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Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz has been fined 350 million yuan ($56.5 million) in China for price-fixing as part of a broader clampdown on anti-monopolistic practices.
A pricing regulator in Jiangsu said Mercedes-Benz pressured local dealers into setting a minimum sales price on some of its car models.
Some of the luxury German carmaker’s local dealers were also fined 7.7 million yuan, regulators said.
A Mercedes-Benz spokesperson said the company “accepts the decision and takes its responsibilities under competition law very seriously”.
“We have taken all appropriate steps to ensure to fully comply with the law,” the spokesperson told the Reuters news agency.
In a statement, the Chinese regulator said: “The investigation found Mercedes-Benz and its dealers in Jiangsu came to and carried out monopoly agreements to cap the lowest sales prices of E-Class, S-Class models and certain spare parts.”
In 2014, the Xinhua news agency reported that Mercedes had also been found guilty of manipulating the prices of after-sales services in China.
China is the world’s largest car market and foreign automakers have been under scrutiny for allegedly reaping high profits by overcharging customers.
In 2014, Chinese regulators fined the local units of Volkswagen and Fiat Chrysler a combined $46 million for price-fixing.
They also levied a record fine totaling 1.24 billion yuan on 12 Japanese car parts companies including Sumitomo Electric and Mitsubishi Electric for price-fixing.
Chinese authorities also conducted investigations into foreign business practices in the pharmaceutical, technology and food sectors.
Toyota is being caught in China’s anti-monopoly investigation.
The Japanese car maker said that Chinese regulators were looking into its Lexus luxury brand.
Audi, Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz are among carmakers and parts suppliers already under scrutiny for as-yet unspecified anti-competitive issues.
Toyota is being caught in China’s anti-monopoly investigation
A Toyota spokesman said the company was “co-operating fully with the queries from the authorities on Lexus”.
Although regulators have not set out the basis of their concerns, there have been reports in China of customers complaining about the high prices of imported vehicles and spare parts.
The technology and pharmaceutical sectors have also faced investigations in what analysts have said looks like an attempt to force down prices.
The investigations are being led by China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), which earlier this week raided a Mercedes office in Shanghai.
According to state news agency Xinhua, “inspectors are still collecting evidence and investigating whether Mercedes-Benz has used monopolistic tactics”.
Last month, China’s State Administration for Industry and Commerce – the body responsible for enforcing business laws – said it was looking into “alleged monopoly actions” by US tech firm Microsoft.
While Google has created an operational prototype of their self-driving car, they are not alone.
Downside? Google’s cutesy and fun looking vehicle shares a resemblance with a children’s toy. In today’s society where image is everything, this could definitely be a deal breaker for some potential buyers. Even if you customize it with a vinyl wrap, it’s still not going to compare to your coworker’s fancy sports car. However, Google isn’t the only manufacturer looking to make automated driving a reality.
Cruise RP-1
The Cruise RP-1 is a new system created as a major step towards hands-free driving. While it’s not a self-driving car, it definitely lends a hand to those of us with long highway commutes.
When activated, the Cruise takes care of maintaining the appropriate speed, remaining within the lane and keeping an appropriate distance from cars around it.
The roof-mounted cameras and radar sensors help the internal computer control the car’s steering. It constantly scans to ensure it is still within the lane and away from other vehicles.
Only 50 units will be offered to the public for now, but $10k is how much it will take to snag one of those limited systems. Installation will take place in California, sometime in 2015.
BMW Track Trainer 330i
The BMW Group also has their hands on a self-driving system. Though not as commonly known as Google’s autonomous vehicles, news of BMW’s self-driving car has been around since 2011. Although intended for the race track rather than public roadways, this technology is definitely a step in the right direction for autonomous technology.
BMW M235i
More recently, the M235i has shown the ability to safely steer through a variety of driving hazards. While states are still working out laws for self-driving cars, the BMW prototype will have to stick to closed-off tracks. But it definitely brings hopes for a future of autonomous cars hitting the highway.
2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class comes with a boatload of the most technologically advanced options. From cameras, radar, and hundreds of LED lamps, this vehicle is undoubtedly the best luxury sedan on the highway. While all of these features are amazing, the optional driver assistance package on the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class takes the vehicle to new heights.
