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Mercedes-Benz USA isn’t the only part of the company that reported record sales for 2007. In the Australian auto market, Mercedes has easily surpassed other luxury vehicle sales.  Last year, the automaker enjoyed its most successful year ever with sales increasing by the double digits in this overseas market.

According to Horst von Sanden, the Managing Director of MB, the company experienced a sales growth of 14.4 percent in 2007. Its nearest competitor had an increase of just above seven percent. The figures are indicative of the fact that the customers are choosing a Mercedes-Benz over any other luxury vehicle in the market.

The new turbo-diesel engine was a major component fueling Benz sales in the Australian market. Similar to North American drivers, more and more consumers in the market “down under” are turning to eco-friendly options for their vehicles. In fact, more than 22 percent of the Mercedes-Benz vehicles sold in Australia last year had the new turbo engine.

But the company’s compact cars were also a big hit with consumers. THe automaker sold more than 2,800 A-Class and B-Class models in the Australian market, accounting for 32.2 percent of the total vehicles sold. That’s a 32-percent increase over the 2006 compact sales figures. Any sales analyst will tell you that those numbers are undoubtedly impressive.

And now, Australian consumers are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. In fact, the local dealers have had so many inquiries and pre-orders that officials have asked factories to increase their production levels to keep up with the impending demand.

It appears that Mercedes-Benz continues to have superior sales wherever its vehicles are sold. Stop in to see you local dealer and find something available for you!

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You’ve seen all of the pet-friendly accessories that you can purchase at your local pet store. Thanks to Hollywood starlets like Paris Hilton and others carrying their little puppies around, taking your pet everywhere with you is a new trend. And now Ford is included in that movement.

Earlier this month, the Ford Motor Company received the dubious honor of being named the “Pet-Friendliest Automaker” for 2008. Did you even know there was such an award?

The company that bestows this label is DogCatRadio.com, a nationwide radio station that is dedicated to everything related to pets. The study involved a broad range of models from different companies. Those conducting the study looked for features that pets enjoy, spaciousness, fuel efficiency, affordability, and “creature comforts,” as they call them. I’m not sure how affordability and fuel efficiency relate to being “pet-friendly,” but maybe that’s why I’m not the one conducting the study.

The Ford Taurus X was their favorite vehicle in Ford’s new lineup. According to the CEO at DogCatRadio.com, Adrian Martinez, the Taurus is “the perfect family size vehicle: not too big, not to small.” In addition, it provides a comfortable ride for bipeds and quadrupeds alike. The safety features certainly added to the car’s pet desirability. With a total of six airbags, including two side-curtain airbags, even the four-legged passengers have an increased sense of safety.

The simple fact is that people love their pets. In fact, Americans spent more than $40 billion on pet accessories and items last year. They even choose cars based on the best pet-friendly options. You can see the company’s official list of “Top Five Pet-Friendly Vehicles for 2008” on its website on January 30. Until then, you can visit your local Ford dealer and find a pet-friendly vehicle today!

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Who would have ever thought that a luxury automaker would be the leader in reducing costs and passing the savings on to the consumer? That’s exactly what Mercedes-Benz accomplished last year.

After a 12-percent decrease in cost during the 2006 sales season, Mercedes has continued its trend with another 10-percent decrease in 2007. According to Rainer Schmueckle, Mercedes Chief Operating Officer, the German-based automaker is striving to achieve another 10-to-15 percent cost-efficiency increase over the next three years combined. Following are some questions you might have about this topic and the answers to help keep you informed.

How does a car company measure the cost-efficiency of a vehicle?

Mercedes-Benz bases its findings on several factors that go into making one of its luxury vehicles, including the following:

• The number of production hours needed to create and complete each vehicle
• The costs of the raw materials the company needs to purchase to make the vehicles

How does Mercedes-Benz plan to achieve an even larger increase in its cost efficiency?

The company has several plans for continuing to reduce the cost needed for its production. Some of those plans include the following:
• Better purchasing practices over the next few years
• Increased use of modular systems, meaning that the company will use fewer separate parts for the engine, air conditioning and other elements of the vehicle
• Possibly opening an east European plant to increase production of the A-Class and B-Class lines of compact vehicles.

This is just one more way that Mercedes-Benz is looking out for its customers. Visit your local dealer and see what great deals are available for your dream car today!

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High definition radio is the future. You might not think of radio stations broadcasting in HD, but once you’ve experienced the quality and clarity, you’ll never listen to your regular radio the same way again. That’s why Ford announced plans to offer more HD in its 2009 models. But do you actually know what high definition is? Or even how it works? Following are some facts about the much-discussed yet rarely-understood HD radio.

