October

Production begins at the new Daimler-Benz plant in Wörth. The 100 employees begin work on body shells for truck cabs.

The new 220 series S-Class celebrates its world premiere before the public at the Paris Motor Show. The top-of-the-range model of the Mercedes-Benz brand is launched featuring over 30 innovations including AIRMATIC air suspension, which incorporates ADS adaptive damping. Other innovations include the display and operating system COMAND, the KEYLESS-GO drive authorisation system and DISTRONIC autonomous intelligent cruise control. In Paris the Daimler-Benz subsidiary Micro Compact Car AG presents a diesel variant of the smart City Coupé.

Classical music enthusiasts from all company departments meet for the first rehearsal of the new Daimler-Benz Orchestra Stuttgart.

The Daimler-Benz "Quartier" at Potsdamer Platz is officially opened in a ceremony attended by German President Dr Roman Herzog, over 4,000 guests and more than 1,000 journalists. The new Potsdamer Platz, the creative masterpiece of Renzo Piano and Christoph Kohlbecker, comprises 19 buildings, 10 new streets, a central piazza and water features over an area of 12,000 sq m along what was once the border between East and West Berlin. debis Immobilienmanagement GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of debis AG, had assumed responsibility for the on-site realisation of the project.

At the last event of the truck racing season, traditionally held in Jarama, Spain, the French driver Ludovic Faure takes second and third place in the two runs in a Mercedes-Benz Atego racing truck to win the Super Race Truck European Cup. Mercedes-Benz also finishes top of the constructors’ rankings, with a large lead. In the Race Trucks category, Heinz-Werner Lenz in a Mercedes-Benz 1838 S wins both runs to become European champion for the second time.

At the International Motor Show in Paris, Mercedes-Benz presents the C 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY, the first vehicle to feature the new CDI four-cylinder OM 651, as the "Prime Edition" special model. New to the S-Class are the S 600 Pullman Guard state limousine and the S 400 BlueHYBRID, the first hybrid vehicle in the luxury class, scheduled for launch in summer 2009. The new SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S with 478 kW / 650 hp opens up new dimensions in open-top driving. With the show car "Concept FASCINATION" Mercedes-Benz presents a modern interpretation of a hatchback coupé that combines sporty elegance with high functionality.

With his sixth place in the last race of the DTM season at the Hockenheimring, Bernd Schneider secures the championship title at the wheel of the AMG-Mercedes CLK-DTM. It is his fourth crown following wins in 1995, 2000, and 2001. Christijan Albers, also driving a Mercedes-AMG, takes second place in the championship. With a total of 237 points, Mercedes-Benz comfortably wins the constructors' championship, held for the first time, ahead of Abt-Audi with 93 points. The team award also goes to the Vodafone/ExpressService AMG-Mercedes team.

The "Schwäbische Kronik" reports on the previous day's test drive in the "Daimler Motor Car, the new tram". Fitted with a 4 hp / 3 kW single-cylinder engine, this motor car owned by the "Stuttgarter Pferdeeisenbahn-Gesellschaft" (Horsedrawn Tramway Company) can carry up to 20 passengers.

Daimler-Benz AG reaches agreement with the US company Thomas Built Buses to take over the school bus manufacturer, based in High Point, North Carolina/USA. Daimler-Benz acquires 100 % of shares in Thomas Built Buses through its subsidiary Freightliner Corp.

At the Mercedes-Benz Düsseldorf plant, a representative of the world's biggest parcel service, UPS, takes delivery of a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with fuel cell drive as test vehicle. On 19 May 2003, DaimlerChrysler AG, UPS and EPA, the US Environmental Protection Agency, agreed to cooperate in the practical testing of fuel cell powered vehicles in commercial delivery service.

Official opening of the Benz plant built on the Luzenberg in Mannheim-Waldhof at a total cost of 4.6 million Marks. In the period up to 1909 automobile manufacture is gradually transferred to the new plant. The stationary engine production department remains at the old factory in Waldhofstrasse.

Kimi Räikkönen comes second at the wheel of the McLaren-Mercedes MP4-17D in the Japanese Grand Prix, the last race of the Formula One season in Suzuka, to finish runner-up in the drivers' championship – two points behind Ferrari's Michael Schumacher.

In the final race of the DTM season at the Hockenheimring, Roland Asch takes second place in both runs in a Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16 Group A car to make him runner-up in the German Touring Car Championship.

Daimler-Benz opens the Customer Assistance Center (CAC) in Maastricht in the Netherlands. The CAC attends to Mercedes-Benz customers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, responding to emergency calls, providing round-the-clock service, answering inquiries and dealing with complaints.

The new Mercedes-Benz Actrosreceives the "Truck of the Year 2004" award at the BedrijfsautoRAI international commercial vehicle show in Amsterdam. With this award trade journalists from 19 European countries acknowledge the technical features that enable highest levels of driver concentration, the realisation of innovative safety concepts, new electronics concept and the reliability and economy of the new vehicle generation.

EvoBus GmbH takes over 49% of the shares of the body manufacturer Karl Koch GmbH in Mudersbach. At the beginning of 2000, production of minibuses based on Mercedes-Benz vans begins at the Dortmund production site.

The Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG chooses Bremen as the production location for another roadster series. The compact roadster, based on the C-Class, is given the name SLK in 1994 and introduced in 1996. The decision for Bremen means investments of DM 700 million.

At the "transport 78” international transport technology trade fair, Daimler-Benz presents the OE 305 electric hybrid bus and a track-guided bus for the O-Bahn system as alternative solutions for local public transport.

Mercedes-Benz driver teams occupy the first four places at the Touring Car Grand Prix of Argentina: the race is won by Eugen Böhringer and Klaus Kaiser in a 300 SE, followed by the 300 SE of Dieter Glemser and Martin Braungart in second place. Ewy Rosqvist and Ursula Wirth take third place in a 220 SE and Bordeu and Winter finish fourth in their 300 SE.

In Ulm Daimler launches the first pilot phase of the new mobility concept car2go, in which the forward-looking project is tested under real-life conditions. 50 smart fortwo are spread throughout the city and can be rented spontaneously or by pre-booking on a 24/7 basis by anyone registered.