2003

Event41

Dr Weber assumes responsibility for the Group "Research & Technology" department

1 January 2003
Dr Thomas Weber assumes responsibility for the Group "Research & Technology" department. He succeeds Klaus-Dieter Vöhrin...

Mitsubishi Fuso: commercial vehicles from Japan

6 January 2003
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) commences operations as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Motor...

Detroit: many premieres

Detroit: many premieres

11 - 21 January 2003
At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan/USA, Mercedes-Benz starts the year 2003 with three wo...

Award for ecological project in Brazil

31 January 2003
DaimlerChrysler is awarded the Trust/OAS Award for Corporate Citizenship in the Americas from the Organization of Ameri...

Geneva Motor Show: world premiere for CLK Convertible

Geneva Motor Show: world premiere for CLK Convertible

6 - 16 March 2003
With the 209 series convertibles, the second all-new generation of the CLK Convertible celebrates its world premiere at...

New Formula One Safety Car: CLK 55 AMG

New Formula One Safety Car: CLK 55 AMG

9 March 2003
The CLK 55 AMG makes its debut as the Formula One Safety Car at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Commercial vehicles: principal shareholder of Mitsubishi Fuso

Commercial vehicles: principal shareholder of Mitsubishi Fuso

14 March 2003
DaimlerChrysler AG acquires a 43 % share in Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC). In buying the shares Daim...

First Formula One win for Kimi Räikkönen

23 March 2003
Kimi Räikkönen, successor to Mika Häkkinen on the McLaren-Mercedes team since 2002, wins the Malaysian Grand Prix in Se...

New Actros especially economical

New Actros especially economical

24 March 2003
With the start of production of the new Actros, the DaimlerChrysler Commercial Vehicle Division continues its strategic...

First fuel cell bus delivered to Madrid

First fuel cell bus delivered to Madrid

5 May 2003
The first Mercedes-Benz Citaro urban bus using fuel cell technology is handed over by DaimlerChrysler to the mayor of M...

DaimlerChrysler Bank occupies new headquarters

5 May 2003
DaimlerChrysler Bank AG officially opens its new headquarters at Stuttgart's Pragsattel in the presence of Baden-Württem...

Second-generation Vito

Second-generation Vito

9 May 2003
Mercedes-Benz presents to the press an entirely new family of vans as successor to the 638 series V-Class and Vito model...

E-Class available as chassis for special bodies

E-Class available as chassis for special bodies

May 2003
Binz GmbH & Co. KG in Lorch, Württemberg, commences series production of the lengthened chassis of the E-Class from the...

International distinction for AMG 5.5-liter V8

International distinction for AMG 5.5-liter V8

4 June 2003
The Mercedes-AMG M 113 ML supercharged 5.5-litre V8 engine wins the title in the new category "Best Performance Engine"...

World first: synthetic diesel fuel

30 June 2003
At its environmental press conference in Stuttgart, DaimlerChrysler AG presents the world's first synthetic diesel fuel...

Fuel cell system activities concentrated

15 July 2003
MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH and RWE Fuel Cells GmbH, Essen, sign a joint venture agreement to advance their fuel cell acti...

First particulate filter for passenger car diesel engines

First particulate filter for passenger car diesel engines

21 July 2003
Mercedes-Benz is the first car brand in the world to offer for its bestselling diesel passenger cars the combination of...

First seven-speed automatic transmission for passenger cars

First seven-speed automatic transmission for passenger cars

3 September 2003
Mercedes Benz presents the world's first series-produced seven-speed automatic transmission for passenger cars, with wh...

Relief convoy departs for Afghanistan

Relief convoy departs for Afghanistan

7 September 2003
On the initiative of DaimlerChrysler AG and under the auspices of the European Union, a convoy of ten Mercedes-Benz Actr...

Armoured Maybach receives approval for sale

Armoured Maybach receives approval for sale

9 September 2003
With the approval for sale of the Maybach 62 Guard, the high-end saloon is now also available as a special protection v...

Frankfurt: foretaste of the CLS and smart forfour

Frankfurt: foretaste of the CLS and smart forfour

11 - 21 September 2003
At the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/M. Mercedes-Benz presents the near-production study "Vision CLS" and...

