Daimler AG
Annual Report 1992

Plain-text annual report

Supervisory Board HERMANN J. ABS Frankfurt am Main Honorary Chairman, Deutsche Bank AG Honorary Chairman HILMAR KOPPER Frankfurt am Main Member of the Board of Management, Deutsche Bank AG Chairman KARL FEUERSTEIN *) Mannheim Chairman of the Corporate Labor Council, Daimler-Benz AG Chairman of the Joint Labor Council, Mercedes-Benz AG Deputy Chairman PROF. DR. RER. NAT. GERD BINNIG Munich Head of IBM Physics Group DIPL.-ING. RICHARD BOLLMANN *) Mannheim Senior Manager , Deputy Chairman of the Senior Managers' Committee, Mercedes-Benz AG DR. RER. POL. WOLFGANG ROLLER Frankfurt am Main Speaker for the Board of Management, Dresdner Bank AG PROF. DR.-lNG. E.H. WERNER BREITSCHWERDT Stuttgart DR. RER. POL. HORST I. BURGARD Frankfurt am Main Member of the Board of Management, Deutsche Bank AG HELMUT FUNK *) Stuttgart Chairman of the Labor Council, Untertlirkheim Plant and Main Office, Mercedes-Benz AG ERICH KLEMM *) Calw Member of the Labor Council, Sindelfingen Plant, Mercedes-Benz AG MARTIN KOHLHAUSSEN Frankfurt am Main Speaker for the Board of Management, Commerzbank AG RUDOLF KUDA *) Frankfurt am Main Departmental Manager within the Board of Management, Metal-Workers' Union HUGO LOTZE *) Reinhardshagen Chairman of the Labor Council, Kassel Plant, Mercedes-Benz AG DIPL.-ING. HANS-GEORG POHL Hamburg Deutsche Shell AG SIEGFRIED SAUTER *) Frankfurt am Main Deputy Chairman of the Corporate Labor Council, Daimler-Benz AG Chairman of the Joint Labor Council, AEG Aktiengesellschaft DR. JUR. ROLAND SCHELLING Stuttgart Attorney at Law PETER SCHONFELDER *) Augsburg Member of the Labor Council, Deutsche Aerospace AG PROF. DR. JUR. JOHANNES SEMLER Kronberg/Taunus Member of the Board of Management, Mercedes Aktiengesellschaft Holding FRANZ STEINKUHLER *) Frankfurt am Main First Chairman, Metal-Workers' Union HERMANN-JOSEF STRENGER Leverkusen Chairman of the Board of Management, Bayer AG BERNHARD WURL *) Mainz Departmental Manager within the Board of Management, Metal-Workers' Union *) Elected by the employees. Board of Management EDZARD REUTER Stuttgart Chairman PROF. DR.-ING. E.H. DR. H.C. WERNER NIEFER Stuttgart Mercedes-Benz Deputy Chairman DR. JUR. MANFRED GENTZ Berlin/Stuttgart Daimler-Benz InterServices (debis) DR. JUR. HANS-WOLFGANG HIRSCHBRUNN Stuttgart Personnel DR. RER. POL. GERHARD LIENER Stuttgart Finance and Materials JURGEN E. SCHREMPP Munich Deutsche Aerospace (DASA) ERNST G. STOCKL Frankfurt am Main AEG HELMUT WERNER Stuttgart Mercedes-Benz PROF. DR.-ING. HARTMUT WEULE Stuttgart Research and Technology The Corporate Principles of Daimler-Benz Our work at Daimler-Benz serves people and their en vironment. We aim to offer the world's most advanced products, systems and services. This requires a continual com mittment to technical, business, and social innovation as well as a corporate culture characterized not by complacency, but by creative unrest. In a world increasingly com plex, with promising opportunities - but also risks - even minor events can take on consequences of major proportions. Therefore, we must carefully weigh our every action. We owe it to future genera tions to use our natural resources prudently and sparingly. This sense of responsibility must be reflected in all our thoughts and activities throughout the Group. Our customers are the focus of our efforts. We must strive not just to meet their expecta tions, but to exceed them. Co operation and the open exchange of know-how throughout all areas of our companies are central to meeting this goal. Just as we are accountable to our customers, we are equally responsible to the companies' owners as well as to the public. This means we must be willing to provide feedback to others and to assess ourselves openly and hon estly. We aim to learn better and faster than our competitors. To achieve this, we need not only flexible organizational struc tures but also employees who think entrepreneurial^. Key to our success are em ployees with a sense of respon sibility, independence, creativity, drive, teamwork, and openness to new ideas. We therefore promote every employee's personal devel opment to the best of our abilities. Furthermore, we are active in certain specialized areas, such as applied microelectronics, domestic appliances, selected financial ser vices, and countertrading, where we aim to be highly competitive. To a great extent, these activities interlink our core business areas. Each of our business areas falls under the responsibility of one of our four corporate units. Thus, Mercedes-Benz, AEG, DASA, and Daimler-Benz InterServices (debis) work together under the umbrella of Daimler-Benz, the managing holding company of our group. Our cooperation aims to: Combine know-how and experience to create new dimensions - Responsibly promoting progress for everyone We are proud to continue a distinguished tradition guided by these principles. Daimler-Benz does business in all corners of the globe. We are convinced of the advan tages to everyone of open trade borders throughout the world. Therefore, we view competition as a welcome proving ground. The measure of our success is the re cognition our work receives, and economic success is an undenia ble part of this recognition. Inherent to our philosophy is respect for other cultures. As an international company, we reject all forms of discrimination. This principle applies, moreover, to the filling of management positions, where we will extend equal oppor tunities to every employee regard less of nationality. Daimler-Benz is an integrated technology group. This means that our various business areas are linked by cross cutting technolo gies and system structures. We place a special emphasis on our know-how and experience in traffic management systems and trans portation technologies. Our core businesses include vehicles for passenger and freight transportation, rail systems, aero space, propulsion systems, de fense systems, automation, power transmission and distribution, and information-technology services. In these areas, Daimler-Benz strives to be a world leader. Executive Management and Daimler-Benz Group Representatives Executive Management and Daimler-Benz Group Representatives DR. JUR. BOY-JURGEN ANDRESEN Personnel and Social Policy HANSJORG BAUMGART Daimler-Benz Art Possessions MARTIN BERGER Annual Accounts and Disclosure Daimler-Benz Group Representatives Berlin PETER-HANS KEILBACH Englerallee 40 D-1000 Berlin 33 Bonn ALFONS PAWELCZYK Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 26 D-5300 Bonn 1 DR. RER. POL. ROLF A. HANSSEN *) Corporate Planning and Controlling Brussels DR. IUR. HANNS R. GLATZ 133, Rue Froissart - Bte 29 B-l 040 Brussels Hong Kong (until December 31, 1992) KLAUS B. BEHRENDT 6th Floor Ruttonjee House 11 Duddell Street, Central Hong Kong Tokyo RAINER JAHN SVAX TT Building 3-11-15 Toranomon Minato-ku, Tokyo 105 Japan Washington D.C. RICHARD H. IMUS Suite 800, 1350 I Street, N. W. Washington D. C. 20005 U.S.A. MATTHIAS KLEINERT *) Public Relations and Economic Policy DR.-ING. MICHAEL KRAMER Research 1 DR. RER. NAT. VOLKER LEHMANN Research 2 WERNER POLLMANN Technology, Environmental Officer Daimler-Benz JORG SEIZER Subsidiaries and Affiliated Companies KONRAD STRAUB Corporate Auditing DR. OEC. PUBL. PAUL WICK *) Finance and Taxes DR. IUR. SOLMS WITTIG *) Staff Lawyer GERD WORIESCHECK Personnel Development for Senior Executives *) With general power of procurement. To the Stockholders and Friends of our Company Up until the middle of the 1992 financial year, we were firmly con vinced that our corporate approach would again lead to strong growth in our operating results. But things have turned out much differently than anyone could have expected. What happened, and why? A number of unforeseeable events occurred in 1992; a constella tion of circumstances that affected not only us, but nearly all of German industry. One of the major incidents here has been the drastic decline, since mid-1992, in domestic demand in the Federal Republic of Germany. At the same time, we are still waiting 1993 will also bring far more trials and tribulations than we could have foreseen at the start of 1992. For the way things stand now, an upturn in the economy will not come about as quickly as had been hoped. We can expect exports to pick up in the second half of the year at the earliest, but even then it will be too soon to hope for an increase in do mestic demand. In addition, recon struction of the new Eastern German states is making demands on all of us that are greatly above and beyond that which has already been pro vided. On the whole, it looks as if much of what German business and industry could just manage to mas ter in the past few years now simply overstrains its capacities. In every respect, therefore, 1993 will not be easy. But even given to day's much more difficult scenario, we still have reason to be confident. We have made excellent progress to wards reaching our strategic goals of internationalization, of honing our competitive edge on the European home market, of refurbishing and supplementing our product ranges. Then there are the many measures - whether planned or already imple mented - to reduce costs and render our processes, procedures and or ganizational structures more flexible. for the international business cycle to recover from its slump and once again spur export opportunities. As a result, we find that almost all our West European trade partners are also suffering from this economic downturn. Moreover, public con tracts and orders have dropped off sharply, while politicians respon sible seem unsure about which basic future sourcing policies to pursue. Finally, the turmoil the European Monetary System is undergoing has dramatically worsened the situation of the German economy. The key fields of activity of your company have not been spared by these upheavals. In particular, the demand for passenger cars and com mercial vehicles has plunged, hurt ing us seriously. With the inclusion of Deutsche Aerospace Airbus, now consolidated for the first time, Group turnover was projected for more than DM 105,000,000,000. As it was, we just missed reaching the magic number of DM 100 billion. It was expected that consolidated net income of the Group, as well as operating results, would rise strongly, but instead they fell by 25%. One sign of this is that Group income and revenue tax ex penditures did not increase, but de creased by more than DM 450 mil lion. But what is especially disheart ening is that in the course of the 1992 fiscal year, we had to reduce our workforce in Germany by over 18,000 people. We were among the first to fore see coming trends and to adapt our strategies and structures accor dingly. Since then, others have also realized that the present short-term downswing merely reflects phenom ena long in the making; namely, the sweeping changes in the structure of the automotive industry. Your com pany is aware of these transforma tions and is prepared for them. Against the backdrop of today's critical situation, the advantages of our new structure are thrown into high relief. For example, fully con solidating Deutsche Aerospace Airbus has had a very positive effect on the operating results for the Group as a whole. This is only one example, albeit the most important one, of how your company's new structure can balance out and com pensate for economic swings. We believe this justifies our pro posal that dividends be maintained at last year's level. It is our belief that you, the shareholders, should continue to enjoy the benefits of your company's long-term earnings trends, regardless of the occasional setback. To maintain these overall positive income trends, we have been working very hard since the mid-1980's to cut costs and improve efficiency. In the motor-vehicle divi sion alone, these comprehensive ef forts have meant annual savings of several billion marks. Similar pro grams have been initiated in every division of the Group, and include exploiting productivity reserves to the fullest. Given present economic stagnation, cost-efficient procedures and processes must and will be con tinued and intensified. Where corresponding staff re duction has been unavoidable, we have been able to do so in a manner acceptable to all parties. Unfor tunately, future interests of the Group as a whole may at some time necessitate active measures above and beyond this. In addition, we have launched broad-based measures to make our organizational structures more flex ible. Consequently, your company is already benefitting from leaner cen tral offices, fewer levels of hierarchy, higher performance, profit centers with decentralized decision-making authority, a heightened sense of the individual's responsibility, and more room for entrepreneurial creativity. These policies are not empty phrases, but are quickly becoming the reality of our day-to-day opera tions. They are key components of a corporate culture characterized by creative unrest and intradivisional, intrahierarchical cooperation. A further major component of our corporate culture is working in small groups. For example, by 1995, group work will be extended to in corporate about half of those work ing in production at Mercedes-Benz. Naturally, we expect this manufac turing method to also reduce costs significantly, especially since it will be subject to constant, painstaking cost-benefit analyses. These processes entail major al terations in long-standing structures and conventional behavior. But since we had decided to undertake these steps years ago voluntarily, and not because a changed economic reality forced us to, we are certain that we will harvest the fruits of our labors ahead of others. But even more im portant, the men and women work ing for your company are helping implement these occasionally pain ful changes - an attitude that is not part and parcel of every company. One of our primary strategic goals is to globalize your company. Only thus can we benefit from the advantages of specific business and industry locations; only thus can we strengthen our products' compet itiveness. Moreover, the global ap proach prevents us from becoming too dependent on haphazard fluctua tions in currency exchange rates. For although our hedging measures to stabilize exchange rates made up for some of the loss, in the closing months of 1992 such movements lowered our sales proceeds by about one billion Deutschmarks. As noted, we have made good progress in internationalizing pro duction structures. We have inten sified our collaboration with Ssang Yong, the South Korean automobile manufacturer, and have stepped up our operations in Mexico by opening our first passenger-car assembly plant on the North American conti nent and by establishing a new pro duction plant for city and regional buses. International activities like these give us solid footing on growth markets of the future. A completely different kind of business opportunity is our joint venture between debis and Gas- prom, the Russian natural-gas sup plier. Our strategic alliances also serve to help internationalize Daimler-Benz; just a few examples include our active cooperation with Mitsubishi, as well as DASA and Tupolev's joint study on hydrogen propulsion systems for aircraft. 