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| 1998 Source codes below news |
| Additions since last update Entries are also added for previous years (scroll down) |
| Nov. 14th | Pyjama-trick
Whenver they came to steal the car thieves were chased away by the alarm system of a Mercedes-Benz in Beirut, Lebanon. It went on for three nights. Then three men in pyjamas rang at the door of the Mercedes-owner and asked him to shut-off the alarm to enable them to sleep. This the owner did - and lost his car. The pyjama-trio were the the thieves. Read in "An Nahar" AB 46/98 Argument about the star
For the first time since the foundation of the state 66 years ago woman in the desert state can take the steering-wheel into their hands. They have to be at least 35 years of age and married. When the husband has given his written permission they can take part in the traffic. But only between 7 am to 7 pm. AB 46/98 |
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| Nov. 6th | DaimlerChrysler plans to build bigger Smart
After the complete overtaking of the Smart-manufacturer MCC DaimlerChrysler thinks about new models. There would be thoughts to build a four-seater a MCC-spokesman said. Smart inventor Nicolas Hayek left MCC because he didn`t agree with model variants as he said. HA |
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| Oct. 31st |
World-wide Daimler-Benz calls back 9.000 cars of the E-Class. This is valid for cars built in the Sindelfingen plant in July and August this year and are equipped with side-airbags. Because a fixing-clip isn`t always mounted right it could cause the impact protection system to not fully inflate. Above all cars in Germany (1.600 cars) and the USA (4.163 cars) are concerned. HA Swiss to withdraw from Smart? According to a report of German "Stuttgarter Zeitung" the Swiss watch manufacturers SMH possibly withdraw from the production of the Smart. It until now is a co-project of SMH and Daimler-Benz, the Swabians holding 81 per cent. SMH speaker Beatrice Howald was not willing to comment the report. HA |
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| July 22nd | S-Class W220 start of sale in Germany on October 24th
Daimler-Benz increases interest in tuner AMG to 51 per cent with effect of January 1st 1999 Auto15 /98 |
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| July 17th | Daimler plans second Smart variant
"One doesn't start a company for only one product" said Daimler-Benz chief of passenger cars Juergen Hubbert. Dieter Zetsche, chief of sales, said: "It has to be a car which will fulfil the demands of the marque". HA |
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| May 27th
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Arguments about two litre car from Mercedes
According to Alexander Dauensteiner from "Dachverband Kritischer Aktionaere Daimler-Benz KAD" ((Umbrella Organization of Critical Shareholders Daimler-Benz)) "the project was a success but then disappeared into the drawer". Daimler-Benz speaker Wolfgang Scheunemann said "We do develop many things but we don't have any concrete plans for a two-litre-car". According to KAD Daimler decided that a car with such a low fuel consumption wouldn't fit into the concept of Mercedes. HA A two-litre-car would give 117,62 mpg US and 141,27 mpg UK. |
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| April 30th
|
Negotiations with Karmann about CLK-cabrio production increase
Daimler-Benz AG negotiates with Wilhelm Karmann GmbH about an expansion of the production capacity of the CLK-cabrio. Caused by the high demand the planned production of 10.000 cars in 1998 shall be increased. HA |
| 1997 Source codes below news |
| Dec 17th
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Mercedes to expand US plant .
Caused by the many orders for the new M-Class Mercedes-Benz expands the capacity of its US plant Tuscaloosa of nearly one fourth. From 1999 on 80.000 SUV`s a year shall come from the production lines. In 1998 it still will be 65.000. The manufacturer additionally invests 40 million ((US)) dollars (71 million German marks) in the plant. HA |
| Nov. 24th | "Italienization" of Germany
According to the French newspaper "Le Monde" Germany isn't anymore the European model-country. Political-, economical- and financial problems do get alike those of Italy. Even the A-Class debacle of the small Mercedes would show how fast it goes downhill in Germany. HA |
| Nov. 23rd | Moose-test/Elk-test in encyclopaedia
German publisher Langenscheidt will include the word "Elchtest" and the translation "moose test" in its encyclopaedias. The terms were known because of the failed security-test of the A-Class. HA |
| Nov. 17th
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Immobilizer cracked
A Polish car thief cracked the immobilizer of an upper class sedan within 30 seconds. Police got a tip-off, watched the thief and after cracking the car arrested him. HA Other sources reported the car to be a MB S-Class but didn't mention the year of production or if the immobilizer was retrofitted or ex-factory. |
| Nov. 7th
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45.000 reservations for micro car Smart
The car shall come onto sale in March 1998 for DM 16.000 to 20.000 (USD 8.900 to 11.100 assumed USD 1 = DM 1,80). Manufacturer MCC - whose majority is owned by Daimler-Benz AG - at the very moment "sees no reason" to fit the car with a dynamic drive-control like the A-Class. The Smart would run "the normal test program". HA |
| Nov. 7th
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Mercedes doesn't want to buy Rolls-Royce
A Daimler spokesman said on Saturday that Daimler with the presentation of the Maybach demonstrated to be able to go an own way in the luxury segment. "Therefore such an acquisition is no theme at the very moment." With this the spokesman contradicted an article in the German news magazine "Der Spiegel" which claimed that besides BMW Daimler would be interested in the take-over of the British luxury marque. HA |
| Nov. 1st | 1000 A-Class orders cancelled
According to Daimler-Benz AG after the discussion about the safety of the A-Class about 1000 customers cancelled their orders. Until now MB had 100.000 orders for the car whose sale started on October 18th. HA |
| Oct. 1st
|
MB South Africa manufacturing Hondas
Mercedes Benz of South Africa not only sells Hondas in South Africa but also manufactures them. Since March 1996 W210 E320, E280 and E230 with auto trans only, E230 with man trans, too, are being manufactured. Despite of right hand drive due to driving on the left exactly meeting all other technical specifications of W210 produced in Germany. All other MB sold in SA are being imported.?? |
| Sept. 1st | Car delivery centre to open soon at MB Bremen factory
Due to customers` demand pick-up of new MB`s produced in Bremen factory to start soon. ?? |
| May 23rd
|
Windows afraid of water
Scientists of Daimler-Banz have found a silicon compound which, applied on glass, finishes-off water drops. They can't hold onto the window. This hydrophobe coating shall mainly be used with coaches to enable passengers to have free view even when raining. The water drops fall off as spheres and therefore no dirt can remain on the window. Auto 21/97 |
| May 20th
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Smart vs German taxis
Mercedes-Benz plans to market the Smart via train and plane tickets. The top official of the Stuttgart taxi-association Mr. Peter Kristan says: "Does Daimler thank one of its best customers by competing with him?" About 70 percent of all 55.000 German taxis do have a star on the hood, giving a business of 300 to 400 million Deutsche Mark (USD 168 mio to 223 mio) to Mercedes-Benz. Kristan aggressively adds: "We can transport our customers in taxis not having a star on the hood, too". AB XX/97 |
| 1974 Source codes below news |
| Nov. 9th | Seat belts for Mercedes
Until December 31st Daimler-Benz for half of the usual cost retrofits cars from 1965 and newer with seat-belts. Options chosen by buyers ex-factory for (all figures in per cent)
200D = DM 17.182,80 on Aug. 15th 1975) and 450SL buyers for DM 4.443 (42.213,30) compared to buyers of VW beetles who pay DM 180 (6.950) and VW Golf DM 600 (8.795). AMS |
| Sources:
|
Auto = German car magazine "Auto"
AB = German car magazine "AutoBild" AMS = German car magazine "Auto Motor und Sport" HA = German daily newspaper "Hamburger Abendblatt" |
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