incoming orders compared to the numbers for January and February of this year.

Dr. Klaus Maier, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars: “Orders for the E-class sedan in Germany in the first quarter of this year were more than double the number posted in the same period in 2008. We had already received about 50,000 orders for the new E-Class sedan by its market launch at the end of March.”

In the first quarter of the year, customers bought 28,800 (same period 2008: 28,900) models of the smart fortwo, a result that matches last year’s record level of sales of the two-seater. In the United States the smart fortwo continues to be very popular, and 4,900 (same period 2008: 3,500) units of the car were sold in the first quarter, an increase of 42 percent. Following its successful start in the United States, the smart fortwo will be introduced this month in China.

In Germany in recent weeks Mercedes-Benz Cars records positive momentum, particularly in the compact car segment and regarding one year old pre-owned vehicles. There was a substantial increase in orders for the A-Class and B-Class, for example. In March about 3,400 (March 2008: 2,700) smart fortwo cars were delivered in Germany, an increase of 25 percent.

Mercedes-Benz posted record-setting sales in China in March, with deliveries up 42 percent to 5,400 units (March 2008: 3,800). In the U.S., Mercedes-Benz succeeded in increasing its market shares in March, selling 15,600 (March 2008: 20,800) passenger cars (minus 25 percent) despite the sharply declining market (minus 37 percent). In the SUV segment in the U.S., Mercedes-Benz performed much better than its premium-segment competitors. And Mercedes-Benz also gained market shares this month in Canada, where it is the strongest-selling premium brand, posting record growth of 26 percent and 2,200 units sold (March 2008: 1,700).

In March 6,800 (March 2008: 6,700) customers opted to buy a C-Class estate, an increase of two percent. Sales of the CLC sports coupé also developed positively in March, climbing by 43 percent to 2,100 (March 2008: 1,500 units) units sold. One year after its model update, the SL-Class premium roadster also continues to be a customers’ favorite. Sales of the model were at the level reached in the same period last year , with 2.000 units sold in the first quarter 2009. The S-Class maintained its position as the market leader in its segment, despite the impending model changeover.

This month Mercedes-Benz is presenting the first two hybrid models from Mercedes-Benz: The ML 450 HYBRID, which was specially conceived for the U.S.market, is making its debut at the New York International Auto Show. It delivers fuel savings of up to 60 percent compared to a V8 gasoline engine with nearly the same power output, making it the most fuel-efficient vehicle in its segment. At the Shanghai Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz is presenting the new S-Class generation and the S 400 HYBRID, which is not only the first series-production Mercedes-Benz passenger car with a hybrid drive but also the CO2 champion in the luxury class.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has reported February sales of 14,199 vehicles. While sales for the month were down from last year, the company’s February volume put it ahead of its mainstream competitors for the month.

A key contributor to February performance was the all-new 2010 GLK350, MBUSA’s versatile, compact SUV, which made a strong showing during its first full month on the market with sales of 1,918. The GLK’s February sales made it one of the company’s top-selling models behind the C-Class (3,990) and E-Class (2,104).

Sales gains were made by the iconic Mercedes-Benz SL and popular CLK models. Sales for the SL-Class increased 26.6 percent for the month with sales of 462 new vehicles (versus 365 vehicles in February 2008). The CLK-Class recorded sales of 1,134 new vehicles, a 15.4 percent increase over the same period last year (983 new vehicles).

Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) program, MBUSA sold 5,795 vehicles in February; a 28.3 percent increase compared to February 2008 sales of 4,517 vehicles. Year-to-date sales for the MBCPO program are 12,548, a 54.1 percent increase over 2008 year-to-date sales (8,141 vehicles) during the same timeframe.