1992 also saw the collaboration of debis and Cap Gemini Sogeti bear fruit; in fact, this cooperation will soon enable us to provide compre hensive information processing services Europe-wide. Of course, we can continue im plementing our strategies only if we have internationally-experienced managers and co-workers. To ensure that the men and women working in our integrated high-technology group understand and identify with our global perspective, we have drawn up a set of guidelines entitled "New, Productive Syntheses of Knowledge and Experience: For Con scientious Progress for Everyone". These guidelines set high standards for our integrated high-technology Group. But they also outline exciting perspectives for shaping the future of our company, and for all those who think in global dimensions and are ready and willing to work to gether to find answers to today's and tomorrow's problems. And given the men and women who work in your company, we are sure that we can meet the challenges facing us in the current financial year as well. By maintaining our strength and conti nuity in difficult times, we can pre pare for a later upswing and take part in its prosperity even more fully. However, we are expanding our worldwide activities not only in pro duction and supply. Global sourcing, design centers, and research field of fices are part of the picture, as is the strategic extension of our worldwide communications networks to im prove our public relations work. The annual report also reflects the growing internationalization of your company, for we are now in cluding the same kind of supplemen tary information found in U.S. an nual reports. For this reason, we are concentrating on the consolidated financial statements, instead of pub lishing both that and the complete annual statement of accounts of Daimler-Benz AG as well. Of course, you may also obtain the annual statement of accounts on request, and it will be available for your per usal at the Annual General Meeting as well. Much progress has been made in Europe. Along these lines, by acquiring the majority interest in Fokker, the Dutch aircraft firm, DASA will be able to offer a full range of products and services in the promising field of regional aircraft. This acquisition also makes DASA Europe's largest aeronautics and aerospace company. At the same time, we have completed our re structuring, including the integra tion under company law of Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm and Telefunken Systemtechnik with DASA. This marks an important step towards restructuring Germany's aeronautics and aerospace industry into an internationally competitive entity. trations fell to 130,300 vehicles (-10%). New registrations of our S-class in its first full year of avail ability increased by 12% to 22,400 vehicles. Our SL convertible, with 11,900 (1991: 7,500) registrations, remained highly popular. Exports of Mercedes-Benz cars, at 288,500, were 2% up on those of 1991. Exports to European Commu nity countries almost matched those of the previous year. While substan tial increases were achieved in the United Kingdom, Spain and above all Portugal, declines were recorded in Italy, France and other EC countries, due to prevailing economic condi tions. Business in the U.S. showed a gratifying increase; despite the diffi cult general market situation we sold 63,300 cars (+ 8 %). The 1992 award of the U.S. Environmental Pro tection Agency went to our S-class; this series increased its share of the "high luxury segment" to 41% (1991:37.5%). Mercedes sales were among those to suffer from the slowdown in the Japanese car market. With 29,600 new registrations (- 13%) however, the company remained the leading import marque. Our busi ness in the Far East outside Japan made extremely positive progress. Due to the sharp fall in car de mand in Germany, which intensified considerably during the course of the year and, in contrast to earlier cycles, was also felt in the luxury car segment, Mercedes-Benz cut back its car production to 529,400 units (1991: 578,000). Disappointing World Economic Trends Daimler-Benz: Sales of over DM 98 Billion In many industrial countries, economic activity was influenced by the continued low level of demand for consumer and capital goods. Only in the U.S. did a long-awaited economic recovery take place during the year under review. In the West European countries, the economic indicators for the most part showed a downturn in the second half of the year, with capacity underutilization and a rise in unemployment in al most all countries. The Japanese economy too declined in 1992. In Germany, the economic slow down in the middle of the year came about surprisingly suddenly and was unexpectedly fierce. High interest levels played a considerable part in this. In contrast to past economic cy cles, it was not possible to compen sate for the reduced domestic de mand by means of increased foreign trade. Furthermore, the rise in the value of the Deutschmark within the European Monetary System made the price of German products in EC markets considerably less competi tive. In the face of rising unit labor costs and dwindling profit margins, many companies were forced to modify their investment plans, with consequences also for projects in the new Federal States. Despite the con tinuing difficulties and a further fall in employment, the gross domestic product of East Germany rose in 1992 for the first time following sharp declines. Note: The Business Review is combined for Daimler-Benz AG and for the Group. Consolidated sales of Daimler- Benz totaled DM 98.5 billion (+ 2%) in the 1992 financial year. Sales in the European Community totaled DM 65 billion as in the previous year, of which DM 42.6 billion (1991: DM 42.7 billion) was gener ated in the German market. We re corded sharp increases, 8% in each case, in the U.S. (DM 13 billion) and in other exports markets (DM 21 bil lion). Excluding intragroup business, Mercedes-Benz accounted for about two thirds, AEG for 11%, Deutsche Aerospace for 17% and debis for 6% of consolidated sales. Mercedes-Benz: Worldwide Sales of 527,500 Cars In the absence of stimuli at the wider economic level, the expected increase in sales in major car mar kets in 1992 largely failed to come about. In Western Europe and the U.S., the markets remained static, while Japan experienced a substan tial decline. With the end of the post-reunification boom, market- depressing factors won the upper hand in the German car market too. Demand in Germany slowed up con siderably, particularly in the second half of the year. At Mercedes-Benz too, car business did not meet expectations. Worldwide sales fell by 5% to 527,500 units. In Germany 239,000 (1991: 270,400) Mercedes-Benz cars were newly registered, 10,100 (1991: 7,700) or 4% of these in the new Federal states. Business on the die- sel side remained relatively stable, with 83,300 registrations (1991: 89,200). In the last year prior to the model change in the compact series, 74,000 of these cars were newly reg istered in Germany, the most popu lar cars being the entry-level 190 D and the 190 E 1.8. Mid-series regis Mercedes-Benz: Commercial Vehicle Business Becomes More Difficult Still In the commercial vehicle mar kets too, conditions were generally difficult in the year under review. The downward trend in demand for commercial vehicles continued in almost all the West European coun tries. The U.S. market however saw the start of a recovery, while in Mexico and Argentina the volume of business increased further. Due to the unfavorable condi tions in the West European commer cial vehicle markets, Mercedes-Benz was unable to maintain the positive business trend of 1991. New regis trations of Mercedes-Benz commer cial vehicles in Germany fell by 10% to 109,800. Vans from 2 to 6 t and trucks over 6 t were both affected by this. The trend in buses however was positive. 2,800 new Mercedes- Benz buses were registered, 35% more than in the previous year. At 31%, the company maintained its share of the West European market for trucks over 6 t at last year's high level, despite the intensified compe tition. However, our total new regis trations in Western Europe were 9% down on 1991. Incoming orders totaled DM 12.1 billion in the year under review, an increase of 6% on the comparable figure for 1991. This increase was achieved only in the German mar ket, where demand increased by 16% to DM 7.4 billion. New export orders fell by 6%. The Rail Systems field of activity recorded a particularly large in crease of more than 60% in orders. Numerous large orders received by MAN GHH Schienenverkehrstechnik GmbH for low-floor streetcars and an order for 90 locomotives by the Deutsche Bundesbahn/Deutsche Reichsbahn placed with the newly acquired AEG Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH contributed in large measure to this. In the automated manufac turing, process engineering, environ mental technology and postal auto mation markets, the Automation field of activity received numerous orders despite the unfavorable mar ket conditions in the plant and engi neering industry. In the Electro- technical Systems and Components field of activity, orders did not quite match the high level of 1991, since the economic trend led to a pronounced decline in orders for motors. In Microelectronics, TEMIC TELEFUNKEN microelectronic GmbH, a joint venture formed by AEG and Deutsche Aerospace AG, was included on a 50% basis in the financial statements of AEG as of luly 1, 1992; comparably calculated, incoming orders showed an increase. Due to this generally unsatisfac tory market situation, production at our German factories had to be reduced by 13% from the extremely high level of the previous year, to 164,600 vehicles. At 112,800 commercial vehicles (+ 5%), the production volume of the foreign companies of the group was higher than ever before. In the U.S., Freightliner increased its production by 33% to 33,300 trucks and in the fiercely contested market for heavy Category 8 trucks (upwards of 15 t gvw), moved into the lead for the first time, with a market share of 23%. Our companies in Mexico, Argentina and Turkey also in creased their production and sales. Mercedes-Benz do Brasil on the other hand was forced to cut back its production schedules substantially due to difficult conditions in the domestic market. The general weak ness of the West European market was not without consequences for Mercedes-Benz Espana; production, which had increased in the previous year by 26%, had to be reduced by 6% to 26,500 vans. In the group as a whole, 277,300 commercial vehicles were produced during the year under review. The share of foreign production companies in this increased to 41% (1991: 36%). AEG: Concentration of Forces as a Result of Structural Adjustments The difficult economic conditions caused output in the West German electrical engineering industry to fall by almost 5%. Nevertheless, business of the AEG corporate unit increased in important areas of ac tivity, particularly Rail Systems and Power Transmission and Distribu tion. Despite more difficult conditions, consolidated sales rose by 2% to over DM 98 billion. The largest increases, 8% in each case, were recorded in the U.S. and other foreign markets outside the EC. Deutsche Aerospace Concludes Integration Process In the year under review, the activities of Messerschmitt-Bolkow- Blohm (MBB) and Telefunken Sys- temtechnik (TST) were combined with those of the old Deutsche Aero space. The newly created Deutsche Aerospace will form the core com pany for the operative business of the aerospace corporate unit of the Daimler-Benz group. With this step, the company will substantially im prove its capacity for action and co operation on the international mar kets and will also achieve greater clarity and efficiency of operation. Due to a decision of the GATT panel, Daimler-Benz AG decided in negotitations with the German gov ernment to forego exchange rate support for Deutsche Airbus GmbH. In return it was agreed, in addition to other considerations, that DASA should acquire the 20% stake held by Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau earlier than originally planned. This transfer allowed the subsidiary Deutsche Airbus GmbH, Hamburg, which was previously not fully con solidated, to be integrated fully into the group retroactively from January 1, 1992. Since October 1, this com pany has been operating under the name Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH. In parallel with this restructur ing, the process of organizational streamlining and cost reduction con tinued, particularly in the central administrative departments. In mid 1992, DASA transferred its microsystems and vehicle safety activities to TEMIC TELEFUNKEN microelectronic GmbH, a joint ven ture in which Deutsche Aerospace and AEG each have a 50% stake. In this new company, all the activities of the Daimler-Benz group in the fields of semiconductors, micro systems and vehicle equipment have been grouped together. After the inclusion of Deutsche Aerospace Airbus and TEMIC (comparably cal culated), Deutsche Aerospace slightly increased its consolidated sales during the year under review. The increase was chiefly due to the invoicing of large satellite projects. The trend in incoming orders was heavily influenced by the Airbus programs; however, the com parable figure for the group, at DM 12.5 billion, was down on the 1991 level of DM 15.1 billion. debis: Further Increase in Total Output debis again achieved a sharp increase in total output in the year under review. The divisions System- haus, Financial Services and Trading made above average contributions to growth. The Financial Services divi sion remained the mainstay of busi ness with a share of 72%. debis obtained 48% of its total business in Germany, 12% in the EC partner countries, 31% in the U.S. market and 9% in other markets. 