October

At truck racing's season finale, which traditionally takes place in Jarama, Spain, Slim Borgudd in a Mercedes-Benz 1834 S wins both Super Race Truck runs. With second and fourth-place finishes, Steve Parrish captures his fourth European championship – the first in the Super Race Truck category under the new rules. Slim Borgudd is runner-up, and the manufacturers' crown again goes to Mercedes-Benz.

Bernd Schneider wins the DTM season finale in Hockenheim ahead of Martin Tomczyk in an Audi. Schneider's brand colleague Gary Paffett, also competing in an AMG-Mercedes C-Class, takes third place and is runner-up overall behind champion Mattias Ekström in an Audi.

The new Mercedes-Benz O 303 bus range is presented at the Paris Motor Show.

The most exclusive and most elegant variant of the Mercedes-Benz 500 K, the Special Roadster, makes its debut at the Paris Motor Show.

Mercedes-Benz presents a further developed version of the near-series SLK roadster study, now featuring a vario roof, at the Paris Motor Show. The innovative folding roof disappears into the boot within 25 seconds at the push of a button, leaving enough space there for luggage.

During a visit by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to the smart production plant in Hambach, in France's Lorraine region, Daimler AG announces the location for the future series production of the smart fortwo electric drive. A small-series production run of 1,000 units of the lithium-ion battery-powered electric car will be produced from mid-November, with volume production coming off the line in Hambach from 2012.

Gottlieb Daimler leaves Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and officially relinquishes his role as shareholder. He and Wilhelm Maybach continue their work on furthering the development of the automobile at the Hotel Hermann in Cannstatt.

The Mercedes-Benz T 80 completes its first run on a chassis dynamometre. The three-axle record-breaking car, inspired by Hans Stuck in 1936 and designed by Ferdinand Porsche, is powered by a DB 603 V12 aeroengine. The Second World War prevents its development to operational readiness.

The first natural gas powered Mercedes-Benz Econic to be built at the Wörth plant leaves the production line. Produced until now at the Mannheim Competence Centre for Emission-Free Mobility (KEM), the high level of customer demand means that gas powered Econic vehicles will be integrated into regular series production and built from now on at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth.

The Mercedes-Benz Tourismo touring coach series from the production of the Turkish subsidiary Mercedes-Benz Türk is completely revamped inside and out and debuts at the Busworld bus and coach show in Kortrijk, Belgium. Setra presents the combined-service S 317 GT-HD bus: with 61 seats it expands the ComfortClass and offers an economical alternative for regular and occasional services.

At the Busworld bus and coach show in Kortrijk, Belgium, the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo RH makes its debut as a high-floor bus for the premium interurban and touring coach segment. The revised range of Sprinter minibuses equipped with new drivetrain also has its premiere. The Setra ComfortClass 400 is presented for the first time in upgraded form with over 30 innovations. The high-floor S 415 H and S 416 H buses make their debut in the MultiClass 400 series.

Dasa and the Franco-British joint venture Matra Marconi Space (MMS) decide to merge their aerospace activities and set up the space technology company Astrium. With over 8,000 employees and revenues of € 2.25 billion, Astrium will be industry leader in Europe.

In the final race of the Formula One season, the Spanish Grand Prix in Pedralbes, Juan Manuel Fangio finishes in third place. Four wins in six races, plus two more wins in a Maserati, are the outcome of his first season with Mercedes-Benz.

Representatives of Daimler-Benz AG and the Cologne-based firm Otto Wolff sign a contract "for joint business and industrial activities in China in the fields of engine and motor vehicle manufacture."

Mercedes-Benz presents its new concept for Formula One. The brand’s new partner is Team McLaren International, whom Mercedes-Benz supplies with the new 3-litre V10 engine co-developed with British manufacturer Ilmor.

Following on from their success the previous year, the driver team of Eugen Böhringer and Klaus Kaiser pilot their Mercedes-Benz 300 SE to victory in the Touring Car Grand Prix of Argentina once again. The Dieter Glemser / Martin Braungart and Ewy von Korff-Rosqvist / Ursula Falk pairings take second and third places respectively, also at the wheel of the 300 SE. Mercedes-Benz thus claims its fourth straight win in the world's toughest endurance race.

At the final race of the Sports Car World Championship in Mexico City, the driver pairing Jean-Louis Schlesser/Jochen Mass captures its fourth win of the season, which is the eighth win of the 1989 season for Sauber-Mercedes. Jean-Louis Schlesser wins the drivers' competition; runner-up is Jochen Mass. The constructors' title goes to Sauber-Mercedes by a large margin.

At the Paris World Exposition, at which a Benz Patent Motor Car is also exhibited, Daimler and Maybach present their V-engine and the motorised quadricycle (the wire-wheel car). This heralds the birth of the French automobile industry. The wire-wheel car is equipped with the four-speed, gear-only transmission invented by Maybach.

The Daimler L 20 light plane designed by Hanns Klemm takes off on its maiden flight. Initially it is powered by a Harley-Davidson motorcycle engine, delivering 12.5 hp / 9 kW.

The first 500 parts kits for Mercedes-Benz trucks reach the Telco works in Jamshedpur, 300 km west of Calcutta, India. By year's end 100 vehicles are completed.