Mercedes-Benz USA February 2009 Sales Overview

Due to the ongoing downturn on almost all markets and the upcoming model changeover for the high-volume E-Class series, Mercedes-Benz Cars sold a total of 72,200 vehicles (February 2008: 96,800) worldwide in February (minus 25 percent ). The division has sold 134,500 (January-February 2008: 187,200) Mercedes-Benz, AMG, smart, and Maybach brand vehicles to date this year (minus 28 percent). Mercedes-Benz sold 63,600 vehicles in February 2009 (February 2008: 88,000 units). This represents a 28-percent decline from the February 2008 mark, which was the brand’s all-time sales record for the month of February.

smart delivered 8,600 vehicles (February 2008: 8,800 units) to customers worldwide last month (minus two percent). smart is now in the third year of its lifecycle. The smart fortwo has been available in the U.S.since one year now, and in February customers purchased 1,400 (February 2008: 1,100) of the innovative two-seater which is an increase of 29 percent.

Dr. Klaus Maier, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars: “In recent weeks we’ve been observing a growing interest among German customers in our new passenger cars and our one year old pre-owned vehicles. In February, sales of the smart fortwo in Germany increased by 28 percent. What’s more, there was a substantial increase in orders for the A- and B-Class. The demand for our one year old pre-owned vehicles has also been developing very positively since the beginning of the year, with double-digit growth rates.”

In the U.S., despite the difficult market conditions, Mercedes-Benz sold 14,200 passenger cars in February (February 2008: 18,600, minus 24 percent), more than any other premium brand. Contributing to the result was the fact that the GLK got off to a good start. Sales of pre-owned vehicles also developed positively in the US, with 5,800 units sold (February 2008: 4,500), amounting to an increase of 28 percent.

In China, Mercedes-Benz is maintaining its position as the fastest-growing premium brand. In February, sales in China increased by 17 percent to 3,000 units (February 2008: 2,500). The B-Class has been available in China since January, and the smart fortwo will celebrate its market launch there this year.

The new E-Class coupé celebrates its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show these days. Sales of the new model began on February 19, and the market launch is scheduled for May 9. “With this new coupé, Mercedes-Benz is continuing a tradition that has repeatedly thrilled E-Class customers throughout the model’s history,” said Dr. Klaus Maier. “The coupé’s dynamic design and its new engine generation combine emotion and efficiency in a very special way.”

The new E-Class coupé will be available shortly after market launch with Mercedes-Benz’ new fuel efficient four-cylinder diesel engine in the E 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY. With fuel consumption of only 5.3 liters per 100 kilometers and emissions of just 139 grams of CO2 per kilometer, the E 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY is one of the most economical vehicles in its class.

Mercedes-Benz presented the new E-Class sedan at the beginning of the year at the Detroit Auto Show. The model went on sale on January 12, and about 40,000 orders had been placed for it by the end of February, although the official market launch will not take place until March 28, 2009.

Due to the ongoing downturn on almost all markets and the upcoming model changeover for the E-Class, Mercedes-Benz Cars sold a total of 62,200 Mercedes-Benz, AMG, smart and Maybach brand vehicles in January (January 2008: 90,400, minus 31 percent). A total of 53,900 customers opted to purchase a vehicle of the Mercedes-Benz brand in January (January 2008: 82,300, minus 35 percent).

The smart fortwo deliveries increased by four percent worldwide to 8,300 units (January 2008: 8,000). Following its market success in the U.S. in 2008, the innovative two-seater will be introduced to China, Brazil and Denmark this year. The smart fortwo is currently available in 37 markets on five continents.

At the beginning of the year, Mercedes-Benz presented the new E-Class sedan in Detroiton the occasion of the North American International Auto Show. The vehicle was released for sale in Western Europeon January 12. ”Sales of the new E-Class get off to an excellent start. To date we received more than 30,000 orders for the new E-Class sedan – even before the official market launch in March“, said Dr. Klaus Maier, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars. The new E-Class will become available in other markets this summer.

The new E-Class received the accolade of “2009 value retention champion” awarded every year by the motoring magazine Auto-Bild. In three years time, the new E-Class will be the car with the highest resale value in the upper-range segment. According to calculations made by the market research institute Bähr & Fess Forecast in Saarbrücken, the new E 250 CDI will then realise up to 62.5 percent of its current value.