79% (1991: 77%) of total output in the year under review related to customers outside the Daimler-Benz group. In addition to further growth from within, the inclusion of the for mer German Cap Gemini SCS com panies had a positive effect at debis Systemhaus. Dynamic growth in the Financial Services division continued in 1992. Particularly the companies in Ger many, the U.S., the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Italy contrib uted to this gratifying trend. The fi nancing and leasing of Mercedes- Benz vehicles was the unchanged focus of activities. The newly formed companies debis Leasing GmbH in Germany and debis Financial Services Inc. in the U.S. began oper ation in the year under review, pro viding financing for products other than motor vehicles, debis Aviation Leasing GmbH, Stuttgart, will do business with customers beginning in 1993. The organizational restructuring of insurance activities in the Daimler-Benz group and in the ex ternal industrial client sector under the roof of debis Assekuranz Ver- mittlungs GmbH was concluded in the year under review. The Trading division, with its companies debis International Trad ing GmbH and debis Industriehandel GmbH, substantially improved its market position. The development of the Marketing Services division was impaired by the economic downturn in Germany in the year under review. The pleasing growth of busi ness with customers outside the Daimler-Benz group continued, how ever. Since the start of trial service for the Dl and D2 networks in the second half of 1992, debitel, as a private telephone company, has provided access to these mobile communications services coupled with competent, individual advice to customers. Employment in the Daimler-Benz Group Increased International Purchasing Activities At the year-end, the Daimler- Benz group employed 376,467 people (1991: 388,696), 302,464 (1991: 317,461) of them in Ger many. At the end of December, Mercedes-Benz employed 222,482 people, AEG 60,784, DASA 81,872 and debis 8,258. Daimler-Benz AG (Holding) had 3,071 employees, some 555 of them in corporate man agement functions, 1,287 in central research activities and 1,229 in service sectors working for the cor porate units and for the Mohringen offices. In Germany, employment at the corporate units was generally unsat isfactory due to the downturn in the economy. At our foreign companies however, capacity was for the most part fully utilized. Due to the unsatisfactory level of orders in the vehicle sector, there was an increasing need for adjust ments at the domestic plants of Mercedes-Benz AG. At AEG, employ ment in 1992 was generally satisfac tory. During the last months of the year however, production had to be adjusted to the poor trend, partic ularly in Germany, in demand. The employee numbers of Deutsche Aerospace reflect the inclusion for the first time, on a pro rata basis, of Eurocopter and TEMIC and the full consolidation of Deutsche Aerospace Airbus. Changes in government budgets however resulted in capac ity of Deutsche Aerospace being inadequately utilized in the year under review. The increase, compar ably calculated, in employee num bers at Daimler-Benz InterServices (debis), was due to the inclusion of the German subsidiaries of CAP Gemini. The Daimler-Benz group pur chased goods and services from around the world to the value of DM 55.7 billion (1991: DM 55.4 billion). Mercedes-Benz accounted for almost three quarters of this, AEG for 10.7%, Deutsche Aerospace for 14.8% and debis for 4%. Our purchasing activities were affected to a large degree by the dif ficult economic situation. Overall, prices of goods and services pur chased remained virtually static. With our global sourcing strat egy, we continued to further interna tionalize our purchasing. Our pur chasing departments in Germany are assisted in important procure ment markets by corporate co ordinating offices. We expect to find new opportunities in the East Asia region and particularly in South China, with its extremely rapid pace of economic development. The new structure of Daimler- Benz, based on performance centres and leaner management, promotes and intensifies the integration of the suppliers into our planning and permits further progress to be made towards ensuring the complete- systems capability of suppliers. With these competent partners who contribute their know-how from the earliest evolution of the product, and also through low costs and high quality, we shall together be able to keep pace with the demands of the market. In these activities we give the highest priority to meeting our environmental responsibilities. We also, along with other West German companies, support the idea of a purchasing drive for the new Federal States, as instigated by the German government. By helping East German suppliers to become fully competi tive and by increasing the volume of goods and services we obtain from the new Federal States substantially in the coming years, we intend to make our contribution to the eco nomic upturn in that part of Ger many. Investment Remains at a High Level During the year under review, we again invested substantial sums to safeguard the future of the Daimler-Benz group of companies. Additions to fixed assets totaled DM 7.8 billion (1991: DM 6.5 billion) and intangible assets rose by DM 0.2 billion; the net additions to financial assets amounted to DM 0.3 billion (1991: DM 2.3 billion), depreciation and disposals of fixed and intangible assets to DM 5.5 billion. Mercedes-Benz again accounted for DM 4.2 billion of the investment in fixed assets; DM 3.6 billion (1991: DM 3.3 billion) of this sum was de ployed in Germany. As in past years, the emphasis was on the Passenger Car division. DM 2.7 billion was in vested in efficient, modern manufac turing facilities, in new products and in preparations for future tasks. The car assembly plant in Rastatt, along with preparations for the new com pact series, were at the forefront of these activities. Investment in the Commercial Vehicle division totaled DM 1.1 billion, of which DM 0.6 bil lion, around half, was spent at the plants in Germany and was directed towards additions and renewals in the product ranges, modernization of manufacturing plant and the intro duction of new technologies. Additions to fixed assets amounted to DM 1.1 billion at DASA (excluding the first time contribution of DM 1.4 billion by Deutsche Aero space Airbus), DM 0.8 billion at AEG and DM 0.2 billion each at both debis and the holding company. At the operative level, the funds were chiefly used in order to develop new products and to further increase productivity. Additions to leased equipment increased from DM 4.2 to DM 5.2 billion. The leasing business is fi nanced by depreciation and disposal charges and by sequential additions to liabilities. Borrowing to finance the leasing and sales financing companies totaled DM 11 billion (1991: DM 8.1 billion). DM 9.3 Billion Spent on Research and Development The spending of the Daimler- Benz group on research and develop ment in 1992 totaled DM 9.3 billion (1991: DM 9.0 billion). Contract research, almost exclusively at Deutsche Aerospace, accounted for DM 4.4 billion. More than 36,000 people are employed worldwide in the research, development and testing sectors of Daimler-Benz. The central division "Research and Technology" is engaged in a permanent dialogue with the four corporate units of the Daimler-Benz group, in order to assess and an alyse their requirements for new technologies. Following this, recom mendations are made or specific innovation projects launched. Focal points of group-wide research are propulsion technology, vehicle design, transport technology, devel opment of new materials and mate rials technologies, information tech nology and the environment. Mercedes-Benz spent DM 3.1 billion (1991: DM 3.2 billion) on research and development in its Passenger Car and Commercial Vehicle divisions in 1992. At the Detroit Auto Show in Jan uary, 1992, the Passenger Car divi sion presented the new 600 SEC top- of-the-range model. With this coupe, which combines advanced design with the highest levels of comfort and safety, Mercedes-Benz now of fers the largest range of any manu facturer catering to the luxury car market. Our co-operation with AMG resulted in the course of the year in further individualization of the pas senger car range and led to AMG versions being offered for almost all our model series. In June 1992, our sales organization presented the new Mercedes-Benz 600 SL to the public. With the new generation of 4-valve gasoline engines and an extended range of standard and op tional appointments, our mid-series models now offer even greater value. Further innovations were presented at the Paris Motor Show in October, 1992, with the gasoline-driven 300 SE 2.8 and, new to Europe, the highly economical 300 SD diesel. During the year under review, new products joined the Mercedes- Benz commercial vehicle range and product improvements were intro duced. One of the outstanding events of the year was the start of produc tion of all the models in the new 0 404 generation of touring coaches. At the beginning of 1992, the low- floor articulated O 405 GN also went into production. The Hanover Inter national Commercial Vehicle Show saw the presentation of an innova tion with a most promising future, the "O 100 City" minibus. This lowfloor bus with a fiber-glass rein forced synthetic body is tailored to future trends in urban line-service operation. A further addition to the bus range for Europe was the 0 340 built by our Turkish subsidiary. In the Unimog product sector, the new light and medium model se ries were introduced on the market. The completely new U 90 to U 140 L models replace the most successful Unimog series to date, the U 600 to U 1150 L, in the 4.8 to 8.5 t perm. GVW category. In the Commercial Vehicle divi sion, design plays an important role in sales and as an instrument of competition. The commercial vehicle study "EXT", which was shown in May 1992 at the Hanover Commer cial Vehicle Show, is intended for long-haul operation and features a design which is highly innovative for this sector. AEG spent DM 754 million on research and development in 1992; this was 12% more than in the pre vious year (DM 672 million) and was equivalent to more than 6% of AEG sales. Focal areas of research during the year under review were decen tralized automation equipment, run ning gear and drive systems, trans port systems, systems and software technology, pattern recognition, very high frequency microelectronic com ponents and high-temperature su perconductors. At DASA, DM 5.2 billion (1991: 5.0 billion), equivalent to 30% of sales, was spent on research and development; DM 4.3 billion of this was spent on externally commis sioned projects. Projects financed by DASA itself again totaled DM 0.9 bil lion. In the Aircraft group, the main activities relevant to the aircraft business were the Airbus A 330/ A 340 programs, the Dornier 328 and the European Fighter Aircraft; the most notable event on the helicopter side was the completion of development work on the German-French Tiger anti-tank and escort helicopter. In the Space Systems group, research and development work concentrated on the various ESA programs and the Ariane program. In the Defense and Civil Systems group, work on the Trigat anti-tank system continued. In the civilian sector, increased em phasis was placed on radio and tele vision transmitters and on traffic management systems. In the Propul sion Systems group, major efforts were undertaken to ensure a further expansion of non-military aero-engine business in the long term; on the diesel engine side, the focus was on development of a new product generation. In the field of medical systems, work centered on further development of existing lithotripters and on new ultrasound systems. Consolidated Net Income: DM 1.45 Billion The consolidated income state ment of the Daimler-Benz group for 1992 shows a net income of DM 1.45 billion. The fall of DM 0.5 bil lion from the previous year's figure resulted primarily from the onset of unexpectedly difficult conditions for vehicle business in the third quarter of the year and from the changed op erating environment for major areas of the aerospace industry. Results from ordinary business activities fell by one third to DM 2.5 billion. The interest expense of our leas ing and sales financing companies was slightly below last years' level at DM 0.4 billion. Excluding the this interest expense our net interest in come amounted to DM 1.0 billion (1991: DM 1.1 billion); the decline was due to reduced liquidity. The monetary adjustments made by our subsidiaries in high-inflation coun tries in their financial statements have been retained in the Daimler- Benz financial statements, effec tively preventing the reflection of inflationary profits. Sound Balance Sheet Structures The balance sheet total rose by DM 10.5 billion to DM 86.2 billion. This was mainly attributable to the fact that Deutsche Aerospace Airbus was fully consolidated for the first time. On the assets side of the con solidated balance sheet, both non- current and current assets increased in roughly the same proportion as the balance sheet total. On the liabilities side, the equity ratio fell from 30 % to 28 %; the pro portion of non-current assets cov ered by stockholders' equity fell from 89 % to 81 %. Neither of these figures include the financial services business, which is largely financed by borrowings. Taking into account medium and long-term provisions, particularly pension provisions, long and medium-term capital amount to 61% of the consolidated balance sheet total. This is sufficient to fully cover both non-current assets and inventories. As in previous years, the largest contribution - albeit a substantially lower one in 1992 - to consolidated earnings was made by the vehicle sector. The abrupt fall in demand for both cars and commercial vehicles in Germany and the absence of the expected recovery in major foreign markets had a substantial influence on this decline. The situation was further aggravated by the fall in the value of currencies of major Euro pean partner countries which signifi cantly impaired the competitiveness of our product prices. Following the extremely high ex penses of the previous year in prepa ration for the withdrawal from office and communication systems, AEG achieved break-even group results in 1992, whereas operating results re mained negative and did not reach last years' level. Here too, business was handicapped by static or down ward economic trends in important sales markets, particularly in the second half of the year. Deutsche Aerospace has made extensive preparations for the ad justments which will be necessary due to the fall in orders already evi dent in the year under review, par ticularly in the defense sector. Pre liminary outlay relating to future business also depressed results. The high positive contribution of Deutsche Aerospace Airbus, which was fully consolidated for the first time, was not able to compensate completely for the negative factors. The contribution of debis to the consolidated result was similar to that of the previous year. This was due above all to the again favorable trend in earnings of the Financial Services division. Earnings of the Systemhaus division were nega tively influenced by intensified com petition in the information technol ogy sector. Allocation of Earnings The net income of Daimler-Benz AG totaled DM 5,193 million. This figure includes extraordinary in come of DM 4,490 million resulting from valuation adjustments of pen sion provisions and inventories at Daimler-Benz AG and Mercedes- Benz to bring them into line with the practice which has been followed in the Daimler-Benz consolidated state ments since 1989. This means that the same ac counting and valuation methods are on the whole now used at the differ ent levels and within each area of the Daimler-Benz group. This in creases "transparency" and