With “Mercedes-Benz Young Classics,” Daimler AG is setting its sights on a new, promising business segment. On this foto: Mercedes-Benz SL-Roadster, model range 107, from 1971 to 1985. (Image: Mercedes_Benz)

Daimler has opened the first “Mercedes-Benz Young Classics Store” as a pilot project in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. Here, customers are able to purchase, rent, insure, and even finance the young classics on offer. The store offers a variety of cars dating from the 1970s onwards, all in first-class condition. Interested parties can also view the range of available young classics online at http://www.mercedes-benz.com/young-classics.

Daimler also hopes to open up interesting new growth potential in Europe and the United States by expanding the spare parts business for the classic cars made by Mercedes-Benz. In doing so, Daimler is meeting the demand of classic car enthusiasts for original spare parts, while also expanding the current product range.

Young classics are vehicles between 15 and 30 years old. According to Germany’s Federal Office for Motor Vehicles, the market in Germany for young classics comprises approximately 6.6 million automobiles, 1 million of which are Mercedes-Benz cars, representing a market share of 15.6 percent.

Surveys by FIVA and Dekra show that around 60 percent of all owners of Mercedes-Benz young classics are between 21 and 50 years of age. Only 20 percent of them use those cars as their main vehicle.

Mercedes-Benz Young Classics is supported by the Business Innovation unit. The aim of the Business Innovation Team is to explore growth opportunities along the entire value chain. The focus is on unexploited potential within the company, as well as new business ideas relating to the current core business. Mercedes-Benz Young Classics demonstrates the breadth of the opportunities that exist for translating inherent strengths into additional, profitable growth.

Mercedes-Benz Young Classics will be presenting its product line at the Techno-Classica trade fair in Essen (April 1-5, 2009), the world’s largest fair for classic cars.

In a long-term collaboration with American Forests, a leading nonprofit organization that plants trees for environmental restoration, Honest-1 Auto Care, with a location in Pittsburgh, will donate funds to plant one tree for every customer repair order completed at its 19 auto care locations across the nation during the next year. Honest-1 Auto Care is currently the only auto repair franchise chain to enter into a year-long agreement of this magnitude with American Forests.

“As a fast-growing eco-friendly franchise chain, we wanted to partner with a reputable nonprofit whose mission statement toward being environmentally responsible is as strong as Honest-1′s,” said Jack Keilt, president and CEO of Honest-1 Auto Care. “Over the last year, we have taken the lead in the auto repair industry to be eco-friendly, and our new partnership with American Forests is just another way to give back to the environment.”

Beginning in March, customers who bring their car in for a service will automatically have a tree planted on their behalf. For a customer who is vigilant about regular check-ups and routine maintenance, this could result in Honest-1 donating several trees on that one person’s behalf. With thousands of repair orders in 2008 and franchise locations increasing, Honest-1 estimates at least 40,000 orders will be placed in 2009. The donated trees will be planted in forests that have been severely harmed by wildfire, disease, pests, development and natural disaster.

“We are proud to partner with a company so committed to giving back to the environment,” said Deborah Gangloff, Executive Director of American Forests. “The trees we plant for Honest-1 will reforest more than 100 acres of land. They will provide habitat for wildlife, halt damaging erosion, purify the air and water, and most importantly, will enhance and preserve precious forest ecosystems.”

Honest-1 is an auto repair and maintenance chain that serves as a one-stop shop for all routine car service needs. Services include ECO TuneUp(TM), ECO Oil Change, air conditioner system service, automatic transmission service, emission inspections, and heating and cooling system service.