Three millionth Mercedes-Benz Sprinter goes to motorhome manufacturer Hymer
Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans (left) and Benrhard Kibler MD of Hymer (right)
The latest Sprinter goes to Hymer to be turned into an ML-T
Mercedes-Benz Vans has celebrated a milestone with the Sprinter, used for a number of motorhome conversions. Since its market launch in 1995, the division has delivered three million units of its world vehicle to customers with 2015 being the most successful year for Sprinter in its history. In the year of its 20th birthday, sales of the Sprinter rose by 4% to 194,200 vehicles. Mercedes-Benz Vans is expecting further overall growth in demand in 2016.
Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, handed over the three millionth Sprinter to Bernhard Kibler, Managing Director of motorhome manufacturer Hyme. Hymer, a bodybuilder partner to Mercedes-Benz Vans, intends to turn the anniversary vehicle into one of its premium-segment Hymer ML-T motorhomes.
“Three million Sprinters in just 20 years is a sign of great success,” said Volker Mornhinweg. “The Sprinter was the founder of the segment for large vans and remains highly successful to this day – throughout the world. The Sprinter with its six production plants worldwide is a shining example of our growth strategy ‘Mercedes-Benz Vans goes global’. What’s more, for our partners the Sprinter provides the perfect base for a wide and varied range of bodies, from ambulances to luxury motorhomes.”
Mercedes-Benz Vans has developed along highly positive lines in recent years in the growing camper van sector. This year, too, the division’s global sales and market share are continuing to rise in this area. Growth of over 10% was recorded in the German market alone in 2015, amounting to sales of some 28,000 units – and it continues to offer potential. Specialist bodybuilders play a central role in this segment for Mercedes-Benz Vans, covering as they do a wide spectrum of customer demand – for additional variants of campervans, for example.
An important bodybuilder for Mercedes-Benz Vans is the motorhome manufacturer Hymer, based in Bad Waldsee in Baden-Württemberg. The company, which was founded in 1957, is the European market leader in the premium segment.. Hymer is an official ‘VanPartner by Mercedes-Benz’. This means that the company belongs to the exclusive circle of bodybuilders that Mercedes-Benz Vans audits and certifies as meeting its high standards in respect of quality, sales and after-sales. Hymer has relied on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter as the base vehicle for its premium-segment motorhomes since 1995. The collaboration between the two companies goes back more than 40 years now: the first Hymermobil was based on a Mercedes-Benz van.
“Mercedes-Benz Vans is a strategically important partner for us. The vans with the star are acknowledged to be among the safest in their class. The Sprinter, in particular, offers an extensive range of safety equipment, with its various driver assistance systems such as standard-specification Crosswind Assist, which is unique in our sector. Combined with our bodybuilding technology and premium-class equipment and fittings, we can offer the customer a camper van that is uncompromising in its operating safety and living comfort. We are delighted that our longstanding partner is handing over the three millionth Sprinter to us. We offer our sincere congratulations to Mercedes-Benz Vans on this significant anniversary and look forward to continuing our excellent collaboration,” said Bernhard Kibler. “Our customers can look forward to a few surprises this year, too.”
The Hymer ML-T, for which the three millionth Sprinter is to serve as the basic vehicle, is the first partially integrated motorhome to be equipped with the innovative Crosswind Assist system from Mercedes-Benz Vans.
As I own a Sprinter myself…..
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