ensures comparability. At the same time, segmental reporting as required for the future listing of our shares on the New York Stock Exchange is also facilitated. At our Annual General Meeting, we shall propose that the profits arising from the valuation adjust ment be transferred in their entirety to retained earnings and so remain in the company. Calculated excluding income from valuation adjustments, net in come fell from DM 1,194 to DM 703 million. As in previous years, Mercedes-Benz AG made by far the largest contribution. While debis also contributed a positive result and AEG broke even, a loss had to be as sumed from Daimler-Benz Luft-und Raumfahrt Holding AG. exchange rate factors, we must be prepared to have to reduce output at our German plants. The slightly bet ter conditions in overseas markets on the other hand will make it possi ble to increase our foreign commer cial vehicle production, but not suffi ciently to compensate for the down turn in domestic output. In order to keep pace with in creasingly fierce competition, Mercedes-Benz will be redoubling the efforts already underway to re duce costs and improve productivity. This will include a further reduction in workforce numbers. For the current year, AEG ex pects a slight increase in its volume of business; business in foreign mar kets will grow somewhat more than that in Germany. An increase in business is expected particularly in the Power Transmission and Distri bution and Microelectronics fields of activity. Research and development work will be stepped up, as will in vestment in fixed assets. In addition, further co-operation and acquisitions are planned, with a view to an all- round strengthening in the position of AEG. Deutsche Aerospace expects to achieve a sales volume similar to that of 1992. Higher revenue can be expected in the Aircraft group with the deliveries of the first Airbus A 340 aircraft to customers. Also, the joint venture TEMIC will make a substantially larger contribution to the volume of business of DASA. In the Space Systems group, we ex pect a sharp sales rise in the Ariane program. No other major projects are due to be invoiced in the near future however, so that sales will fall considerably short of the excep tionally high level of 1992. In the From the net income of Daimler- Benz AG, DM 101 million will be transferred to the retained earnings of the holding company, in accord ance with Paragraph 58 of the Companies Act. At our Annual Gen eral Meeting on May 26, 1993, we shall propose that an unchanged div idend of DM 13 be paid per share of DM 50 par value. The total dividend amount will increase, due to the re duction in treasury stock, to DM 604 million. Outlook At the start of 1993, the eco nomic outlook in most industrialized countries is uncertain. In the U.S., a further upturn in demand is ex pected, while in Japan recovery is not likely before the end of the year. Economic trends in the West Euro pean countries will differ widely, the strongest chance of an economic re covery being in the United Kingdom and France. In Germany, an upturn cannot be expected before the se cond half of the year at the earliest. In the first two months of 1993 sales in some areas of both commer cial vehicles and cars were signifi cantly below expectations. Thus short-time working could not be avoided. The increase in value added tax in 1993 as well as the increase in the tax-relevant usefull life of cars led to many purchases in the Ger man market being brought forward to 1992. For the remainder of 1993 we expect positive stimuli for the entire car range from the introduc tion of the new compact class in the middle of the year. In the European Community, there will be a decline not only in our car sales but also in sales of commercial vehicles from our Ger man factories. Against the back ground of continued depressed mar kets and increased prices of our products in foreign markets due to Defense and Civil Systems group too, it is likely that business will fall substantially as a result of the con tinuing unfavorable trend in orders. In the Propulsion Systems group, sales of civilian aero-engines will not yet be able to compensate for the substantial fall in military business. An important aim of DASA in the current year is to adapt capacity as quickly as possible to the ex pected fall in orders, a trend which is likely to be considerably more pronounced in the coming years, particularly in the defense sector, than was originally expected. Since production schedules in the Aircraft and Space Systems groups are also declining and are beset by consider able uncertainties, appropriate ad justment of employee numbers in all areas will be unavoidable. Following lengthy negotiations, we concluded an agreement with the Dutch government in February, 1993, allowing us to acquire a 51% majority holding in aircraft manufac turers Fokker. Daimler-Benz InterServices will further increase its business with customers outside the Daimler-Benz group, a focal area being the System- haus division, where software activ ities will be stepped up, for the most part in collaboration with CAP Gemini. The Financial Services divi sion is aiming to assume a leading role as a supplier of integrated solutions. The Insurance division, debis Assekuranz, will increasingly be establishing offices of its own in the coming years not only in West ern Europe but also in the American and South East Asian regions, debis Risk Consult and debis Marketing Services GmbH also plan to expand their business, debis Handel will in crease its activities, particularly in the area of barter trade, through the establishment of additional foreign offices in important counter-trade markets, debis expects to substan tially increase its total output in 1993. With the help of the joint ven tures which were formed in 1992, it is our intention to improve our performance, to reduce costs and to offer new products on the market. We expect these joint ventures to exhibit a high level of growth in the coming years. This applies partic ularly to the field of transport and traffic management systems, where intelligent, future-oriented solutions are increasingly in demand. We shall continue the cost- cutting programs already underway; the high wage levels in Germany compel us to introduce leaner pro duction structures. The expansion of production capacity abroad will therefore assume increasing impor tance. The number of hierarchical levels within the companies of the group is being reduced, with the aim of shortening decision-making pro cesses and increasing the motivation of our employees. Overall, we expect sales to remain static in the 1993 financial year, with a further decline in earnings. Corporate Unit Mercedes-Benz *) 1992 figure comparable. Due to the unfavorable business environment, Mercedes-Benz was unable to maintain its positive trend of the previous years. Consolidated sales were 1% below those of the previous year, at DM 66.5 billion. Sales revenue of the Commercial Vehicle division fell by 3% to DM 26.9 billion, whereas that of the Passenger Car division matched its high level of the previous year at DM 39.6 billion. Sales of Mercedes-Benz in the European Community fell by 5% to DM 41.5 billion. This result was in fluenced by the unfavorable trend in the German market, where sales fell by 5% to DM 29.2 billion. In coun tries outside the EC, the volume of business increased by 6% to DM 24.9 billion. Large increases were recorded in South East Asia, the United States and Central America. At Mercedes-Benz, as through out the automotive industry, adjust ments in employment numbers had to be made, in response to the eco nomic and structural difficulties fac ing the world automotive industry at the present time. At the year-end, the number of employees in the group had fallen to 222,482 (1991: 237,442), 10,752(1991: 11,104) of whom were apprentices and trainees. The workforce of Mercedes- Benz AG declined by 14,981 to 169,080 employees. The car plants, the commercial vehicle plants, the sales division and the administrative headquarters all saw a fall in employee numbers. In order to respond more quickly and more flexibly to changes in the company's operating environment and to more intensive competition, Mercedes-Benz produced plans for a revised management structure, implementation of which began in January 1993. With the creation of product and service centres, each of which is accountable for its own results, all areas of the company are being geared more closely to the market and to the needs of the customers. Mercedes-Benz invested DM 4.2 In the Commercial Vehicle division, our worldwide investment again totaled more than DM 1 billion. DM 0.6 billion, over half the total, was invested at the factories in Germany. Here we concentrated on additions to our product range and on the in troduction of new technologies. Out side Germany, the emphasis was on renewal of the vehicle ranges and on a modernisation and expension of our production plants. A total of DM 3.1 billion (1991: DM 3.2 billion) was spent on re search and development in the Pas senger Car and Commercial Vehicle divisions, much of this, as in the past, in the environmental and safety fields. Due to the difficult conditions in the most important markets, a slight recovery is the most that can be ex pected for sales of the Mercedes- Benz cars in the second half of 1993. For commercial vehicles, we expect a further decline in demand in Western Europe, while the growth in our overseas sales and production will probably continue. billion (1991: DM 4.1 billion) in fixed assets in 1992; DM 3.6 billion (1991: DM 3.3 billion) of this spend ing took place at locations in Germany. As in past years, the emphasis was on the Passenger Car division, where at DM 2.7 billion the substan tial investment volume of the previous year was maintained. Depressed World Car Markets The recovery in important car markets which had been expected for 1992 did not come about, due to the low level of world economic activity. In Western Europe and the U.S., sales were static, while in Japan new registrations fell. The post- reunification boom in the German market came to an end and the mar ket has returned to a normal level. Although world production of passenger cars matched the volume of the previous year, plant utilization declined further, due to the con tinued build-up of manufacturing capacity. Increasing employment problems, falling profits and fiercer worldwide competition in all market segments set the tone for the world car industry. Increased Foreign Sales Export sales of Mercedes-Benz increased by 2% to 288,500 cars; in Germany's partner countries of the European Community, they almost matched those of 1991. Although our sales in Italy fell by 8%, 1992 was our second best year for busi ness in this market. Our sales in France were 5% below the previous year's level, while in the United Kingdom we achieved an increase of more than 8% despite the continuing recession. In Spain too, our car sales were gratifying, continuing the up ward trend which has been main tained ever since 1985. With sales of 63,300 Mercedes- Benz cars (+ 8%), the trend in our U.S. business was generally pleasing. Our S-class was awarded the 1992 U.S. Environment Prize by the Environmental Protection Agency; this series increased its share of the "high luxury" segment to 41% (1991:37.5%). Federal Republic of Germany: Fall in Demand Accelerates During the Year After record volumes in 1991, swollen by exceptional factors, the German car market rapidly lost mo mentum during the year under re view. New registrations nevertheless totaled approximately 3.9 million cars (- 6%), the fall being attributable exclusively to the West German States. This volume, which was still high on a long-term comparison, was overshadowed however by a plunge in domestic orders from the early summer onwards and by a build-up of stocks of new and used vehicles. Mercedes-Benz: Slight Increase in Car Sales Despite the unfavorable overall conditions, car sales of Mercedes- Benz increased slightly in 1992 to DM 39.6 billion. Growth momentum came chiefly from overseas markets, the volume of business in the EC being 2% below the level of the previous year. Mercedes-Benz was unable to escape the general downward trend in the German vehicle market. New registrations of Mercedes-Benz cars fell to 239,000 units (1991: 270,400 units); the new Federal States accounted for 4% of this total, or 10,100 units (1991: 7,700 units). 74,000 (1991: 96,100) Mercedes compact models were newly regis tered in Germany. New registrations of the mid-series fell to 130,300 ve hicles (-10%). New registrations of our S-class increased by 12% to 22,400 vehicles. Our SL models too continued to enjoy high popularity in Germany, with 11,900(1991: 7,500) cars sold. The new S-class coupes only became available on the market towards the end of the year under review. We too were affected by the downturn in the Japanese car mar ket, although we nonetheless main tained our position as the leading imported marque. Our business in the Far East outside Japan showed a very positive trend. We also achieved relatively high growth in the Middle East and Australia. Due to the low overall level of demand, Mercedes-Benz cut back its car production to 529,400 units (1991: 578,000 units). The reduced production particularly affected the compact series (- 17%), where a model change was imminent. 