OREANDA-NEWS. In the first half of 2013, over 700,000 passenger cars rolled off the production lines at Mercedes-Benz plants – more than ever before in the same period. For 2012 as a whole, Mercedes-Benz had already reached a production record of more than 1.34 million vehicles.

"We are planning for further growth. With an attractive offering of models and higher flexibility in production, we managed to build more vehicles in the first half of the year than ever before. We are also very optimistic for the year as a whole", said Andreas Renschler, Management Board Member of Daimler AG responsible for Manufacturing and Procurement, Mercedes-Benz Cars & Mercedes-Benz Vans. In the first half of 2013, Mercedes-Benz posted yet another new record with sales of 694,433 vehicles (+6.4%). The brand with the star plans to sell over 1.4 million vehicles by the end of the year.

The Mercedes-Benz 2020 growth strategy has arrived at the plants. This year has already seen launches of numerous new vehicles: in January, the Kecskem?t plant began production of the new CLA coup?, the new E-Class sedan and estate have been rolling off the lines in Sindelfingen since March, and the team in Bremen has brought the new coup? and convertible of this model series on the road. In mid-June, the production start of the new S-Class in the Sindelfingen Plant achieved yet another milestone in the product campaign of Mercedes-Benz.

To accommodate customer demand, this year 21 special shifts have been agreed for the production of the A- and B-Class at the Mercedes-Benz Rastatt plant, among others. The Tuscaloosa plant worked on 10 Saturdays and thus increased the production of SUVs. The powertrain plants are also running at full speed: workers of the Untert?rkheim plant have been working special shifts every weekend this year to enable the construction plants to be supplied with engines, transmissions, axles and components.

Production has been running non-stop at most locations during the summer months. Around 4500 vacation workers were hired as additional manpower for the vacation months, and the preparations for further launches are running at full speed, for example at the Rastatt plant, where the first GLA will be rolling off the production line later this year. In September, the compact SUV will celebrate its world premiere at the IAA International Motor Show. The plants in Bremen, Tuscaloosa, USA, East London, South Africa and Beijing, China are making intensive preparations for the new C-Class, which will be on the roads in 2014.