Even after the reform of the motor vehicle tax in Germany, the high fuel efficiency of the new E-Class will be a major benefit for Mercedes-Benz customers. The E 250 CDI, for example, delivers 150 kW/204 hp, but has an average fuel consumption of only 5.3 liters of diesel per 100 km, which corresponds to 139 grams of CO2 per kilometer. In Germany, drivers of an E 250 CDI will therefore only have to pay a total of €247 in motor vehicle taxes over the first three years, whereas previously the total bill would have amounted to €339.68.

Like the herd of possessed swine cast off the cliff by Jesus Himself, so too went the way of Mercedes-Benz USA’s sales in January. They went down. Down, down, down. Specifically, the U.S. division of the luxury brand managed to achieve what some would have before considered impossible – shipping exactly 42.9 percent fewer vehicles than they did only a year ago. In total, MBUSA delivered 10,433, compared to 18,275 units in January 2008.

What makes the decline even more interesting is that this January marked the beginning of a U.S. advertising blitz for the new GLK-Class, with television spots and print ads for the new SUV popping up on a nearly daily basis. Even with the new ad bombardment, a quick scan of the other top luxury automakers January figures reveals that MBUSA outdid them all, with Lexus being the only brand coming close to Mercedes-Benz USA’s catastrophic decline (-37.7 percent).

So what does this mean for Mercedes-Benz USA’s marketing department? It means that what they’re doing isn’t working, and to be honest, we can’t say we’re surprised. I won’t go into specifics today, but I will say that last year, we sent Mercedes a proposal that would have been far more effective than any of MBUSA’s current marketing attempts. Call it a vision into the future, if you will – one that we had the opportunity to sit down and present to the company a few months ago, and one that they blatantly and unfortunately dismissed. Now, kicking off a new year, Mercedes-Benz USA is at the forefront of the luxury automotive segment, not as the industry leader, but rather as the brand holding title as the month’s most substantial loser.

It’s a difficult economic environment, but at the same time, it’s at times like these that the true measure of a company’s ingenuity and character can be seen. The truth is that there’s more to selling cars than airing a few unimaginative television and print ads, but until MBUSA becomes receptive to this fact, I expect little to change in the company’s position amidst the luxury segment.

For more info regarding Mercedes-Benz USA’s January sales figures, keep reading for the official press release.

Mercedes-AMG GmbH is celebrating the most successful year in its company history. AMG, the performance brand within Mercedes-Benz Cars, succeeded in increasing unit sales worldwide by 19 percent, selling 24,200 vehicles (previous year 20,300) and bucking the market trend in extremely difficult conditions. As in previous years, the USA was the strongest market for AMG with a share of 38 per cent of total sales. Germany came in second place (13 per cent), followed by Japan (8 per cent). The German market has developed very positively with a clear increase of 34 per cent compared with the previous year. The greatest growth markets of 2008 include amongst others China and Brazil with rates of increase of 260 per cent and 565 per cent respectively. With these figures AMG confirms its leading position amongst high-performance vehicle brands and at the same time further expands its market share in the high-performance segment.

The C 63 AMG made a considerable contribution to the success of 2008 with 8100 vehicles delivered. The C 63 AMG, available as a saloon and as an estate, is thereby the most successful AMG automobile of all time. The new SL 63 AMG also developed positively, with 3,050 enthusiastic purchasers in 2008.

In addition, a further chapter of the Black Series success story was relayed to the world with the SL 65 AMG Black Series, limited to 350 units – and enchanted the media and demanding AMG customers alike.

Successful: AMG sports package and AMG Driving Academy

The AMG sports package also made a positive contribution to the year’s success. The striking sporty equipment packages are available for numerous Mercedes lines and were sought after by more customers than ever in 2008; the increase over 2007 amounted to 73 per cent.

The AMG Driving Academy, founded in 2007, registered twice as many applications as in 2007. The strength of demand for high-class racing circuit training and events has led AMG to undertake a considerable expansion of the AMG Driving Academy options for 2009.

Individual customer attention and first class customer care also played a crucial role in AMG’s continually increasing success. Hence AMG is to establish 175 new AMG Performance Centers worldwide by the end of next year: its engagement in intensifying customer relations now covers 15 countries in total.

