Telephone:

76477

Press Information

The Star and the Laurel

In 1986 the automobile celebrated its centenary to mark the occasion American journalist Beverly Rae Kimes and art director Harris Lewine brought out their book The Star and the Laurel. Published by MercedesBenz of North America, it was the brainchild of Leo Levine, head of the companys public relations department between 1969 and 1988. Since then it has been regarded as the standard work on the history of Daimler-Benz AG, charting the course of events right up to the centenary in 1986. The book devotes its first chapters to the early days of automotive history, highlighting the roles of Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz. In 1886, the two working independently of one another invented the automobile, an achievement that finds an echo in the book's title: Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft has been using the star as its trademark since 1909; Benz & Cie. similarly adopted the laurel back in 1909. In 1926 the two companies merged to create Daimler-Benz AG, with their respective brand insignias coming together to create the trademark that to this day epitomises Mercedes-Benz, one of the world's most prominent brands.

Date: July 15, 2009

Daimler Communications, 70546 Stuttgart/Germany

Seite 2

In The Star and the Laurel the author not only charts the company's multifaceted history in rich detail, but also brings a style and vocabulary to the writer's task that turns the book albeit published only in English into an unmissable read. The superbly crafted copy is complemented by a series of historic photos that revive period atmosphere and contemporary history in a unique way. Daimler AG's publication of this book in its digital library once again opens up The Star and the Laurel to a wide audience.

Further information on Daimler is available on the internet at: www.media.daimler.com

About Daimler Daimler AG, Stuttgart, with its businesses Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Daimler Financial Services, Mercedes-Benz Vans and Daimler Buses, is a globally leading producer of premium passenger cars and the global market leader of heavy- and medium-duty trucks as well as buses. The Daimler Financial Services division has a broad offering of financial services, including vehicle financing, leasing, insurance and fleet management. Daimler sells its products in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities on five continents. The companys founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, continued to make automotive history following their invention of the automobile in 1886. As an automotive pioneer, Daimler and its employees willingly accept an obligation to act responsibly towards society and the environment and to shape the future of safe and sustainable mobility with groundbreaking technologies and high-quality products. The current brand portfolio

Daimler Communications, 70546 Stuttgart/Germany Mercedes-Benz - Eine Marke der Daimler AG

Seite 3

includes the worlds most valuable automobile brand, Mercedes-Benz, as well as smart, AMG, Maybach, Freightliner, Western Star, Mitsubishi Fuso, Setra, Orion and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt, New York and Stuttgart (stock exchange abbreviation DAI). In 2008, the Group sold 2.1 million vehicles and employed a workforce of over 270,000 people; revenue totaled 95.9 billion and EBIT amounted to 2.7 billion. Daimler is an automotive Group with a commitment to excellence, and aims to achieve sustainable growth and industry-leading profitability.

Daimler Communications, 70546 Stuttgart/Germany Mercedes-Benz - Eine Marke der Daimler AG