With stereo cameras, radar, ultrasonic systems, 100 microprocessors, and several other technologies, the S-Class is the most technologically advanced premium sedan on the market. Astonishingly, the S-Class is able to navigate itself for approximately 15 seconds by using radars, sensors, and cameras.
Optical Mounted Cameras
The S-Class gets it 3D vision from a pair of optical mounted cameras in the windshield. These cameras are instrumental in helping the vehicle decide whether it should pay attention to the vehicle in front of it or on the lane markings. In addition, these cameras enable the Benz to more effectively recognize and respond to traffic and objects that may quickly dart out in front of it.
Lane Keep Assist
While most lane keep assists will simply warn you if you begin to veer into an adjacent line, this vehicle takes it one step farther. If there is a vehicle in the lane you are attempting to merge with, the break on the corresponding front wheel is applied gently to assist the vehicle to maneuver back into the right lane.
Brake Assist
This technology effectively monitors vehicles for oncoming vehicles veering into your lane or for crossing traffic. If the sensors recognize either of these scenarios, the S-Class alerts you with audio visual signals. When you apply the brakes, the vehicle helps you by adding additional braking pressure.
Active Parking Assist
While most people are comfortable parking their vehicle into a space, the S-Class makes more difficult parking simple.
If your vehicle detects an open space suitable for backing in or for parallel parking, you only have to put the vehicle in reverse and the S-Class will maneuver into the spot for you.
Aston Martin is to team up with the Mercedes to develop a new generation of engines and components.
As part of the deal, German carmaker Mercedes owner Daimler will take a stake of up to 5% in the UK luxury auto maker.
Aston Martin is to team up with the Mercedes to develop a new generation of engines and components
It is hoped the partnership will allow Aston Martin to compete more effectively with Volkswagen’s Bentley and Tata Motors’ Jaguar Land Rover.
100-year old Aston Martin makes the V8 Vantage, DB9 and Vanquish sports cars.
Aston Martin and Mercedes did not release any financial details of the deal, which they aim to complete by the end of the year.
“The proposed deal will see Aston Martin access significant Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Benz Cars’ resources, allowing the development of bespoke V8 powertrains and the use of certain components of electric and electronic architecture,” Ian Minards, Aston Martin’s product development director, said in a statement.
Aston Martin has been struggling of late. In the nine months to the end of September last year it sold 2,340 cars, a 19% drop on the same period in 2011.
Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev told a man whose Mercedes SUV they hijacked on Thursday night that they planned to go to New York, it has emerged.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, and his younger brother Dzhokhar, 19, seized a Mercedes-Benz SUV and held the driver hostage as they sought to flee from police late on Thursday.
Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev told a man whose Mercedes SUV they hijacked on Thursday night that they planned to go to New York
The Boston Marathon bombers told the driver that they planned to head to New York, a senior official revealed, but it is not clear if they told the man what they intended to do there, the New York Times reported.
The latest detail emerged as police confirmed Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev likely planned more attacks, and suggests they could have wrought even greater devastation on the US after being undetected by the FBI.
Boston police commissioner, Edward Davis, said on Sunday that police believed they had planned more attacks beyond the bombings at the marathon finish line.
German carmaker Daimler is selling its remaining 7.5% stake in pan-European aerospace and defence group EADS.
Daimler, owner of Mercedes-Benz, said it would use to the funds to focus on its main carmaking business.
Daimler is selling its remaining 7.5 percent stake in EADS
The shareholding in EADS is worth about 2.3 billion euros ($3 billion) as of the end of Tuesday trading.
EADS is the parent company of aircraft manufacturer Airbus. EADS said it would buy about 600 million euros worth of the shares.
Daimler also sold a 7.5% stake in EADS last year.
The annual Denver Auto show, one of the oldest car exhibitions in the United States, has started on Sunday, March 17, with a static Green Car Parade in Denver, Colorado.
“This year’s show is shaping up to be one of the best in the show’s 111-year history and it reflects the positive improvements in the industry,” said Tim Jackson, president of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association and presenter of the Denver Auto Show. “Visitors will be able to see, touch and sit in most of the vehicles represented by 37 car lines all under one roof. In addition to seeing 2013, 2014 and concept cars, visitors can ride with a professional driver to experience off-roading at “Camp Jeep”; test drive new cars in downtown Denver; and see the latest in luxury cars, popular “green cars”, custom styling and accessories; and enjoy entertainment for the whole family.”