• When discussing radio broadcasting, HD doesn’t actually stand for “high definition.” According to the Cruchfield Advisor, a major automotive magazine, HD doesn’t stand for anything. Instead, the two letters are a trademarked brand name. When referring to TV, though, it does stand for “high definition.”

• For now, your traditional radio won’t be replaced by HD radio. HD will simply be an added option that you can choose. It’ll work in much the same way your satellite radio system works, meaning you can choose either terrestrial or satellite at any time. To enjoy HD signals, you will need a special adapter installed in your vehicle, though.

• With HD, radio signals carry much more information than the typical FM or AM frequencies. That’s why the latter two are considered lower-quality signals. HD simply digitizes signals and pinpoints the transmission, creating less static and interruption when going under a bridge or through a metropolitan area.

• Radio stations create both digital and analog broadcast signals if they are equipped with HD technology. Both signals are then sent through a procedure which compresses the digital signal. Analog and digital signals are transmitted at the same time.

• With HD radio, you can enjoy multicasting. This refers to a radio frequency’s having more than one channel. For instance, you could be listening to your favorite classical station. The HD system alerts you that the frequency has another channel that broadcasts weather and news. With a simple turn of the knob, you can switch back and forth with ease.

• HD receivers can display real-time information about what you’re listening to, including the artist and song currently playing.

Check it out today and see what your ears have been missing!

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Alabama’s thriving economy owes a great deal of thanks to Mercedes-Benz and the production plant the company built more than a decade ago.

In 1994, Billy Joe Camp, director of the Alabama Development Office, helped bring the MB plant to Tuscaloosa County. At the time, he had no idea what the deal was going to bring to the area.

Since then, the auto industry has increased by leaps and bounds in Alabama. And Mercedes is at the forefront. On Valentine’s Day in 1997, the plant created the first vehicle ever produced in this southern state:  the Mercedes-Benz M-Class. Since that day, Alabama has been a center for auto production. There are three major auto factories in the state today, and last year they produced more than 738,000 vehicles. And that’s just for one year!

As a result of the Mercedes-Benz plant, the state has become a major entity in the worldwide auto industry. But this has also transformed the future of the state. Currently, Alabama has one of the strongest economies in the entire nation. In the four years between 2002 and 2006, the state’s per-capita income increased by more than 20 percent. That’s more than the national average and the highest among the southern states.

But wait–there are even more benefits for the state. The flourishing auto industry has created a desire for a number of other high-profile businesses moving into the state. As a result, Alabama is quickly shedding the image of being an impoverished and backwards state. People in northern states like Michigan, where the auto industry began, are quickly realizing that Alabama’s auto industry is a force to be reckoned with. In fact, thousands of auto workers in Michigan might soon be looking for jobs in Alabama as the northern state’s economy continues to fall while the southern state’s outlook only gets more positive.

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Consumers are looking more and more to smaller engines to save fuel, the environment and their pocketbooks. Ford is listening to the demands of its customers and the results have certainly paid off for the Dearborn-based automaker.

At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Ford unveiled several new concept vehicles with smaller engines and better efficiency. But the Explorer America was one of the most attention-grabbing vehicles this year. This sleek crossover model resembles a midsize SUV on the outside, but the real surprise is under the hood.

A four-cylinder engine powers the Explorer America with 275 horsepower. This is even more powerful than the Ford Explorer’s V6 engine!

So how does Ford make smaller engines with more power than the larger engines?

The company has its new turbocharger engine to thank for this achievement. Ford has dubbed it the EcoBoost, and the automaker plans on installing this smaller, more efficient engine in a half-million vehicles over the next five years. As a result, drivers will notice a 20-to 30- percent reduction in fuel usage. Not only that, but the smaller engines emit a smaller amount of greenhouse gases, another benefit to the environment.

The growing demand for smaller engines and more efficient vehicles is indicative of the increasing awareness of the declining air quality and our ability to improve it. Ford’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Jim Farley, summed it up nicely when referring to the company’s customers and the vehicles they want. He said the automaker’s “customers are smart . . . they value vehicles–the more efficient, the better.”

You can be part of the solution while still bringing many benefits to yourself. See a local Ford dealer today and start giving the world a better tomorrow.

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The North American International Auto Show is like the prom for auto companies. Many of them use the opportunity to garner more attention for the newest models they are introducing. But there’s a great deal of competition to get the eyes of the media and the visitors on a particular company with all of the dazzling displays and spectacular showcases that surround them. But Mercedes-Benz did a tremendous job in getting people to take notice this year.

Instead of just going with a big name in the hip-hop music industry like another major automaker did, Mercedes-Benz went with a classier, more debonair path.