7% fewer mid-series vehicles were produced, while production of the S-class, the coupes and the SL models increased by 6%. Additions to the Model Range The outstanding newcomers to the Passenger Car division were the 500 SEC and 600 SEC S-class coupes, which made their world de but at the Detroit Auto Show in Janu ary 1992. At the 77th Paris Motor Show, the 300 SE 2.8 and 300 SD S-class models, the 600 SL, the 400 E and the enhanced mid-series models with new 4-valve engines were presented to the public. Also in Paris, our S-class was voted "The World Car 1992" by an inter national jury of motoring journalists from Western Europe, Japan and the U.S. Highest Safety Levels as Standard Specification The high active and passive safety standards of our vehicles were raised still further by a number of measures during the year under review. Since autumn, 1992, all Mercedes-Benz passenger cars have been fitted as standard with the driver's airbag. On account of the considerably superior protection it provides, we fit a "full-size" airbag in our vehicles and not the smaller "Euro-airbag". On various models, the front passenger's airbag too is included in the standard specifica tion. Further improvements in safety are being developed as a matter of utmost priority. DM 2.7 Billion Invested to Safeguard the Future In 1992, we invested DM 2.7 bil lion in the Passenger Car division to secure the company's future opera tions in the long term, the highest spending level in the history of the company. Principal objects of invest ment were the car assembly plant in Rastatt, preparations for production of the new compact series and the 4-valve gasoline and diesel engines and introduction of water-based paints in further areas of our manu facturing. Strong Performance in the German Touring Car Championships 1992 was a year of records in the German Touring Car champion ship. More spectators and wider re porting than ever before were proof of the popularity of this series. Mercedes-Benz played a leading role in the 1992 season, winning 16 of 24 races. Klaus Ludwig, in the AMG Mercedes-Benz 190 E took the Championship title, followed by Kurt Thiim and Bernd Schneider, a suc cess unrivalled by any other compet itor in this fiercely contested series. Outlook Given the difficult conditions in almost all major car markets, we ex pect at the most a slightly more posi tive trend in sales of Mercedes-Benz cars in the second half of 1993. The first two months of 1993 were sub stantially below our expectations for car sales in Germany. The introduc tion of our new compact series should lend sustained impetus to our sales. On May 25, 1992, the Rastatt plant, third car assembly plant of Mercedes-Benz AG was inaugurated. This forward-looking move will safe guard the long-term competitiveness of our German-based operations. In terms of productivity, flexibility, product quality and environmental compatibility, the Rastatt plant will serve as a model for all the other Mercedes-Benz plants. Further Progress Towards Shorter Development Cycles In addition to price and quality, the traditional components of com petition, questions of time-scale and innovation are now also acquiring ever greater importance. Using modern development management methods with a strong emphasis on an interdisciplinary approach we are in a position to face these chal lenges. Close coordination takes place between the research, development, sales, marketing, production engi neering, materials management and business management sectors when new products are designed. In the development phase, teams are set up for the various components of the vehicle, in which development and production engineering staff work side by side. The result is shorter development times compared with the previous sequential ordering of the development and production engineering processes. Weak Commercial Vehicle Markets in Western Europe Conditions were generally diffi cult in the most important commer cial vehicle markets in 1992. The markets in Italy, the United Kingdom, France and Scandinavia were partic ularly weak; competition on prices and terms again intensified. In con trast to the generally declining trend in Europe, a recovery took place in commercial vehicle business in the US, particularly in the heavy-duty segments. The markets in Mexico and Argentina continued to grow. In Brazil however, continuing political and economic uncertainty led to a considerable fall in demand. Al though the worldwide production of the commercial vehicle industry in creased by 3% to 12.5 million vehi cles, production in Western Europe of trucks over 6 t fell by 10% to 299,000 units. End of Post-Reunification Boom in Germany The post-reunification boom in Germany which continued into the first part of 1992 came to an abrupt end in the middle of the year. Due to the buoyancy of the first half of the year however, the market showed an increase for the eighth consecutive year, with new registrations of com mercial vehicles totaling 337,100 units (+ 1%). The growth was largely fuelled by the market for vans and trucks up to 6 t. In the truck seg ment over 6 t, however, 98,700 vehi cles were newly registered, 6% fewer than in 1991. Mercedes-Benz Maintains Market Position in Western Europe Due to the unfavorable condi tions in important markets, Mercedes-Benz was unable to main tain its positive trend of 1991. Sales of the Commercial Vehicle division fell by 3% during the year under review to DM 26.9 billion. Business in the German market fell by 10% to somewhat below DM 11 billion, while business abroad rose to DM 15.9 billion (1991: DM 15.5 billion). With worldwide sales of 94,000 trucks (1991: 109,400 trucks) over 6 t, we maintained our position as world market leader in this segment. Due to the low level of demand in the second half of the year, new Mercedes-Benz registrations in Germany fell to 109,800 commercial vehicles, 10% below the record volume of 1991. Exports from our German facto ries fell by 2% to 78,200 units. Nev ertheless, we held our West European market share for trucks over 6 t at the previous year's high level of 31%. Due to the unsatisfactory situa tion in the West European markets and the fall in demand in Germany, we had to reduce production at our German factories by 13% from the exceptionally high level of the pre vious year, to 164,600 vehicles. The adjustments in production levels affected particularly the Worth and Diisseldorf assembly plants but also, after a time-lag, Mannheim, Gaggenau and Kassel, which build major assemblies for commercial vehicles. Increased Production at Foreign Companies With an increase of 5% to 112,800 units, production at the foreign companies in the Mercedes- Benz group reached its highest level ever. Our American company Freightliner, whose production in creased by 33% to 33,300 trucks, made a substantial contribution to this. In the fiercely contested U.S. market for heavy Category 8 trucks (upwards of 15 t gvw), Freightliner moved into the lead for the first time, with a market share of 23%. A pleasing trend in business was also recorded at our companies in Mexico, Argentina and Turkey. Due to the unfavorable situation in its home market, Mercedes-Benz do Brasil had to cut back production substantially, despite increased exports. Mercedes-Benz Espafia was hit by the weakness of the West European markets; following an increase of 26% in the previous year, production had to be cut back by 6% to 26,500 vans. Group commercial vehicle production of Mercedes-Benz fell in 1992 by 6% to 277,300 units from the high level of the previous year. Our foreign companies increased their share of production from 36% to 41%. Leading Manufacturer of Buses Over 8 t In 1992, group production of Mercedes-Benz buses and bus chassis totaled 29,000 units (1991: 28,600 units). We thus maintained our position as the world's leading manufacturer of buses over 8 t permissible gross vehicle weight. Mercedes-Benz buses in this cate gory set a new record in 1992 for registrations in Germany, at 2,500 units (+ 40%). At our Mannheim plant, the last O 303 model left the assembly line after a production run lasting 18 years. 38,000 O 303's were sold, making this the world's most successful touring coach. Pro duction of the new O 404 coaches started at the beginning of 1992. Increased Unimog Sales Our Unimog sales rose during the year under review to 4,600 units (1991: 4,100 units). Major orders, notably from China and Greece, more than compensated for the fall in sales in Germany and important world markets due to economic con ditions. 650 (1991: 550) of the 2,300 (- 5%) vehicles sold in Germany were supplied to customers in the new Federal states. New Products and Product Improvements Increased Collaboration with SsangYong Motor Company During the year under review, new products joined the Mercedes- Benz commercial vehicle range and product improvements were intro duced. The overall philosophy is to offer at all times the very latest state of the art in environmentally com patible, economical and individually- tailored transport solutions. The outstanding event of the year in the bus sector was the start of production of all the models in the new 0 404 generation of touring coaches, which was presented at the end of 1991. Reactions from cus tomers have been universally posi tive. At the beginning of 1992, the low-floor articulated 0 405 GN also went into production. The Hanover International Commercial Vehicle Show saw the presentation of an in novation with a most promising fu ture, the "0 100 City" minibus. This completely new low-floor bus, devel oped in cooperation with a Dutch design and development center, is tailored to future trends in urban line-service operation. A further addition to the bus range for Europe was the 0 340 built by our Turkish subsidiary. In the Unimog sector, the 1992 financial year saw the production and market launch of the new light and medium Unimog series. From the outside, these models are distin guished by the new spacious safety- design driver's cab, with an engine hood which slopes more sharply on the driver's side to give a better view when working. Mercedes-Benz AG and South Korea's fourth-largest vehicle manu facturer, the SsangYong Motor Com pany (SYMC) concluded an agree ment on co-operation in October, 1992. This means that in addition to license production of diesel engines and vans as provided for in an earlier agreement, SYMC will as of 1994 be able to produce Mercedes-Benz gaso line engines under license. By this long-term cooperation, which was initiated in 1991, it is our intention to create an improved position from which to serve the South East Asian market. To reinforce the partnership, Daimler-Benz AG has acquired a 5% holding in the capital stock of SYMC. From 1994, more than 100,000 Mercedes-Benz gasoline and diesel engines will be produced annually on jointly designed production facili ties at the Changwon plant. Outlook The prospects for the commer cial vehicle markets at the begin ning of 1993 are not good. Only a substantial recovery in the West European volume markets and over seas markets would be capable of compensating for the continuing slowdown in the German economy, where we experienced marked sales declines in the first two months of 1993. The Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle division faces still fiercer competition due to the Single European Market. In the coming years, we shall therefore have to exploit all possible means of pre serving and strengthening the competitiveness of our German- based operations. We hope to improve on the record 112,800 units produced by the foreign commercial vehicle com panies of the Mercedes-Benz group in 1992 and further strengthen our position as the world market leader for trucks over 6 t. Corporate Unit AEG Despite the weakness of the West German electrical engineering market, the AEG group recorded an increase in the volume of business in important areas of operation, par ticularly Rail Systems and Power Transmission and Distribution. Sales of the AEG group rose by 8% on the comparable figure for the previous year to DM 11.6 billion. Revenue from sales in Germany rose by 11% to DM 6.8 billion, while for eign business increased by only 3%. The earnings trend of the AEG group did not come up to expecta tions. This was due to static or reces sive economic conditions in impor tant sales markets, particularly in the second half of the year. Overall therefore, operating results did not match the level of 1991. Postal Automation made a substantial profit; the Electrotechnical Systems and Components field of activity improved on its good position and achieved positive results; Rail Sys tems improved its earnings substan tially and almost broke even, while the Domestic Appliances field of in Nuremberg. Large-scale invest ment also took place at TEMIC for the production of integrated circuits in Heilbronn and airbag production in Aschau. The AEG group spent DM 754 million on research and develop ment in 1992, a rise of 12% on the comparably calaculated figure for the previous year. Focal areas of research in the year under review were decentralized automation equipment, running gear and drive systems, transport systems, systems and software technology, pattern recognition, very high frequency microelectronic components and high-temperature superconductors. On July 1, 1992, AEG's subsid iary TELEFUNKEN electronic GmbH, Heilbronn, and its affiliated com panies were brought into TEMIC TELEFUNKEN microelectronic GmbH together with the micro electronics activities of Deutsche Aerospace AG (DASA). AEG and DASA each have a half share in this company, which they are consolidat ing on a pro rata basis in their financial statements. For the current year, 1993, AEG expects to slightly increase its vol ume of business, particularly in the Power Transmission and Distribu tion and Microelectronics fields of activity. activity improved on the profits of the previous year. In Industrial Automation, the motors sector and Microelectronics, earnings remained negative or worsened, due in part, to considerable burdens. Provisions contained in the 1991 financial statements for the with drawal from office and communica tion systems could in part be cred ited to income, thus contributing to an increase of DM 63 million in the result from ordinary business activ ity, which stood at DM + 8 million. Incoming orders of the AEG group totaled DM 12.1 billion in the year under review, an increase of over 6% on the comparable figure for 1991. This increase was achieved solely in the German market, where demand increased by 16% to DM 7.4 billion. Export orders fell by 6%. At the end of 1992, AEG employed 60,784 people around the world, 46,559 of them in Germany. 