Environmentally compatible vehicle development initiatives

In addition to its passion for high-performance sports vehicles, Mercedes-AMG GmbH is also committed to social responsibility and is intensifying its engagement in the development of environmentally compatible vehicles. AMG is already “Best in Class” amongst its performance car subsidiary and sporting brand competitors in the field of consumption. All AMG vehicles will surpass the EU-5 standards which come into force from 2009 and also the EU-6 standards which will apply from 2014. To reduce consumption, AMG is shortly to introduce efficiency-increasing engine-generator management as well as regulated oil and water pumps. From 2010 AMG will equip its vehicles with direct petrol injection and with start-stop function. Through constantly increasing efficiency, AMG will from 2012 achieve a reduction in consumption of 30 per cent in comparison to present levels.

AMG was founded in 1967 by Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher and is considered to be a pioneer in the field of motor sport and refinement. The cooperation contract agreed with Daimler-Benz AG in 1990 was followed in 1999 by gradual integration into the then DaimlerChrysler AG. On 1 January 2005 DaimlerChrysler AG took 100 per cent of the shares. Today Mercedes-AMG GmbH is a vehicle manufacturer and AMG is the performance brand within Mercedes-Benz Cars. The subsidiary firm of Daimler AG is uniquely specialised in the field of high-performance vehicles and, with its sporty saloons, coupés, cabriolets, roadsters, SUVs and specially produced one-off vehicles, offers a product portfolio which leaves no customer wish unfulfilled. Mercedes-AMG possesses overall responsibility for design, aerodynamics and interior as well as drive system, engine, chassis, brakes and electronics, and ultimately for the final release of the AMG complete vehicle. In addition, marketing and sales-related aspects are handled independently.

Capping off a horrendous past several months, Mercedes-Benz USA continued their year-end downward spiral in December, with sales at MBUSA totaling 18,507 new units – a decrease of 32.1 percent when compared to December of 2007. As a result, Mercedes-Benz USA’s 2008 sales amounted to a grand total of 225,128 new units – a decrease of 11.2 percent when compared to the prior year.

And while normally this is the part where I’d tell you what models performed best last month, to be honest, there weren’t any that did perform well. Every model in the Mercedes lineup noted a double digit sales decrease in December, save one: the G-Glass. With sales of 128 units (ten less than December 2007), it noted a sales decrease of only 7.2 percent. The second model performing slightly less than terribly was the C-Class, with sales dropping 11.7 percent – far better than the R-Class’ 59.8 percent drop.

All-in-all, it was another horrible month at MBUSA.

For more info pertaining to Mercedes-Benz USA’s December 2008 sales figures complete with individual mode statistics, keep reading for the official press release.

There’s only two days left ’til Christmas ladies and gentlemen, which means if you haven’t gotten your gift shopping done, time is running out. Speaking of Christmas, here at eMercedesBenz we’re cutting back on our hours a bit through the end of the week, so if stories are a little lighter than usual, it’s because we’re busy sipping hot buttered rum, singing carols with the family and testing out that new Hammerhead sled my wife begged me not to buy (and yet I bought anyway, which almost certainly means I will break an arm using it).

But you’ll still see a few stories around these parts through the end of the week, starting with this one – news that Mercedes has delivered 1,500,000 units of their consummate E-Class since they launched it some six years ago.  Of these, 1,270,000 units were sedan variants, while 230,000 units were of the estate variety.

According to Dr. Klaus Maier, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars:  “The current E-Class and its predecessor models have been the ‘heart’ of Mercedes-Benz for more than 60 years now.  With its typical brand attributes that include safety, comfort, innovation, economy, and quality, the E-Class has delighted around 12 million customers worldwide across eight model generations.”

Of course, news of the Mercedes E-Class’ sales success is bittersweet, as overall sales at Mercedes-Benz have dropped sharply the past several months.  Nevertheless, in times of economic turmoil, one must look for bright spots in otherwise disappointing sales numbers, and 1.5 million units sold is certainly a figure to be proud of.

For more info pertaining to the sales success of the current generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class, keep reading for the official press release.