Start of construction of Mercedes-Benz plant in Vietnam

Chancellor Dr Helmut Kohl lays the foundation stone of the new Mercedes-Benz plant in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. As from 1996, passenger cars and commercial vehicles are to be assembled there in cooperation with Saigon Automobil Mechanical Corp. (Samco) and the May 1st Automobile Factory. The first passenger car, an E 230 "Elegance", rolls off the assembly line on 12 August 1996.