50% of the employees of TEMIC TELEFUNKEN microelectronic GmbH are included in this figure. As in 1991, AEG invested a total of some DM 1.8 billion in intangible assets, fixed and financial assets, research and development and training, equivalent to 15% (1991: 13%) of total output. Including the non-current assets taken over from newly acquired companies, investment by AEG in 1992 totaled DM 916 million (1991: DM 943 million). The additions to fixed assets, which totaled DM 765 million (1991: DM 872 million), include DM 113 million (1991: DM 270 million) of additions outside Germany. DM 98 million (1991: DM 43 million) was invested in related companies. Investment activity fo cused on factory renewal at AEG Starkstromanlagen Dresden and AEG Schienenfahrzeuge in Hennigs- dorf, modernization of the Sickin- genstraBe site in Berlin and the completion of rehabilitation work at MAN GHH Schienenverkehrstechnik "National Institute of Standards and Technology". In a competition in which all the major suppliers of sys tems for the automatic reading of handwriting were represented, AEG won two first prizes for upper and lower case characters. In the current financial year, we expect the Automation field of activ ity to achieve a similar volume of business to that of 1992. Electrotechnical Systems and Components: Substantial Increase in Sales The Electrotechnical Systems and Components field of activity comprises the divisions Power Trans mission and Distribution and Compo nents. Once again, the volume of business increased, although some important markets remained depressed. Sales of the Power Transmission and Distribution division exceeded those of 1991 substantially, while incoming orders matched the high level of that year. In high-voltage systems, activity focused on enlarge ment of the product range. As busi ness became increasingly interna tionalized, the new plant of AEG's affiliate E.I.B. in Dison, Belgium, was opened in May. Investment in the new plant totaled some DM 40 mil lion. Besides medium-voltage sys tems, the company produces high- voltage switchgear and circuit breakers. With the acquisition of AEG TRO Transformatoren und Schaltgerate GmbH, Berlin, and the Polish company MEFTA sp.z.o.o., Mikolow, the transformers sector was strengthened substantially. In the Components division, increases were achieved in the area of power supplies for data processing and telecommunications, emergency power supply systems and unit-type heating power stations, power me ters and lighting systems. On the other hand, the difficult market af fected sales of electrical machinery. With effect from July 1, 1992, AEG acquired Starkstrom-Anlagenbau Magdeburg GmbH. The Electrotechnical Systems and Components field of activity expects the level of business to in crease slightly in 1993. Rail Systems: Sharp Rise in Business Volume The Rail Systems division com prises the divisions Integrated Rail Systems, Mainline Railroads, Mass Transit and Railcars and Mass Transit and Railcars America. Business vol ume increased by 48% during the year under review. This sharp rise is partly a reflection of successful per formance in an expanding market, while the acquisition of AEG Schie- nenfahrzeuge GmbH in Hennigsdorf on January 1, 1992, has also re sulted in a strengthening of busi ness. AEG played a large part in the further expansion of the ICE high speed system introduced in Germany in 1991, supplying products and systems both for the trains and for track installations. For the new Shanghai metro, a German consor tium headed by AEG supplied the first of an ordered 16 metro trains, each consisting of six parts, along The Automation field of activity comprises Industrial Automation - with the three divisions Products and Basic Systems, Systems Tech nology and Support, Industrial Systems - and Postal Automation. Business volume matched the high level of the previous year. In October 1992, the new AEG Automation Centre, the "Geamatics House", was opened in Frankfurt- Niederrad. The Geamatics House serves as a know-how focus for the entire field of activity and as a co ordinating center for international activities. In Industrial Automation, MODI- CON, based in Andover/U.S. and Seligenstadt, further increased its business in the field of programm able logic control (PLC) systems. In the US, MODICON received the "NEMA Renewal Award" for the most successful innovation in PLC technology and for its modern, rati onal manufacturing. In the Industrial Systems division, AEG presented the "Geamatics P/E/N" control system for the automation of processes, power supply systems and networks, along with the corresponding "View- star 750" operating and viewing sta tion. The new system met with a good response from the market. In Postal Automation, AEG Electrocom GmbH (AEC) further strengthened its leading market position in the US, Canada and Western Europe in 1992 and expanded its position in the Far East and Latin America. Tes timony to the outstanding status of AEC technology is provided by two awards conferred by the American Microelectronics Activities Transferred to TEMIC The Microelectronics field of activity comprises TEMIC TELE- EUNKEN microelectronic GmbH, a joint venture between AEG and Deutsche Aerospace AG, and the Opto- and Vacuum Electronics divi sion. Sales showed a slight rise on the previous year. More information about TEMIC is contained in the chapter "Joint Ventures". Business in the Opto- and Vac uum Electronics division was unsat isfactory. This was mainly due to the considerable decline in demand for defense technology. In response to this, activity was stepped up in new fields of work, including large- format liquid-crystal displays, identi fication systems for the registering and recognition of masses and a high-performance battery, at present intended primarily for use in the automotive sector. with traction contact systems and power substations. Low-floor street car business continued to flourish. In the field of automated people mover systems, the group was able to improve on its leading world position once again. Business in the Rail Systems field of activity is expected to remain at the previous years' level in 1993. Domestic Appliances: Slowdown in Growth AEG Domestic Appliances in creased its sales by 2% to DM 2,653 million in the year under review. In Germany, further growth in business was recorded, assisted particularly by the newly launched range of floor vacuum cleaners and microwave equipment and also the high-quality front-loader washing machine series. AEG increased its market share in these product areas. In line with the general market trend, export sales fell slightly short of their 1991 level. In June, 1992, AEG Aktiengesellschaft and the Swedish group Electrolux AB approved plans for long-term co operation in the field of electrical do mestic appliances. With this cooper ation, the partners are aiming above all to substantially improve their cost structures and thus strengthen their competitive position. For 1993, the division is aiming to increase sales on the basis of innovative products such as energy- saving washing machines and refrig erators and a floor vacuum cleaner made of recycled materials. Sales by Regions AEG Group DM 11.6 Billion (1991: DM 10.8 Billion) Corporate Unit Deutsche Aerospace (DASA) In the year under review, the activities of Messerschmitt-Bolkow- Blohm (MBB) and Telefunken Sys- temtechnik (TST) were combined with those of the old Deutsche Aero space. The newly created Deutsche Aerospace AG (DASA) will form the core company for the operative busi ness of the aerospace corporate unit of the Daimler-Benz group. Further more, we acquired the 20% stake held by the Kreditanstalt fur Wie- deraufbau in Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH earlier than originally planned and were able to integrate this company, which was previously consolidated at equity, fully into the group, retroactively as of January 1, 1992. In parallel with this restructur ing, we also continued the process of organizational streamlining and cost reduction. In the civilian energy and industrial systems division similar activities of Dornier, MBB and TST were combined; the structural con cept for the Space Systems group was fully implemented. Substantial Decrease in Sales and Orders Received in the Aircraft Group *) 1991 including the employees of the Eurocopter Group (626 people). Sales in the Aircraft group at DM 7.5 billion, nearly reached the volume of the previous year. At DM 5.0 billion orders received, however, were substantially below last year's level. The Deutsche Aerospace Airbus produces and delivers assemblies within the framework of the European Airbus program. In the year under review, the Airbus consortium chalked up orders for 136 aircraft; on the other hand there were also cancellations of orders. The order backlog of 836 aircraft, however, is still satisfactory. The final assembly start-up for the first Airbus A321 on June 15, 1992 in Hamburg represents a major milestone in expanding the Deutsche Aerospace Airbus capa bilities. The Airbus A330, the world's largest twin-engine medium/ long-haul airliner, performed its maiden flight on November 2, 1992. The four-engine A340 is designed for extreme long hauls with ranges from 12,500 to 14,000 km. Subse quent to type certification, the first A340 was delivered to the German airline Lufthansa in early February of 1993. It was a good business year for the Aircraft Service Center (ASC) in Lemwerder, where the focus was on product support for the Airbus family. In mid 1992 we transferred our microsystems and vehicle safety ac tivities to TEMIC TELEFUNKEN mi croelectronic GmbH, a joint venture in which Deutsche Aerospace and AEG each have a 50% stake. We con tinued during the year under review to pursue intensively our aim of in creased collaboration with the CIS countries in the field of aviation and of participation in the ESA's planned space programs. In February 1993 we reached an agreement with the Dutch govern ment to acquire a 51 % majority stake in the aircraft manufacturing company Fokker. As an integral part of the Aircraft group of Deutsche Aerospace, Fokker will take over the systems management for the segment of the 65 to 120 seater regional jets. At DM 17.3 billion, consolidated sales of Deutsche Aerospace in creased by 3 % in the year under review. The group results for the year declined to DM -341 billion. At DM 12.5 billion, orders received were substantially below last year's value of DM 15.1 billion. In 1992 we invested DM 1.1 billion (1991: DM 1.0 billion) in fixed assets. DM 5.2 billion (1991: DM 5.0 billion), representing 30 % of sales, was spent on research and de velopment work, of which externally commissioned projects accounted for DM 4.3 billion. At the end of the year, the DASA group employed 81,872 people (1991: 83,605). The fall largely reflects the unfavorable trend in business in virtually all areas. In the current financial year, we expect the DASA group to achieve a sales volume similar to that of 1992. Higher revenue can be expected particularly in the Aircraft group. In the Space Systems as well as the Defense and Civil Systems groups, sales will be considerably lower. An important aim in the current year is to adapt capacity as quickly as possible to the expected further fall in orders. The military aircraft division focused once again on the EFA and Tornado programs. The first Euro pean Fighter Aircraft body prototype was completed in Manching in the first half of 1992. Technical develop ment and logistics support is the main focus in the Tornado program. Further progress was made in the German-American Experimental Program X-31A. Another future- oriented project is the development of the Fan Ranger, a light jet trainer designed to train future pilots. The regional aircraft division de livered 10 (1991: 18) Dornier 228's in the year under review. Prepara tion for the series-production start up of the Dornier 328 in early 1993 has been for the most part con cluded. The aircraft product support focussed on the service-life- prolongation program for the Bell UH ID helicopter. In the year under review, 37 helicopters were retro fitted. The product line of the Eurocop- ter group ranges from single-engine light helicopters through twin- engine light and medium-weight helicopters on to heavy transport helicopters. One outstanding event in 1992 was the signing of the development contract for the tactical transport and naval helicopter NH90. Larger orders were under way in the pro grams AS 355 Fennec and PAH-1. Test flights were continued on schedule with the first prototype of the Tiger, a Franco-German escort helicopter currently in the develop ment phase. Strong Increase in Sales at the Space Group Defense and Civil Systems Group: Further Decline of Orders Received 1992 S a l es (Millions of DM) 3 , 6 24 Sales proceeds from the year under review were up 27 % from the comparatively low value of the pre vious year to DM 1.9 billion. Orders received reached a level of DM 1.7 billion. The outstanding scientific pro grams are currently the ERS-2 and Cluster satellite projects. In both programs Dornier, functioning as systems manager, is responsible for the development and construction of subsystems for the scientific payload as well as for satellite integration. The European Infrared Space Ob servatory ISO is designed to meas ure the infrared radiation of cosmic objects. We are responsible for the German share in this ESA project and have developed the focal instru ment Isophot. In the Polar Platform ESA pro ject we are participating in the de velopment of the Payload Equipment Bay (PEB), which comprises systems that are important to the operation of the accompanying payloads. In the European Ariane 4 launcher program we manufacture liquid fuel supplementary.rockets, the second stage engine as well as the thrust chambers in the HM7 en gine for the launcher's third-stage engine. Eureca (European Retrievable Carrier), Europe's first free-flying, retrievable experiment platform, was prepared for launch in the year under review and transported into space in late July by the space shut tle Atlantis. Integration work for the Spacelab-D2 mission was concluded on schedule, so that it will be equipped for launch in the first quarter of 1993. In 1992, the entire group was marked by a substantial decrease in orders; compared to the previous year's level a reduction of 14 % to DM 2.4 billion (1991: DM 2.8 billion) was recorded. Sales, on the other hand, increased by 6 % to DM 3.6 billion. Major impulses were rendered by the Stinger program, for which the preparatory phase was con cluded and settled, and by the Ro land anti-aircraft systems, of which we produced further units for the German Air Force and Navy. Major sales revenues were also recorded by the Milan and Hot as well as Trigat anti-tank systems. We received an order from British Aerospace for a fiber gyro we developed. It was the first order placed for the series-production of such a product worldwide. In the field of Broadcasting and Television Transmitters a number of long-term projects in Spain and the Near East are underway. We again manufactured and delivered a large number of mobile HF/VHF commu nications intelligence systems for the German and Dutch armed forces. Thanks to a contract concluded with the Ministry of the Interior of Baden- Wlirttemberg in 1992, we managed to become a participant in the prom ising civil sector of official communi cations with the fast adaptive radio communications system Farcos. The most significant sales in the Command and Information Systems division were once again made by the series-deliveries of the drone CL 289 reconnaissance system to the French and German armies. Sales by Regions DASA Group DM 17.3 Billion (1991: DM 16.8 Billion) MTU Maintenance GmbH main tains and repairs large civil engines as well as stationary gas turbines. Parts repairs are also effectuated. MTU Friedrichshafen is a lead ing supplier of complete propulsion systems, primarily for ships, rail ve hicles, electrical generation systems and heavy trucks and construction equipment. A focal point in engine sales was once again the universal Series 396 diesel engine. In the field of propul sion systems for ships we are, for example, currently outfitting ships from the Australian, New Zealand, Norwegian and German navies. In the railroad sector we modernized twenty ex-GDR locomotives, each ve hicle receiving two twelve-cylinder Series 396 diesel engines. In 1992Kuhnle, Koppund Kausch Aktiengesellschaft sold con siderably more turbochargers than in the preceding year. Also matching the high level of the previous year's business results were the injection systems for medium- and high-speed diesel engines produced by L'Orange GmbH. Medical Systems as the Focus of Other Activities At DM 256 million (1991: DM 267 million) sales in medical sys tems remained below last year's level. A declining trend for lithotrip- ters was contrasted by an increase in our