Denver Auto Show 2013 runs from March 20 to March 24 at Colorado Convention Center and it promises to unveil more than five hundred new vehicles.
The newest cars, trucks, hybrids, vans, crossovers and sport utilities on the market will be on display.
Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ferrari, FIAT, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Lamborghini, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Lotus, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Nissan, Ram, Scion, Smart, Subaru, Toyota, Volvo, Volkswagen are the exhibiting manufacturers represented at this year’s show.
The “Ride & Drive” program at the Denver Auto Show allows attendees to test drive the new 2013 models from Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, FIAT, GMC, Jeep, Kia, Mazda, Ram and Scion.
The 2014 models include: Aston Martin Vanquish, efficient clean diesel Chevrolet Cruze, elegant Chevrolet Impala, sporty Ford Fiesta ST 5-door, powerful GMC Sierra 1500, Jaguar F-Type S, stylish Kia Forte, Kia Green Lantern Soul, sporty Mazda6, Mercedes-Benz CLA Concept Style Coupe, Subaru Forester, Toyota Tundra prototype, and Toyota SEMA Avalon hybrid.
On March 19, the Charity Preview Party opens on the showroom floor at the Colorado Convetion Center, providing exclusive access to the five hundred new cars and trucks on display. The charity event supports National Jewish Health, the Clear the Air Foundation and The Denver Post Community Foundation.
At the party will be announced the most outstanding car, truck and SUV of the year, as selected by the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Audi A5, Lexus GS350 F Sport and Scion FR-S are the contenders as car of the year, while GMC Sierra 2500HD, Nissan Frontier and Ram 1500 are competing as truck of the year, and the Audi allroad, Ford Escape and Kia Sportage as SUV of the year.
Also, there will be special appearances at Denver Auto Show 2013:
Denver Broncos team members DeMaryius Thomas (Friday) and Joel Dreessen (Saturday) at the GMC booth.
Miss Colorado – Hannah Porter – at the Cadillac booth on Saturday and Sunday.
Denver Nugget Danilo Gallinari and “Rocky” the Nuggets’ mascot with the Nuggets Dancers at Kia booth on Friday.
Also on Friday, Telemundo sponsors Hispanic Day with live entertainment on stage.
The sixth annual Denver’s Green Car Parade took place at the State Capitol on Sunday, March 17.
On the emerald green St. Patrick’s Day, “green cars”, some of the most innovative alternative powered and high mileage cars available were parked along the west side of the State Capitol’s Circular Drive.
Electrics and fuel-efficient gasoline-engined vehicles, gas/electric hybrids, clean diesels were displayed by members of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association.
Mitsubishi MiEV was on display at the Denver’s Green Car Parade on March 17. This event precedes Denver Auto Show 2013 which runs from March 20 to March 24.
The oldest and newest alternative power trains in the form of the Honda Civic GX and the Mitsubishi MiEV were showed at the parade.
The Honda Civic GX was first introduced in Japan during 1998 and is now available in 35 states. It is the oldest commercially produced vehicle to utilize compressed natural gas as a combustion fuel.
The MiEV has an EPA rating of 116 mpge. It can be charged overnight with 110V current and faster with 220V or 240V.
Also there were Chevrolet Tahoe converted to use both CNG and gasoline, Scion iQ, Nissan Leaf with an EPA rating of 116 mpge, Ford F-150 converted to CNG, the Dodge Dart SE, scoring 7 of 10 for greenhouse emissions and 6 or 10 for particulates.
Other green cars were: Ram 3500 Heavy Duty turbo diesel pickup from Chrysler, Silverado Z71 4X4 King Cab from Chevrolet, configured for dual fuel, gasoline or CNG. The Fisker Karma, a hybrid vehicle, as well as Prius V and C-Max Energi, Ford’s plug-in hybrid contender for Toyota’s title as the king of hybrid vehicles were on displayed along with Fusion Energi, another plug-in hybrid from Ford, and the all-new BMW Active Hybrid 3.
