As a quick follow-up to our last post, Daimler AG is reporting that sales at its U.S. Mercedes-Benz Cars division are up 12.9 percent in June to 22,121 new units, compared to 19,589 new units in June 2007.  These figures represent the combined sales of both Mercedes-Benz and smart passenger vehicles in the U.S., as opposed to just the June 2008 Mercedes-Benz sales statistics we brought you in our prior story.

When viewing the two brands independently, Mercedes-Benz posted a slight 0.1 percent decrease in sales of 19,576 new units, compared to 19,589 in June 2007.  smart, however, noted sales of 2,545 new units, enough to give the U.S. Mercedes-Benz Cars division a nearly 13 percent improvement in sales.  To date, combined sales of the Mercedes-Benz and smart brands now total 130,678 new units, a 10.5 percent increase over 2007's six-month ytd total of 118,240.  The smart, as you remember, went on sale in America in mid-January, so the prior year's figures represent only the Mercedes-Benz brand.

So there you have it:  sales of Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles in the U.S. were down slightly in June; sales at the U.S. Mercedes-Benz Cars division were up in June.

Confusing, I know.

For more info, you can find the full details of the U.S. Mercedes-Benz Cars division's sales for June 2008 immediately below.

Enjoy.



OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


Daimler AG Reports a 13 Percent Increase for the Mercedes-Benz Cars Division in the U.S. for June 2008

• Total of 22,121 Units of Mercedes-Benz Cars Division Sold in U.S.
  
  
• Mercedes-Benz USA Records June Sales of 19,576
  
  
• smart USA Records 2,545 Sales in June

New York, NY – Daimler AG (stock exchange abbreviaton DAI) today reported sales for the Mercedes-Benz Cars division (Mercedes-Benz and smart combined) of 22,121 units in the U.S. for June 2008. All sales figures in this release are on an unadjusted basis unless otherwise noted.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported sales of 19,576 new vehicles for June 2008, bringing the year-to-date total to 119,279 units, marking the best first-half sales in the company’s history.

Sales for the smart fortwo remain strong with deliveries totaling 2,545 for the month of June. This brings the year-to-date total to an incredible 11,399 units in less than six months of being offered in the US market. The vehicle is attracting an overwhelming number of buyers who want a solution to high gas prices, a reduced environmental footprint and increased urban mobility on congested city streets – all in a package that's fun to drive. The fortwo offers a powerful combination of outstanding fuel efficiency, innovative safety, environmental friendliness and low cost of ownership. There are currently 69 smart centers open in 31 states.