ultrasonic and laser business. Towards the end of the year we in troduced a new ultrasonic color im aging device into the market. The activities of TEMIC are cov ered in the chapter "joint Ventures". In the area of Environmental Technology we continued to expand our activities in regional and envi ronmental planning, environmen tal monitoring and information sys tems, waste-water technology and the disposal of hazardous military materials from the past. We renewed the lighting and power supply for the main runway at the Berlin-Schonefeld airport, and it was under our systems manage ment that the world's largest runway-lighting system was in stalled at the new Munich 2 airport. Positive Development in Sales in the Propulsion Systems Group At DM 3.6 billion, sales in the Propulsion Systems group were slightly above the level of 1991. The DM 2.8 billion level of orders received was considerably lower than that of the previous year. In the PW305 program a jet en gine for business airplanes, MTU Munchen already delivered over 130 low-pressure turbine modules to Pratt & Whitney Canada by the end of 1992. An important contributor to sales in 1992 was the engine family CF6 from General Electric, for whom we manufacture parts of the high- pressure turbine and the com pressor. These engines are used in aircraft from Airbus Industrie, Boeing and McDonnell Douglas. Series-production of the Tornado engine RBI 99 was phased out in late 1991, resulting in a substantial decrease in sales in this program in comparison to the previous year. United Airlines ordered 100 Airbus A320's with V2500 jet en gines during the year under review. All in all, this major contract encom passes 222 jet engines. Corporate Unit Daimler-Benz InterServices (debis) debis increased its total output in the year under review by 33% to DM 7.9 billion. This figure com prised sales revenue of DM 7.3 bil lion and interest income from sales financing of DM 0.6 billion. The growth was generated above all by the Systemhaus, Financial Ser vices and Trading divisions; at 72%, the largest contribution to business was once again made by the Finan cial Services division. debis generated 48% of its total business volume in Germany, 12% in other EC countries, 31% in the U.S. market and 9% in other markets. Business with external customers accounted for 79% (1991: 77%) of total business in the year under review. In addition to the Financial Services division, which is tradi tionally involved to a great extent on the external market, the other divi sions too increased their turnover with companies outside the Daimler- Benz group. At DM 122 million (1991: DM 123 million), the consolidated net in come of debis for 1992 approached the high level of the previous year. The strategic alliance with the French software group Cap Gemini Sogeti which entered into effect in the year under review lent strong impetus to the internationalization of our business activities. With the amalgamation of the software pro ject and product activities of System haus and the German Cap Gemini SCS at the turn of 1991/1992, the spectrum of services has been extended and our proximity to the customer and ability to provide integrated system solutions further improved. With the start of the 1992 finan cial year, the full spectrum of infor mation technology (IT) services was grouped into three subdivisions; debis Systemhaus CCS Computer- Communication-Services contains the non sector-specific, horizontal IT services. These include computer center and network operation, instal lation and support of distributed sys tems, backup or business continuity services and maintenance services. In the Cap debis Software und Sys tems subdivision, the software activ ities of debis Systemhaus and the former German Cap Gemini SCS are grouped together. The third subdivi sion, Diebold management and tech nology consultancy, completes the spectrum with strategic, organiza tional and informatics consultancy. From 1993, Computer-Commu nication-Services will also be active in major European markets. In order to gear our activities more closely still to customer requirements, sector-specific centres were formed in the CAP debis Software und Systeme subdivision to coordinate our services for major customers and the various sectors. The positive trend in earnings of the Financial Services division was largely responsible for this; inten sified competition in the information technology sector exerted a negative influence. Our investment in fixed assets, largely data processing equipment, fell during the year under review by 35% to DM 173 million; some of the hardware was financed by leasing. The additions to leased equipment, at DM 5,939 million, were 21% higher than in 1991. The sharp increase in financial assets to DM 1,434 million was chiefly due to the 34% holding acquired in the French company Sogeti S.A. The debis group employed a to tal of 8,258 people at the 1992 year- end, 7,343 of these in Germany and 915 in other countries. The services industry will con tinue to grow in 1993 and as a sup plier of integrated systems solutions, debis therefore expects that it will continue to enjoy good opportunities for developing its business and for a further growth in total output. Market Position of the Systemhaus Division Strengthened debis Systemhaus increased its total output from DM 1.2 billion to DM 1.5 billion. In addition to growth from within, the inclusion of the former German Cap Gemini SCS companies played a role in this. The contraction in world mar kets and the worsening economic climate in Germany had perceptible consequences for debis Systemhaus and its subsidiaries, whose growth slowed particularly from the middle of the year onwards. Nevertheless, business with customers outside the Daimler-Benz group showed a further increase. The share of total output accounted for by these cus tomers grew particularly sharply in 1992 to 41% (1991: 27%). At the same time, the volume of services supplied internally within the Daimler-Benz group also increased. International Growth for debis Financial Services The dynamic development of the Financial Services division con tinued in 1992. This was due partic ularly to sharp growth in Germany, the US, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Italy. New business increased by more than 20% to over 160,000 units, with a volume of DM 10.6 billion. Reasons for this gratify ing growth were the improved and more extensive range of services offered by our leasing and financing companies, changed buying habits, precisely in the above-mentioned countries (financing instead of cash payment) and also the introduction of new Mercedes-Benz products, par ticularly the new S-class. The focus of our financing activities is still the motor vehicle business. With the conclusion of some 98,000 contracts for new passenger cars and 36,000 for new trucks, financing makes an increasingly large contribution to supporting the sale of Mercedes- Benz vehicles. The total number of contracts outstanding rose accord ingly to 381,000 units of a value of DM 18.5 billion (+29%). Total output, including interest income from sales financing, in creased to DM 5.7 billion, a rise of 28%. Business of our Japanese leasing and financing company got off to a successful start in the year under review. The newly formed companies debis Leasing GmbH in Germany and debis Financial Services Inc. in the US, which finance products other than motor vehicles, com menced operation in the year under review. In their first financial year, they have already financed or leased products to a total value of DM 221 million. Insurance: National Expansion and International Presence The centralization of all the group's insurance activities in the Insurance division and the concen tration of know-how produce synergy effects which we pass on to our commercial customers in the form of intelligent, sound risk management concepts and to our private customers through broker age of individualized insurance programs. Trading: Accelerated Growth The debis Trading division has taken over the task for the Daimler- Benz group of concentrating and coordinating the know-how for barter trading with countries short on for eign exchange. In addition to that, we want to make these markets more transparent for the Daimler- Benz group and other companies in order to develop them, for example, as alternative procurement sources. Despite strong fluctuation in the political sphere, the Trading division was able to sustain the steady upward trend of the preceding years by flexibly responding to current market requirements. Our supporting services underpinned export busi ness totaling DM 546 million to countries weak in foreign exchange. Total output rose in the year under review to DM 436 (1991: 105) mil lion. We established our own office in Further markets were opened up in the Middle and Far East and in Central and South America, so that the number of countries with which counter-trading is possible was con siderably enlarged and made a sta ble basis. In addition, we expanded in particular the joint venture agreed to in 1991 between the Russian natural gas supplier Gasprom and debis International Trading. The 50% share acquired in MG NE-Produkthandel GmbH in the year under review represents another milestone in the development of the debis Trading division. MG NE, which before we acquired this inter est was a wholly owned subsidiary Japan in 1992 from which to look after the companies of the Daimler- Benz group operating there. Owing to the growing impor tance of risk engineering - the pro vision of advice concerning control and reduction of risk through techni cal analysis - the significance of debis Risk Consult, a unit of debis Assekuranz (the Insurance division), is also growing, debis Risk Consult provides risk analysis and evalua tion as well as consultancy in reduc ing and managing risk in matters of the environment, fire protection, product liability, quality assurance and income loss risk. With 273 employees we bro kered a worldwide total premium volume of over DM 500 million in the 1992 financial year and generated total output of some DM 44 million. With an expansion of the prod uct range, we see good growth pros pects for the Insurance division in 1993. debitel: Promising Entry into Mobile Communications Services In the second half of 1992, the two operators of the new digital mo bile communications networks in Germany, Deutsche Bundespost Telekom and Mannesmann Mo- bilfunk, opened their Dl and D 2 networks for trial service. Normal public service of the D2 network be gan in December, 1992; of the Dl network, at the beginning of Janu ary, 1993. As a private telephone company, debitel has since then of fered user-oriented access to these mobile communications networks and competent individual profession al advice to customers. During trial service we already acquired more than 10,000 customers. Despite the delay in the original plans for entry into service of the mobile communi cations networks, total output of deb itel in the year under review amounted to DM 16 million. In the 1992 financial year, we expanded our sales organization and the existing distribution channels and integrated important partners into our marketing network, espe cially from the mobile communica tions trade. Since the end of 1992, our customers can avail themselves of more than 1,000 debitel sales outlets throughout Germany. In the current financial year, we shall be expanding this service network further. of Metallgesellschaft, will increas ingly allow us the use of its interna tional service network and barter trade for the market activities of debis Trading. Marketing Services: A Year of Consolidation The difficult economic environ ment in the Federal Republic of Germany also influenced business of debis Marketing Services GmbH (dMS). In spite of this, the total out put of DM 205 million (1991: DM 214 million) was only slightly below the level of the previous year, which was one of strong growth. Our complete spectrum of services extends from customer- specific marketing consulting, media planning and marketing communi cation to the organization of trade fairs and exhibitions, debis Market ing Services division is thus a company with a range of services which far exceeds the usual. A focal point in the year under review was the further development of the Media subdivision, whose task is the placing of advertisements for customers in the printed media and in the electronic media. With the interest acquired in the Hamburg- based G.F.M.O. Gesellschaft fur Media-Optimierung mbH in the year under review, by the beginning of 1993 debis Marketing Services had become one of Germany's six largest media agencies. This partner ship will round off the existing range of services of dMS in the fields of television and radio, the printed media and poster advertising. The Marketing Services division will purposefully continue to expand its activities in the four subdivisions. Qualitative growth will take priority over purely quantitative growth. Joint Venture Companies Heilbronn concerning flexible, auto mated production of 6-inch wafers proceeded according to schedule. Also, the setting up of a worldwide semiconductor sales organization was concluded. In the microsystems and vehicle equipments fields, the activities of AEG and DASA were rapidly inte grated. The market has already reacted positively to the expanded capabilities of TEMIC* as is shown for example by the increased orders of ABS systems. In Mexico, TEMIC carried out its first orders for vehicle subassemblies; in the Czech Repub lic and Hungary, there was an overall expansion in production activities. At the same time, new customers were acquired, so that the company now has business relations with around half of the world's 30 leading vehicle manufacturers. Mercedes-Benz CharterWay - A New Concept in Transport In the 1992 business year, Daimler-Benz InterServices (debis) AG and Mercedes-Benz AG estab lished Mercedes-Benz CharterWay companies in Germany, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands as joint ventures, each with a 50% holding, for the purpose of long-term leasing of commercial vehicles at prices which remain un changed over the life of the contract. The price includes the financing of the chassis with all superstructures and attachments, service and repairs for the complete vehicle, including the necessary vehicle management, the provision of substitute vehicles, plus all vehicle-dependent expenses such as taxes, insurance, registra tion and inspection fees. With Mercedes-Benz Charter- Way, we are the first leading manu facturer of commercial vehicles to avail ourselves systematically of the opportunities afforded by the contract hire market. Traffic Management by Intertraffic During the year under review, ITF Intertraffic Gesellschaft fur integrierte Verkehrsmanage- mentsysteme was formed, in which all corporate units of the Daimler- Benz group hold an interest; Daimler-Benz Luft- und Raumfahrt Holding AG has a stake of 50.2%, Mercedes-Benz 25.2%, AEG 