This year marks Denver Auto Show’s 111th anniversary, it has started in 1902, six years before the first Ford Model T autos left the factory.
Denver Auto Show 2013 (video)
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Considered the most prestigious event of its kind, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (“a competition of elegance”) is the conclusion of a week long festival of classic cars events in the Monterey area, California.
This year, a Mercedes-Benz built in 1928 won Best of Show, Baroness von Krieger’s 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K was sold for $11.77 million, while a 1968 Ford GT40, sold for $11 million, set a new record as the most expensive American car ever sold at auction.
On the third Sunday of each August (August 19, 2012) the most refined cars in the world are displayed on the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California.
Around 200 of the most prized collector cars and motorcycles are presented on the best finishing hole in golf, the famed eighteenth fairway at Pebble Beach.
Bugatti, Daimler, Delage, Duesenberg, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Packard, Rolls-Royce, are represented, along with Alfa-Romeo, Aston Martin, Cadillac, Chrysler, Cord, Isotta-Fraschini, Lancia, Maserati, Stutz and Talbot-Lago.
The 62nd edition of Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance included fifteen Cars of the Maharajas, twelve marques (brands) of Mercer (road and race cars, including Mercer Raceabout) and eight marques of Fiat (Grand Prix racers, coachbuilt prewar classics, and small postwar cars, with variants on the original Fiat 500). Special classes presented eleven cars designed by Jacques Saoutchik (Bugatti, Delahaye and Pegaso), nine roadsters Shelby Cobra, designed by Carroll Shelby in collaboration with AC Motors, ten American Sport Customs (1930s–1950s), German Motorcycles (BMW, DKW, NSU, Zündapp, including an 1885 Daimler Reitwagen, the world’s first actual motorcycle).
The maharajas (great kings) of India and South Asia bought hundreds of expensive cars (Rolls-Royce, Daimler, Hispano-Suiza, Maybach, Bugatti, Duesenberg, Minerva) during the last century. Lots of those cars were custom built for hunting or display. Over 800 Rolls-Royces were shipped to India between 1900 and 1950. Seven of them, built between 1924 and 1937, were displayed. One of them still belongs to the Maharaja of Udaipur, another (the “Star of India” of 1935) to the grandson of the maharaja who first bought it. The Maharajas Collection also includes a 1930 Bentley, a 1930 Delage, a 1935 Duesenberg, a 1925 and a 1935 Hispano-Suiza, a 1930 Mercedes-Benz 27/140/200 Type SS, and two “swan”-shaped vehicles comissioned by the Maharaja of Nabha in 1910 and 1919. The 1910 Brooke motor car, brought from the Louwman Museum in The Hague, was commissioned by Scotsman Robert Nicholl Matthewson, who lived in India in the early 1900s. It is modeled after a swan, and it is equipped with eyes that light up, a beak that opens, closes and sprays steam, and an eight-tone horn.
The three best cars in twenty categories (plus one for German motorcycles) are awarded and one of them is chosen “Best of Show”, with two runners-up.
Buggati has won “Best of Show” nine times since the beginning of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It is followed by Duesenberg and Mercedes-Benz, each of them with six victories. Rolls-Royce had five victories; and Daimler, Delage, Jaguar and Packard, three each.
1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Saoutchik Torpedo, entered by Paul and Judy Andrews of White Settlement, Texas, won Best Of Show at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2012.
Mercedes-Benz acquired its seventh victory with the 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Saoutchik Torpedo entered by Paul and Judy Andrews of White Settlement, Texas. The car is one of seven Torpedo bodies designed by Jacques Saoutchik for the Mercedes-Benz 680S chassis and is powered by a 6.8-liter supercharged engine (somewhere between 200 and 300 horsepower). This low-windshield appeared at the New York Auto Show in 1928, was sold to Frederick Henry Bedford and spent 30 years in storage before receiving a total restoration.
During Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, classic-car auctions are held by Gooding and Canadian RM Auctions at the nearby equestrian center.
An auction world record was set last year, when a 1957 Ferrari Testarossa was sold for $16.4 million.
Gisela von Krieger’s silver-striped black 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster, although expected to break the record, was sold for $11.77 million at Gooding’s auction, while a 1968 Ford GT40, sold for $11 million (RM Auctions), set a new record as the most expensive American car ever sold at auction.
