While experiencing a marginal 3.7 percent decrease in its sales for the month of March (20,808 vs. 21,612), Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) maintained a three percent increase for the first quarter of 2008 (57,647 vs. 55,985) bringing year-to-date sales to the highest level in the company's history.

Highlights for the month include growth in various segments of Mercedes' diverse product portfolio. The volume-leading entry-level C-Class model line demonstrated a significant increase with a 49.6 percent gain (6,713 vs. 4,486 units). On the other end of the portfolio, sales of the high-end luxury CL coupes were slightly above last March with nearly a 1percent increase (297 vs. 295 units). The popularity of the sleek CLS-Class grew from 803 units last March to 935 units this March, an increase of 16.4 percent. In the SUV segment, M-Class sales jumped 21.8 percent (3,189 vs. 2,619 units).

For the first quarter of 2008, the biggest increases in Mercedes-Benz sales were posted for the C-Class model line with 39.6 percent gains (17,141 vs. 12,282 units) and the M-Class model line which rose 28.5 percent (9,507 vs. 7,401 units).

Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned program, MBUSA sold 5,110 vehicles in March, bringing first quarter sales to 13,251 units, a 4.3 percent increase over the same period last year.

Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz products in the United States. In 2007, MBUSA achieved an all-time sales record of 253,433 new vehicles, setting the highest sales volume ever in its history and achieving 14 consecutive years of sales growth. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found on the Internet at http://www.mbusa.com.