One-millionth A-Class rolls off assembly line in Rastatt

18 September 2003
Less than six years after its market launch, the one-millionth Mercedes-Benz A-Class rolls off the assembly line in Ras...

Championship titles and constructors' title won in DTM

Championship titles and constructors' title won in DTM

5 October 2003
With his sixth place in the last race of the DTM season at the Hockenheimring, Bernd Schneider secures the championship...

Cooperation in the area of steering gear and steering systems

6 October 2003
DaimlerChrysler and ThyssenKrupp Automotive agree to cooperate in future in the field of steering gears and complete ste...

Fuel cell Sprinter goes into practical testing

Fuel cell Sprinter goes into practical testing

9 October 2003
At the Mercedes-Benz Düsseldorf plant, a representative of the world's biggest parcel service, UPS, takes delivery of a...

Kimi Räikkönen Formula One runner-up

Kimi Räikkönen Formula One runner-up

12 October 2003
Kimi Räikkönen comes second at the wheel of the McLaren-Mercedes MP4-17D in the Japanese Grand Prix, the last race of th...

Coveted "Truck of the Year" prize for Actros

Coveted "Truck of the Year" prize for Actros

16 October 2003
The new Mercedes-Benz Actrosreceives the "Truck of the Year 2004" award at the BedrijfsautoRAI international commercial...

Midi touring coach Tourino presented to the public

Midi touring coach Tourino presented to the public

17 - 22 October 2003
The Mercedes-Benz Tourino midi touring coach is presented to the general public for the first time at the Busworld bus...

F 500 Mind research vehicle with hybrid drive

F 500 Mind research vehicle with hybrid drive

25 October - 5 November 2003
Mercedes-Benz presents the F 500 Mind research vehicle with diesel hybrid drive at the Tokyo Motor Show. A V8 diesel wit...

Touring coaches equipped as standard with ESP

Touring coaches equipped as standard with ESP

October 2003
The coaches of the Mercedes-Benz Travego and Setra TopClass 400 model series are equipped as standard with the Electron...

Three fuel cell buses for Reykjavik

October 2003
Three Mercedes-Benz Citaro fuel cell buses begin two years of trial operation in daily regular service in Iceland's cap...

UNESCO project "Mondialogo – Intercultural Dialogue and Exchange"

October 2003
Together with UNESCO DaimlerChrysler initiates the "Mondialogo – Intercultural Dialogue and Exchange" project, whose pur...

Three fuel cell buses in everyday operation in Stuttgart

Three fuel cell buses in everyday operation in Stuttgart

4 November 2003
Three Mercedes-Benz Citaro urban buses with fuel cell drive are handed over by DaimlerChrysler to Stuttgarter Straßenbah...

One-millionth Sprinter van rolls off Düsseldorf assembly line

14 November 2003
The one-millionth Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van rolls off the assembly line in the Düsseldorf plant. The arctic-white Spri...

Cooperation project: biodiesel from plants

17 - 19 November 2003
DaimlerChrysler announces a new public-private cooperation project on the occasion of the third Environmental Forum in...

MTU aeroengines division sold

MTU aeroengines division sold

19 November 2003
The Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler AG consents to the sale of engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines GmbH, Munich,...

First production engine comes off assembly line in Kölleda

First production engine comes off assembly line in Kölleda

4 December 2003
The first production engine to come off the assembly line at the Kölleda plant of MDC Power GmbH is a 1.3-litre petrol...

New M 272 V6 gasoline engine presented

New M 272 V6 gasoline engine presented

17 December 2003
Mercedes-Benz presents an all-new 200 kW / 272 hp 3.5-litre petrol engine. As the first representative of the M 272 ser...

First Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren raises 1.5 million euros at charity auction

First Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren raises 1.5 million euros at charity auction

18 December 2003
As part of a charity auction benefiting the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, the first unit of the Mercedes-Benz SLR M...

Nanotechnology makes paint more durable

Nanotechnology makes paint more durable

December 2003
After four years in development, a new clear coat which is much more scratch-resistant than conventional paint owing to...