How Did Mercedes Fare in 2009

The luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz is a division of parent company Daimler AG. While Mercedes isn't a publicly traded company, their parent company Daimler AG is. During 2009, Mercedes-Benz cars and vans generated nearly 60% of parent company Daimler AG's total earnings. Daimler AG generated a total revenue of 119 billion dollars. It can be assumed that around 72 billion dollars of gross revenue was brought in by the Mercedes-Benz division in 2009. Mercedes sold 190,000 vehicles in the U.S. in 2009. What Car? magazine awarded the S-Class the Best Luxury Car Award in 2009. The Mercedes S-Class was also the best selling car for Daimler AG in 2009. This is no surprise, as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has been number one in the luxury segment every year since 1965. The S-Class currently holds a worldwide market share of more than 36 percent, with over 3.6 million units sold worldwide. Daimler AG sells primarily in Western Europe and the NAFTA region, which includes Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
In 2009, Daimler AG received 46% of it's total revenue from Western Europe, and 21% from the United States. The Mercedes-Benz R-Class was one of the worst selling models of 2009 for Mercedes-Benz, a model that has had a tough time selling since it's release in 2005. The main reasons for the R-Class not selling well are its unconventional looks, paired with an over the top price tag in a crossover category that is often overlooked. The DOW stock DAI rose 40% in 2009 and has been steady in 2010. In 2009, Mercedes-Benz made available for sale the BlueHYBRID S400 saloon, the first production automotive hybrid in the world to use a lithium-ion battery. Also in 2009, a new line of BlueZERO were introduced at the 2009 North American International Auto Show.