Mercedes-Benz Türk, with its leadership in the Turkish coach market for 45 years, builds high-tech coaches at its bus plant in Hosdere/Istanbul. The company displayed at Busworld 2012 vehicles like new 2+1 seated Travego 17 with infotainment screen, Travego 15, new 2+1 seated Tourismo 16, Tourismo 15, Conecto Solo, Articulated Conecto, Sprinter service vehicle, Sprinter Dolmus (minibus specially designed for Turkey), and Vito 8+1 Minibus.
Since inception in 1967 till today, the company has made an investment of 710 million Euro and ranks the 15th largest company in Turkey. It produced a total of 62,000 buses and 149,300 of trucks since commencement of production in 1968.
Mercedes-Benz Türk continues to be the market leader with total sales of 3,018 buses. The brand became once again the most preferred one, with a market share of 56.8 per cent. The company exported 1,919 units of buses to foreign markets, especially to Western Europe.
The company started operating in the second-hand vehicle market in 2009. For the purpose, a new company called Mercedes-Benz Tasit Ticaret ve Servis A.S. was set up. Since then, using different brands like “BusStore” for buses and “Used1” for light commercial vehicles, the company achieved commendable success. In the first quarter of the current year, 75 second-hand buses (36 per cent higher than the same period last year), and 202 light commercial vehicles (66 per cent higher than the same period last year) were sold.
Considering the sector’s growing needs, “Mercedes-Benz Tasit Ticaret ve Servis A.S.” has been the first company that provides guarantee service in the second-hand market in Turkey with its “Used1” brand.
Mercedes-Benz Türk was established in Istanbul in 1967 under the name “Otomarsan” with Daimler-Benz AG as the major shareholder with 36 per cent. The company started production of the 302 type buses in 1968. In 1970, only two years after its foundation, the company started exporting its products. In 1986, in view of the growth potential of Turkey, the truck plant started production in Aksaray in Central Anatolia. In November 1990 the name of the company was changed to Mercedes-Benz Türk A.S.
Mercedes-Benz Türk is one of the biggest foreign direct investments in Turkey with an estimated total of Euro 710 million, and employs 4,900 people. Further, 3,500 persons are employed in its nationwide dealer and customer service network. Daimler AG currently holds 67 per cent shares in Mercedes-Benz Türk A.S.
Mercedes-Benz Türk produces city buses and coaches at the Hosdere bus plant in Istanbul and light, medium and heavy duty trucks at the Aksaray truck plant. These facilities are an important part of Daimler AG’s development and production network. The company also sells vehicles which are exclusively produced in Turkey in the domestic and export markets. Further, the company imports and sells Mercedes-Benz vans and all passenger car brands of the Daimler Group. In 2011 it sold 38,291 vehicles.
With a 56.8 per cent market share in the domestic coach market and 37 per cent in the domestic truck market of over 6 tonnes, Mercedes-Benz Türk remains a leader in the segment, thanks to its state-of-the-art products. It is also the top bus and truck exporter in Turkey (in 2011, 1,919 buses and 2,816 trucks were exported), the main export destination being Western Europe.