Mercedes 2003 Annual Report Download - page 52
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Please find page 52 of the 2003 Mercedes annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.Divisions | Mercedes Car Group | Chrysler Group | Commercial Vehicles | Executive Automotive Committee | Services | Other Activities
A successful year in motor sports. Mercedes-Benz had a very
successful year in motor sports. In addition to winning the German
Touring Car Series (DTM), Mercedes-Benz was runner-up in
Formula One racing, with the outcome being decided only at the
final Grand Prix in Japan. Thus after an exciting series of races,
Mercedes McLaren driver Kimi Räikkönen finished the season in
second place, just two points behind the overall winner. In the DTM
races, Bernd Schneider demonstrated the impressive capabilities
of the CLK DTM racing car by winning his fourth DTM title. With
nine first-places in ten races, Mercedes-Benz dominated the DTM
series.
Maybach satisfies the most discerning customers. The
Maybach, which is currently at a production level of four vehicles a
day, satisfies even the most exacting customer requirements. At
the Maybach production facility in Sindelfingen, top priority is given
to achieving perfection and ensuring complete customer satis-
faction. In 2003, we delivered about 600 of these exclusive sedans
to our customers. Additional Maybach Centers were opened
during the year in locations including Tokyo, Hong Kong and Kuwait.
A total of 16 Maybach centers are now in operation, as well as
71 Maybach sales partners in the United States.
smart positions itself as a multi-product brand. Sales of smart
brand vehicles increased by 2% in 2003 to 124,700 units. Germany
(41,500 units) and Italy (32,600 units) continue to be smart’s
most important markets. Sales in the UK (13,100 vehicles, +36%)
and in France (9,500 vehicles, +11%) were particularly encouraging.
Overall, smart succeeded in expanding its share of a sharply
contracting market.
The very positive response to the smart roadster and smart
roadster-coupé contributed substantially to this success. These
new models, launched in April, revived the segment for small,
purist sports cars. We already delivered 20,100 units in 2003.
Thanks to the introduction of the roadster and the roadster-coupé,
smart has made the transition from a single-product to a multi-
product brand. This development has been accompanied by a new
company logo and a new slogan, “open your mind”.
With sales of 104,600 units, the city-coupé and the cabrio
continued to be the best-selling models. New comfort and safety
features were added in the spring of 2003. The ESP (Electronic
Stability Program) handling system is now standard equipment
on all smart models. Since the smart’s market launch in 1998,
542,200 smart city-coupés and cabrios have been sold. It is now
established as an innovative lifestyle brand in the mini-car
and small-car segment.
smart’s special appeal is also confirmed by its high resale value.
According to EurotaxSchwacke, which monitors pre-owned auto-
mobile prices in Germany, the smart city coupe retains 74% of its
original value after two years.