Accessories and collections business continually expanding: From the Alloy Wheel to the iPod Interface: 10 Years of Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH

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Stuttgart, Germany, Nov 24, 2010 � Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH (MBA) is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. The company�s history is a story of growth: Since it was founded in 2000, MBA has achieved growth rates in high double digits. With the expansion of its core business areas, the workforce has increased from 80 to 200 employees today, and the company meanwhile offers about 15,000 different products. The product portfolio includes accessories and collections for Mercedes-Benz, smart, and Maybach brand passenger cars, a range of collection products for commercial vehicles, and original accessories for vans.


MBA offers a broad array of products: from carrier systems and floor mats to navigation devices and the latest telematics products for mobile phones. Moreover, the high-quality accessories of the MBA collections allow every customer to individually customize his or her vehicle. The latest product is the development of the own label MercedesSport. In addition to special 18-inch alloy wheels and aerodynamic and optical attachments, for example, this brand offers a sports chassis kit and a sports braking system.

The products in the Mercedes-Benz Accessories Line collection include products designed for every series produced by Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, SLR MacLaren, and smart. The customers can choose from a range of clothing, lifestyle products, children�s toys, or scale models of vehicles. Also offered are special licensed collections developed in cooperation with internationally renowned manufacturers.

Page 2The development of the original accessories is handled by a department at the Sindelfingen plant that works in close collaboration with the vehicle designers and is specially assigned to this responsibility. High quality, flawless functioning and integration in the vehicle architecture are the guiding principles. The products meet high quality standards that are ensured by measures including extensive tests and stringent approval processes.

A leap forward with newly developed products

Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH has developed numerous accessories itself, including the basic carrier for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and illuminated door sill panels. With telematics products like the iPod Interface Kit (for integration of the Apple iPod) in 2005 or the InCar Hotspot (unlimited Internet access in the vehicle) in 2009, MBA has taken on a pioneering role.
How popular MBA products are confirm these figures: Over five million alloy wheels were sold between 2002 and 2009. More than 1.7 million mobile phone cradles have been ordered since the product�s introduction in 2004, and customers have purchased over 550,000 iPod Interface Kits since 2005. Racing sports fans also get their gear from MBA: About 125,000 race driver caps were delivered in just one racing season. The sporty headgear is very popular among customers of all collections, and nearly two million units have been sold.

Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH

Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler AG. It is responsible for the development, selection, and marketing of original accessories and collections for passenger cars of the Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, SLR McLaren, and smart brands. In addition, collection products are also available for the commercial vehicles from Mercedes-Benz, as well as genuine accessories for vans.

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