Replica of the world's first automobile

Edmonton businessman David Morris is the dealer principal of David Morris Fine Cars Ltd., a Mercedes-Benz dealership. This past week he took delivery of one of the most unique ``new'' cars ever shipped under the auspices of the Mercedes-Benz factory delivery system - a replica of the world's first automobile, an 1886 Benz, which M-B has dubbed the Mercedes-Benz Classic. Morris's vehicle is one of 110 commissioned by Mercedes-Benz.

``The original is in the Deutsches Museum in Munich,'' Morris said. ``A handful of these replicas were built by Daimler-Benz apprentices; another one is in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.'' Daimler-Benz AG was the corporate name for the maker of Mercedes-Benz automobiles up to 1998; it is now called Daimler AG.
According to Mercedes-Benz, Benz's original design was the first automobile that was not based on a converted carriage, as previous inventors had done.
Morris, who flew in from his winter residence in California to uncrate his new showpiece (which is now displayed prominently in his dealership's new- vehicle showroom, was bitten by the car bug at an early age. A framed black-and- white photo shows him as a young boy sitting behind the wheel of an English pedal car. Later, he successfully raced Formula Ford open-wheel race cars, and eventually sponsored the late Canadian racing legend Gilles Villeneuve when he was racing Formula Atlantic cars before becoming one of the world's most renowned racers, driving Ferrari Formula 1 cars.
In addition to owning the Mercedes dealership, Morris is a Rolls-Royce enthusiast and currently has one undergoing restoration.
Of the 110 Mercedes-Benz Classics built and made available to Mercedes-Benz dealers, Morris says the majority of them have been sold into Europe and Asia. Morris's three-wheeler is believed to be the only one in private hands in North America.

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Daimler celebrates it's 125th Birthday.

125 years after Carl Benz filed his “Vehicle with gas engine drive” under Patent number 37435 at the Berlin Patent Office in 1886, Daimler AG is celebrating the motor car’s birthday.

On January 29, 2011, the inventor of the automobile is inviting international guests from the automotive sector, personalities from the world of politics, economy and society to a celebration at the Mercedes-Benz World in Stuttgart. The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr Angela Merkel, is to be the guest of honour of the evening. The list of guests includes numerous friends and partners of Daimler. This event is to be the starting point of a jubilee year with multiple activities centred on the motor car’s 125th anniversary.

Dr Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: “The invention of Daimler and Benz changed the world for the better - and it will continue to do so. As the inventor we also have the claim to shape the future of mobility: with fascinating brands, green technologies and new business opportunities. We have many ideas!"

The consistent further development of ideas, the will to permanent improvement and the firm belief in one’s success were the remarkable characteristics of the founding fathers of Daimler AG . 125 years on, those leading principles still form the unshakeable basis of Daimler’s philosophy and will remain its guiding star in the future.

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Honda and Ford lead in customer retention.

Ford (F) and Honda (HMC) owners, more than those of any others, are opting to get another vehicle of the same brand. Both brands topped J.D. Power's latest Customer Retention Study, which was based on 123,601 responses from new-car buyers. In 81,350 of those cases, the car being replaced had also been purchased new by that owner.
Sixty-two percent of Ford and Honda owners remained with those brands, while Kia (KIMTF.PK) was the most improved overall in retention. According to the survey, this year 58 percent purchased another Kia but last year, just 37 percent were repeat buyers of the brand. Mercedes-Benz (DAI) fell by five points, to 59 percent.
The Ford F-Series pickup, Ford Edge crossover, and Ford Fusion sedan drive strong customer retention for Ford, says Power, while the Accord, CR-V, and Pilot are among the strongest Honda models with strong retention.
Ford owners are even more likely than Honda owners to perceive their vehicle as fun to drive or as having good styling, which Power says has become increasingly important.
Resale value has actually become less important to shoppers; as a reason to stay loyal to a brand, as a factor, it was down ten percentage points just from 2009 -- perhaps an indication that recession worries are easing.
Raffi Festekjian, director of automotive product research at J.D. Power and Associates, said in a release with the results:
Now that economic and market conditions have improved somewhat, vehicle owners are increasingly citing emotional, rather than practical, reasons for staying with their vehicle brand or switching to a different one.
Hyundai (HYMLF.PK), Lexus, and Toyota (TOT) -- all with a 60-percent retention rate -- follow Ford and Honda. Mercedes-Benz, Kia, and Subaru (SBUOF.PK) were also among the brands with a strong rate of retention well above the industry average of 48 percent.
Among major brands, Saab has just a four-percent retention rate, while Jaguar, Dodge (PD), Chrysler, and Scion rounded up the bottom of the list, all with 25 percent or lower retention.
J.D. Power says retention overall has improved slightly from last year; 16 of the 34 brands in the survey have improved retention from 2009, while 14 have declined or remained the same.
Retention of domestic brands rose very slightly this year, but Power points out that 69 percent of those who trade in a vehicle from a domestic brand get another domestic-brand vehicle. For import owners, 90 percent purchased another import.

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2012 ML-Class Spied.

The upcoming Mercedes Benz ML-Class has been spotted testing in the wild, and with it comes a lot of speculation for the SUV. It appears to be a cross between a G-Class and an R-Class, and the company has already said that the ML-Class will be focusing more on efficiency instead of performance.

Due sometime in mid-2011, there are yet to be any concrete details leaked about the new car. All of the speculation has so far been based on the previous spy shots of the vehicle. There are even some reports that hint at an ML-Class powered by a hybrid diesel and electric power train. Of course, there’s the ML450 Hybrid that’s expected to be launched sometime in 2011 as well, featuring a gasoline electric hybrid power source.
The Euro ML models are slated to get 204-horsepower 2.2L four-cylinder engines, with planned V6 gasoline engines also said to be in the works. There will also likely be an AMG variant that carries a 5.5L twin-turbo direct-injection V8 that should be good for 570hp at the very least.
The leading consumer 4×4 in the entire Mercedes-Benz lineup should be officially unveiled by the time the 2011 Geneva Show comes around in March. Whether we’ll also see a reported plug-in hybrid version of the ML450 Hybrid is another question.

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BMW sales figures rises.

Luxury car major BMW has managed to post great sales figures across the globe this year and is very upbeat about its success. The company has its presence across the globe with 24 production houses in 13 countries and sales network in 140 countries.

BMW has tasted this super success after a long time with a tremendous dedicated team of committed professionals.
Sales volume of approximately 1.29 million automobiles is tremendous, and over 87,000 motorcycles for the 2009 financial year, has blown the competitors apart. Euro 50.68 billion was the final revenue of BMW.
Last year on Dec 31 the company had appointed 96,000 associates. The company credits its wonderful value chain for this and how long-term thinking and relationship building has helped strengthen their network.
Mercedes Benz last year, lost its number one position to BMW. In the Indian markets also BMW has been doing quite well and have beaten the competitor Benz in the last 11 months of the year by selling 5,345 units

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