DaimlerChrysler this morning said full-year 2003 unit sales of its commercial vehicles worldwide rose to 501,000 from 485,400 in 2002.
The largest growth markets were in the NAFTA region with sales of 134,200 units from 118,000; Latin America, with 40,200 units from 37,000; and the rest of the world, including Asia, with 77,100 from 65,200.
In addition to an earlier-than-expected and successful turnaround, the business unit Trucks NAFTA - which comprise the brands Freightliner, Sterling and Thomas Built Buses - achieved a significant increase of 13 per cent in unit sales with 128,300, the company said.
Sales of Mercedes-Benz vans fell to 230,800 units from 236,600.