The 1968 Ford GT40 is an extremely rare racer (one of only two surviving) and it was used as a camera car by Steve McQueen for his film “Le Mans” (1971).
1968 Ford GT40 made a record as the most expensive American car sold at auction, at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2012.
Considered the automotive equivalent of a coveted Picasso painting and known as the Von Krieger’s Special Roadster, the 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K had only two owners, Gisela and, after her death, Lee Herrington.
This rare car is one of 26 540K Special Roadsters, and was built on special order before World War II. Baroness Gisela Josephine von Krieger was considered one of the ten most fashionable women in the world. She made the car her own, although the car was bought by aristocratic von Krieger family for the use of her brother, Henning. When the war started, Gisela refused orders from the Third Reich to return home from France and sent the car to Switzerland. After the end of the war, Gisela lived in Manhattan, but kept the car at the Homestead Inn in Greenwich area, even after when she moved back in early 1960s to Switzerland. At her death in 1989, the car was valued $2.5 million. The vehicle was discovered untouched, with pink lipstick-stained cigarette butts in the ashtray, vintage roadmaps of New York and Connecticut in the door pockets and a woman’s driving glove in the glove box. The radiant black-and-chrome roadster with an interior of saddle leather and wood veneer is one of perhaps a dozen left in the world, and represents the height of prewar German automotive engineering.
Gisela von Krieger’s 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster, although expected to break the sale record, was sold for $11.77 million at Gooding's auction. Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2012
Mercedes-Benz wants to preserve classic cars and to encourage collectors, it has a Classic Center which offers customers hard to find parts.
During the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the annual Mercedes-Benz gala dinner honored car collector Arturo Keller with its coveted Star Driver Award.
You can find car parts for Mercedes-Benz “All Years and Models” at www.ecklersmbzparts.com.
Watch 2012 Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance
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This year Mercedes Benz Fashion Swim Week in Miami is transformed into the year’s biggest lesson in beach basics.
Featuring almost 2,000 brands, the swim shows give a glimpse into the trends of next summer, from sleek one-pieces to busy printed patterns, figure-flattering high waists, and plenty of sand-ready string bikinis.
While Anna Wintour was absent from the front row, other notable attendees included the Real Housewives of Miami cast; Dancing With The Stars’ Karina Smirnoff; Brooke Burke and her husband David Charvet, and chart topper Christina Milian.
Swimwear, summer’s unofficial uniform, is a $5 billion industry where designers fiercely compete to be every woman’s go-to brand for their yearly surf-side update.
High waisted L Space bikini gives a glimpse into the next summer trends at Mercedes Benz Swim Fashion week in Miami
One of the most highly anticipated shows of the week, Mara Hoffman, showcased plenty of cut-out detailing in a boho cowboy-meets-Native American aesthetic, which was a strong trend seen throughout the week.
Lisa Burke, a former model and current animal rights activist, had many fashion editors confused with a plethora of themes throughout her show, which included 60s pin-up girl styles walking alongside oriental prints and cute cowboys.
Karina Smirnoff, who recently dated Mario Lopez, also strutted her stuff on the runway for the show.
Dolores Cortés collection included her trademark pieces, with plenty of prints and razor-sharp cut-outs in neon mixed in with pastels and pops of color.
The tie-dye printed one pieces with stomach cut-outs and braiding details were standout pieces.
Xtra Life Lycra Brand showed one of the more innovative looks of the week, with a yellow and purple cut out one piece that added in cap sleeves.
She also peppered her show giant banana leaves as hats, as well as intriguing fur trims.
Agua Bendita showed diamond shaped neon prints accented with Eighties-style neon visors, tribal prints, and ink-splattered fabrics
Meanwhile Poko Pano jumped into the rainforest with tropical leaf and fruit prints, and puka shell necklaces, with neon oranges and greens ensuring the mostly neutral pieces popped.
Vitamin A by Amahlia Stevens used basic vintage-inspired two-pieces mixed in with snakeskin, black, gold, and blue, water-like printed fabrics, and Caffe Swimwear, a popular favorite, showed its St. Tropez meets Sunday shopping caftans with sleek high ponytails.
