Production anniversary at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt: Employees build the three millionth compact vehicle

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Solemn anniversary at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt: today, the three millionth compact vehicle in the history of the site was produced. A customer from Cologne receives the milestone vehicle, an A 200 BlueEFFICIENCY in calcite white paint job. "Since 1997, we are building compact cars here at Rastatt and now the three millionth unit. This figure speaks for our work and for the great experience of our employees," said Peter Wesp, head of the Mercedes-Benz Rastatt facility. "The outlook in the premium compact segment is very optimistic. Over the next decade, we expect an increase of over four million units, making the new compact class vehicles play a central role in our growth strategy - Mercedes-Benz 2020." For the production of the new compact models in Rastatt, Daimler invested a total of around 1.2 billion euros. This year, 500 new permanent jobs have been created so that the plant employs now more than 6,500 people.

The compact vehicles from Rastatt

In 1997, Mercedes-Benz launched the A-Class, which created the vehicle class of premium compact cars. 1,100,000 A-Class cars were have been sold up to 2004, when the second generation was introduced. Over one million vehicles from the next generation were produced at Rastatt. In 2005, the first generation B-Class followed, which was delivered to more than 700,000 customers all around the world within six years.

In September 2011, the new B-Class was the first model of the new compact class generation to enter production at Rastatt. In July 2012, series production of the new A-Class started. Both models record high customer demand: more than 100,000 B-Class vehicles are already on the roads, and for the new A-Class there are already nearly 90,000 orders just five months after the launch. The new generation of Mercedes-Benz premium compact cars includes, in addition to A- and B-Class, three more sporty, emotional models, including a coupe and an SUV. The five compact models will be produced in the production network of the Rastatt plant and at the new plant in Kecskemét, Hungary, which was opened up at the end of March 2012. Three of the five models, comprising the new A- and B-Class and, in the future, also the compact SUV will be assembled at Rastatt. The B-Class is currently being manufactured at both sites.

Credits: Daimler AG

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