Associated Press
FRANKFURT, Germany -- Automaker Daimler AG said Tuesday its Mercedes- Benz Cars unit reported a 22 percent increase in worldwide sales last month as increased demand in Asia more than offset a decline in the United States.
The unit, which includes the brands Mercedes-Benz, AMG, Smart and Maybach, sold 119,000 cars in April compared with the 97,800 it sold in April 2007.
The Stuttgart-based company said its new C-Class posted strong growth worldwide, with sales of sedan and station wagon models for the month of April rising to a record of 35,600, an 88 percent increase from the
18,900 sold last year.The company said its A- and B-Class models also saw an 18 percent increase in deliveries to 23,800, compared with 20,200 a year ago, citing strong demand in western Europe, including Germany.
Sales in Asia climbed 24 percent to 11,800 vehicles, also reaching a new record compared with the 9,500 it sold in April of 2007. In the U.S., Mercedes-Benz delivered 20,300 vehicles to customers, down 3 percent from the 20,900 in April of 2007.
Since the beginning of the year, the carmaker has delivered 437,700 vehicles, a 14 percent increase from the 384,600 in the same period a year ago.
Shares of Daimler were down more than half a percent to 50.28 euros ($77.73) in trading in Frankfurt.