For this same reason you dont see any big trucks with the "in your face" 1 ft wide benz star on it.

the people who lease these new luxo cars dont want to buy a car brand that collects their trash twice a week.

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

True, but you do see them with Freightliner and Western Star, Thomas Built Bus, and there's the Sprinter (all Daimler brands).

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Garbage guys just came by my house today...driving a Sterling-powered McNeilus garbage truck, with the roaring fan that sounds like my E300 in the summer...

Sterling was owned by Daimler but ceased operations in 2009 - http://www.sterlingtrucks.com/company/default.asp

Now over in Europe, practically anything that moves has the 3-pointed star, including tractor trailers, buses, utility trucks, and of course about every 3rd car.

__________________
The OM 642/722.9 powered family
Still going strong
2014 ML350 Bluetec (wife's DD)
2013 E350 Bluetec (my DD)

both my kids cars went to junkyard in 2023
2008 ML320 CDI (Older son’s DD) fatal transmission failure, water soaked/fried rear SAM, numerous other issues, just too far gone to save (165k miles)
2008 E320 Bluetec (Younger son's DD) injector failed open and diluted oil with diesel, spun main bearings (240k miles)

1998 E300DT sold to TimFreeh
1987 300TD sold to vstech

having a little badge of "powered by mercedes benz" and having the big star are different

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

Sterling was the heavy duty division of Ford. After DC bought the line, they discontinued Ford products and substituted Freightliner. Sterling has since been discontinued as a brand.

DC brought MB branded trucks into the US in the 70's but stopped doing so after the USA purchase of Freightliner in the 80's.

The lack of visibly MB branded trucks has more to do with USA based heavy duty truck buyers than the perceptions of a guy in a S class.

World wide, DC has a large portfolio of country specific truck brand names so the lack of MB branded trucks in the US isn't an anomaly.

DTNA bought several brands including Sterling, had to make a choice where to cut when the economy went soft, Sterling was an under-performing name at that time so it went away.

Daimler had also made the mistake of buying Chrysler Corp., ... fortunately they were able to dump Chrysler without too much pain, and IMO Fiat is a better match for Chrysler anyway.

Mercedes Benz USA is very sensitive about their image in North America, and their car mix stays well equipped to keep that image. The trucks aren't as much of an issue, even as the Freightliner and Western Star trucks are seeing more and more global truck content, because North America drives conventional trucks, and most of the world drives cabover. Inside the skin there are a lot of shared components, but the form is recognizably different.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff