Mercedes-Benz C-Class Production Passes the Million Mark Less Than Three Years after Manufacturing Launch

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March 19, 2003
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Mercedes-Benz C-Class Production Passes the Million Mark Less Than Three Years after Manufacturing Launch

Sedan, station wagon and sports coupe - the model-family strategy shows its strength

Photo: DC

Dynamic and elegant design plus innovative safety concept

Stuttgart - With a million vehicles manufactured in less than three years, the production output of the current C-Class series - comprising sedan, station wagon and sports-coupe models - has set a new record for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. Never before have so many vehicles from a single Mercedes-Benz production series been manufactured in such a short space of time. The millionth vehicle, a brilliant silver C 200 KOMPRESSOR, will be handed over to its new owner today by Prof. Jürgen Hubbert, Member of the Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler AG, responsible for the Mercedes Car Group, and Plant Director Hans-Heinrich Weingarten in the Customer Center at the DaimlerChrysler plant in Sindelfingen.

Dynamic design, innovative safety concept, extensive equipment features and an attractive range of engines

The C-Class combines elegant and dynamic design with a comprehensive range of equipment plus an innovative safety concept that meets the highest standards. In June 2002, the C-Class was awarded five stars - the highest possible rating - following crash tests conducted by Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme). A 4MATIC four-wheel-drive model of the C-Class has also been available since the fall of 2002, offering even greater safety, traction, driving dynamics and comfort. The C-Class sedan and station wagon are available with a choice of nine engines - five gasoline and four CDI diesel-powered models, ranging in output from 105 - 260 kilowatts. The sports coupe comes with a similarly broad range of engine options: four gasoline and two diesel models, ranging from 105 - 260 kilowatts.

Sedan and station wagon boost sales, sports coupe an immediate hit with customers

The decision made 20 years ago to launch a mid-range vehicle - the 190 - marked a key moment for Mercedes-Benz, one which subsequently paved the way for the sustained success of the C-Class. "With the C-Class - our biggest-selling production series - we have successfully positioned a premium vehicle in the mid-range market," says Hubbert. "Today, the C-Class is the technological leader in its segment." The C-Class sports coupe, which was unveiled at the Paris Auto Show in 2000, proved to be an immediate success with customers, selling some 146,000 units worldwide since market launch in the spring of 2001. "The sports coupe has once again demonstrated that there's also big sales potential for the Mercedes-Benz brand in niche markets," says Hubbert. The second generation of the C-Class station wagon, which was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 2001 and launched in the spring of that year, has sold approximately 137,000 units worldwide, significantly improving on the already considerable success of the predecessor model. Similarly, with some 717,000 units sold worldwide since the launch of sales in May 2000, the C-Class sedan has continued the success of its predecessors. The largest market for the C-Class model family is Germany, with sales of approximately 360,000 units, followed by the U.S., where some 149,000 vehicles from the C-Class series have been sold thus far. In Western Europe outside of Germany, DaimlerChrysler has sold around 320,000 units of the C-Class series to date.

Rigorous implementation of the Mercedes-Benz Production System

Sedans and sports coupes from the C-Class series are manufactured at the DaimlerChrysler plant in Sindelfingen; sedans and station wagons at the DaimlerChrysler plant in Bremen. C-Class sedans for the right-hand-drive market are produced at the DaimlerChrysler plant in East London, South Africa. With the production launch of the new C-Class in the spring of 2000, DaimlerChrysler began for the first time to consistently implement the principles of the Mercedes-Benz Production System (MPS). "The Mercedes-Benz Production System enjoys a high level of acceptance among the workforce and fully meets its objective of improving efficiency and product sophistication," Hubbert explains. Production of the new C-Class was ramped up to full capacity in just six months - half the time required for the predecessor series.

(March 13, 2003

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