DaimlerChrysler CEO expects 'good' September car sales at Mercedes

PARIS (MarketWatch) -- DaimlerChrysler AG's (DCX) Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche said Friday he expects the company's Mercedes-Benz brand to post "good" car sales in September.

Sales for the Mercedes-Benz brand increased 11% on the year in the January-to-August period to 739,800 vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz is part of Mercedes Car Group, which also comprises the Smart minicar and ultra-luxury Maybach brands.

In the first eight months of 2006, sales of Mercedes Car Group climbed 6.9% on the year to 818,200 vehicles. "September will be a good month for us again," Mercedes Car Group's head of global sales Klaus Maier told Dow Jones Newswires. He said growth rates are likely to be smaller in coming months as Mercedes-Benz rolled out new versions of the S-Class, M-Class and B-Class models in key markets last year, which led to rising sales towards the end of 2005.

However, car sales for the full year are expected to "be above last year's level," Maier said.

Maier said he is "very satisfied" with sales of the revamped E-Class model, without specifying further.

The E-Class model is a key earnings contributor for Mercedes-Benz. Sales plummeted last year following quality problems and a wide-ranging recall at Mercedes-Benz.

Sales for Mercedes-Benz' best-selling C-Class "develop good" ahead of the introduction of the new generation C-Class, which is due 2007. Maier expects a "good changeover" to the new model.

Year-to-date, sales for the C-Class fell 16% on the year to 155,000 vehicles.