The performance that the German automaker offered to those in attendance at the auto show was a fusion of a 1920s dance club in Berlin with a hint of a modern and hip edge. The vocalist, Max Raabe, crooned through a Weimar catalog for most of the performance. But the big band really got the attention of the crowd when it sprang into a spectacular rendition of Britney’s “Oops . . . I Did It Again.”

But that isn’t the only star power that Mercedes used to draw the rubbernecks out of the crowd. Kim Cattrall, the long-legged and blonde sex object from “Sex and the City,” made an appearance. The white-mustached Chairman of the Daimler Corporation, Dieter Zetsche, also stopped by and made some exciting announcements about the future of the company, especially since its recent departure from Chrysler. As Zetsche stated, Daimler is back to its “fighting shape,” referring to the company’s decision to drop the dead weight that may have been slowing down its success.

When you visit your local Mercedes-Benz dealer, you might not be greeted with the fanfare displayed at the auto show in Detroit. You can, however, feel confident that you will be received like an important guest. Stop in today and get the VIP treatment!

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Talk to anybody who owns one of the new Ford models equipped with the SYNC system and you’ll undoubtedly hear how great it is. But there was one thing missing: 911 assistance.

But Ford now offers an upgraded service that includes this emergency feature at no monthly charge.

That’s in addition to the already convenient and helpful services included with the SYNC system. By the end of 2009, Ford plans to install the voice-activated navigation option in all of its vehicles. Let’s look at a few of the more popular features you can expect as of right now:

• SIRIUS Travel Link
This great navigation feature offers drivers up-to-the-minute data about local traffic, sports, weather and even the best gas prices. You can even get movie listings for local theaters.

• Bluetooth Technology
With this feature, you can hook your MP3 player to the stereo system so your favorite songs will play through the speakers. You can also connect your cell phone and use your voice to dial it so you never have to take your eyes off the road.

• Navigation Help
The SYNC system offers turn-by-turn directions, whether you’re in your local area or traveling cross-country.

• 911 Assistance
This is the newest feature drivers can find on the SYNC system. When the driver initiates the 911 call, there is an option to cancel the call in case it was an accident. Otherwise, anybody in the vehicle can communicate directly with the 911 operator with the simple push of a button.

Visit your local Ford dealer and see what the SYNC system can do for you. After you give it a try, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without it.

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While some domestic automakers are feeling the pinch of the struggling economy, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz is expecting a great year in 2008.

According to Dieter Zetshce, the CEO of Daimler AG, Benz sales will undoubtedly surpass the total sales figure from 2007. The company’s new models, he says, are largely to thank for the expected sales. The new SLK sports car, GLK SUV and A-Class compact cars are likely to attract many new customers in the market. He made the announcement in a short speech at the North American International Auto Show in Motor City more than a week ago.

If the predictions are true, the end of 2008 will mark the 15th consecutive year in which sales increased for the luxury automaker.

Although new models are the main reason for the continued increase in sales, Zetsche also noted that the company has been able to increase production in recent years. After eliminating over 9,000 factory jobs and making models with fewer parts, production is much quicker because it’s less complicated. With fewer stops to make along the assembly line, cars are moving from the factory to your local Mercedes-Benz dealer in a fraction of the time that they once did.

So what is Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz doing with the profits from increased sales?

In the coming years, the luxury automaker plans to spend about four percent of its revenue on creating safer and more efficient vehicles. Mercedes-Benz already has some of the safest and most fuel-efficient vehicles on the market. This just goes to show that the company continues to improve its already superior products to stay ahead of the competition.

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Did you see the Mercedes-Benz PGA Tournament? If not, you missed an exciting event. Although some of the biggest names in golf decided not to show up for this round, the players delighted and excited the crowds, both those present and those watching on TV.

With this tournament, there could be a new name emerging in the golf scene: Daniel Chopra. Although he played in more than 130 PGA events before he finally won one last fall, he could be on his way to being a household name by winning in the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

His win in Hawaii was great for his record, but he enjoyed even more benefits than that. The victory qualifies him to participate in the world-famous Masters PGA Tournament in April. But according to the Stockholm native, “Every win is special.” It’s refreshing to see a golfer work his way up through the ranks, excited by each and every win.

But his latest win didn’t come easily. The tournament ended in a Sudden Death playoff with fellow golfer Steve Stricker. Chopra won on the fourth hole of the playoff. The only thing that kept him from winning the tournament during normal play was his last putt, which  hung on the edge of the 18th hole without falling in. His opponent is no schmuck, either. Stricker won the Comeback Player of the Year for two years in a row, becoming the only PGA golfer in history to achieve such an accomplishment.

Chopra is excited to advance to the Masters in Augusta in a few months. According to an interview after the MB tournament, he said Augusta has always been a “lifelong dream.” We wish him luck and hope he continues to enjoy success throughout the rest of his golf career.

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