14.6% and debis 10.0%. The new company, under the managerial control of DASA, encompasses the know-how of the Daimler-Benz group in the fields of traffic management sys tems, transport systems and infor mation technology. Intertraffic's ac tivities will comprise planning, con sultancy, design and implementation of integrated traffic management systems. These will be offered world wide for solving problems in the field of transport by land, water and air. The new company also took over the leading role in the implementa tion of the traffic management sys tem "STORM". Interdisciplinary re search into resolving traffic prob lems in the Stuttgart conurbation along with trials of new technology have been taking place for a number of years now in the framework of this pilot project, which was in itiated by Daimler-Benz AG in con junction with the Federal state of Baden-Wlirttemberg and the City of Stuttgart. TEMICTELEFUNKEN microelectronic GmbH founded On July 1, 1992, AEG and Deutsche Aerospace combined their microelectronics and vehicle equipment activities in TEMIC TELE- FUNKEN microelectronic GmbH, which is based in Heilbronn. AEG and DASA each have a 50% holding in this company. By combining these two companies' know-how, TEMIC is able to offer the entire spectrum of the microelectronics processing chain, from semiconductor chips and microsystems technologies to complete-system solutions such as ABS and the airbag. The company comprises the following areas: semiconductors, microsystems and vehicle equipment. Sales of TEMIC in the first incomplete financial year totaled DM 0.7 billion; foreign business accounted for 50% of this. At the year-end, the company employed 11,179 people. In the semiconductors field, it was possible to compensate only partially for the weakness of the entertainment electronics market, which has been depressed since 1991. The situation was aggravated by the migration of customers for these semiconductor products from Europe to the Far East, as well as by falling prices, the unfavorable dollar exchange rate and high domestic production costs. To safeguard TEMIC's semiconductor activities in the long term, more and more pro duction activities are being trans ferred to the Far East, especially the Phillipines. With its power MOS technology, which leads the market, the subsid iary Siliconix Inc., Santa Clara/U.S.A., achieved above-average successes; good business was also recorded by the affiliates Matra-MHS, Nantes/ France, and Dialog Semiconductor, Swindon/United Kingdom. The research activities grouped in Research and Technology New Impetus in Strategy Development The continuing development of the central division Research and Technology was accompanied throughout the year under review by a systematic, comprehensive pro cess of strategy development. This involved employees from every sec tor and from all levels of manage ment. We regard such an intensive form of internal strategy communi cation as the expression of a com pany culture characterised by cre ativity, ambition, cooperative team work and an entrepreneurial spirit. Within this strategy development scheme, the long-term orientation of research activities has been determined, a technology strategy was devel oped for the entire group, and numerous management-related processes within the division have been promoted. In addition to refining our methods, we have extended our dia logue with the four corporate units of the Daimler-Benz group in order to analyse and assess their require ments for new technologies. The results have been transformed into recommendations and specific inno vation schedules. Improvements to Drive Technology The reduction of fuel consump tion and of noxious emission levels are the principal objectives being pursued in the continued improve ment of drive technology and in the search for alternative solutions. The research sector has divided the topics into five "strategic projects": I The gasoline engine. Even after one hundred years of develop ment, the causes of noxious emission formation have not yet been adequately determined. In addition to analysing the com bustion process, research is also providing new approaches, developing tools for optimisation and producing improved compo nents and processes in the form of prototypes. i The diesel engine. This drive system's nitrogen oxide and par ticulate emission levels are to be further reduced, with no compro mise regarding its favorable fuel consumption. • The two-stroke engine. The development potential of various two-stroke designs is being demonstrated in the form of prototypes. Electric traction. Electrically powered vehicles can help re duce levels of noxious emission and noise on urban roads. To gether with Mercedes-Benz AG's Advanced Design sector, re search is being carried out into existing maintenance-free bat teries along with direct-current and three-phase drive systems regarding their suitability for use in an electrically powered vehicle. & Hydrogen: As part of the "Hy- passe" project subsidized by the Federal Ministry of Research, investigations are being carried out into the feasibility of a low- pollutant local transport system free of C02. Vehicle Design: Methods and Tools The market-orientated design of vehicles starts with basic product ideas, which are followed by a series of design variants. Computer simula tion is indispensable here. With modifications to only a few parame ters, new variants can be rapidly produced from model and compo nent libraries. In order to evaluate significant product characteristics such as levels of safety, fuel con sumption and comfort along with driving characteristics, ease of oper ation and costs, the various calcula tion systems must be integrated and supplemented by data banks. In fu ture, the as yet insufficiently devel oped linkage of individual methods and process stages will considerably reduce the time and costs incurred prior to the definitive choice of design. The Objectives of Vehicle Systems Technology It is only the integration of indi vidual components as a system which provides benefits for the cus tomer. The "Vehicle Systems Tech nology" research field is therefore pursuing such aims as the following: The establishment of systems concepts for future vehicle functions, The retention of integrated system capability for electronic functions relevant to competi tion, The development of safety functions for complex systems, The production of hardware/ software technology for the rapid conversion of ideas into systems suitable for vehicular applica tion. The Human and the Automobile High cognitive and emotional de mands are placed on today's driver. Safe driving does not simply mean accident-free driving: it also extends to the subjective perception of safety and comfort. The driver's physiologi cal reactions, his behaviour and per sonal experience of driving are be ing investigated by an inter-discipli nary research team comprising engineers and behavioral scientists using state-of-the-art methods and instruments. The findings can be put to use in even better adapting tech nologies to the driver's requirements. Transport Technology Development Continuing on Target With increasing densities, trans port must be increasingly organized as an integrated system. This calls for an appropriate distribution of re sponsibilities amongst the different types of transport, their optimal in terconnection and an overall trans port management. To this end, sce narios for transport in densely popu lated areas, conducted jointly within an interdisciplinary work group involving the corporate units and Corporate Planning, have been developed and consequences for the group derived. In the European PROMETHEUS program, Daimler-Benz's Research sector is concerned with retaining mobility on European roads while increasing not only safety and effi ciency, but also the environmental compatibility of transport. The cur rent phase is primarily concerned with the further development of promising technologies and the uni fication of individual systems and components into an integrated trans port system. This is being realised in such projects as STORM (Stuttgart Transport Operation by Regional Management) and IFMS (Integrated Fleet Management Systems). Interdisciplinary Development of Materials and Material Technologies In addition to exercising a deci sive influence on the efficiency, quality and cost of our products, materials and material technologies provide the basis of numerous inno vations. A certain degree of uniform ity regarding material require ments throughout the various prod uct divisions provides considerable synergy potential, which is being reinforced through the transfer of DASA materials laboratories to the Research and Technology division of Daimler-Benz AG. The activities are concentrated on interdisciplinary technological projects such as the following: These research projects are typ ically concerned with such matters as the use of ceramics and graphite in the engine, with new, highly rigid aluminium alloys, the weaving and braiding of composite fibre struc tures and the manufacture of dia mond layers as heat conductors or - in the more distant future - as elec tronic materials. Automation and Drive Technology Decentralised automation systems are being adapted for the optimal implementation of complex, spatially distributed processes. Inter connected via fibre-optic cables, the automation apparatus stores the transmitted processing data in a uni form manner, so that all automation equipment can refer to the one data model. This provides efficient sup port for project planning, installation and maintenance. In the sector of rail-bound vehi cles, intensified competition is in creasingly focusing on ride comfort and wear resistance. Single-wheel running gears with intelligent drive and regulating systems promise de cisive advantages over previous sys tems incorporating wheels rigidly connected via a common axle. Environmentally Compatible Energy Technology The research being carried out into new rational, environmentally compatible technologies for energy conversion and storage touches upon many areas of the group's activities. At the centre of attention are electro-chemical processes which promise particularly high efficiency factors and low levels of pollutant emission. Together with the Anglo Ameri can Corporation, AEG is developing the "Zebra" battery for electrically powered vehicles, on the basis of sodium/nickel chloride. In order fur ther to increase the efficiency and service life of such batteries, re search is concentrated on improving the electro-chemical components and on new design concepts and materials. The high-temperature fuel cell is particularly well suited for independ ent power supply. The energy from combustion gases such as hydrogen or natural gas is converted in the fuel cells directly into electrical energy in a highly efficient process. We have succeeded in producing very compact flat-cell batteries on a laboratory scale. Successful Work in Components and Microsystems In the sector of very high fre quency components and circuits, we have been continuing concentrated research into so-called heterostruc- tures based on the semiconductor materials gallium arsenide and silicon. In the course of this work, we have succeeded in realising the world's most rapid silicon-based transistor. The zero-loss conductance of electricity in high-temperature superconductors paves the way for even more powerful, smaller compo nents suited for application espe cially in very high frequency appli cations. The feasibility of new types of system solutions is currently be ing demonstrated, for example in the form of EHF spectrometers for re mote sensing satellites. Applications in energy technology are also being investigated. The principal activity of the "Microsystems Technology" strategic research field is silicon technology, in particular micro-mechanics; this extends to processes for develop ment, simulation and system design. A family of acceleration sensors de veloped in conjunction with Tele- funken Microelectronic GmbH has already been introduced in the prod uct sector, and we have put the first functioning microlaser prototypes into operation in the laboratory. New Software Technologies The complexity of technical sys tems is increasing, while develop ment cycles are becoming shorter. This calls for high-performance development tools and innovative information processing systems. "Fuzzy logic" and "neuronal net works" are examples of such pro jects; on the basis of specific applica tions they have been investigated, further developed and incorporated into the Automation field of activity. In the area of expert systems, we have produced a so-called "ex pert system shell", a development tool for configuration tasks which has been tested in four pilot projects for the preparation of tenders and for project planning. Together with AEG Electrocom, Daimler-Benz's Research division participated in a competition staged by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology for the automatic reading of handwriting. Against some forty competitors from throughout the world, the intelligent systems from our institutes in Ulm won two first prizes for upper and lower case characters and third prize for numerals. Research being carried out into "Interaction between Man and the Machine" is investigating the oppor tunities provided by new interaction and visualisation techniques in such fields as rail systems and automa tion. Technological applications such as speech input or the integration of mobile communication are being tested and analysed for an individual work station and its entire scope of activities. The procedures developed by the Ulm "Software Quality" research group for the evaluation of already installed software has proved suc cessful in practical application at Mercedes-Benz AG and Cap debis. We are currently developing methods of assessing the quality of software in the early stages of its development. Environmental Protection - Right From Product Development The shortening of product devel opment and manufacturing cycles will be the decisive developments of the years to come. A significant role is being assumed by the continuous, integrated flow of information en compassing all development and manufacturing processes relating to a product. With five pilot projects, exemplary approaches are being tested in all corporate units, using innovative information technologies and "simultaneous engineering" concepts. For the detection of indentations and other irregularities in the sur face of bodywork components, new sensors and algorithms have been developed which optically recognise and describe shape faults even at the pressed part stage, prior to painting. A further objective of re search in this area is the integration of optical measurement data into CAD systems. Along with considerations of economy, production technology must also address ecological require ments to an increasing extent. How ever, methods and instruments pro viding a holistic evaluation of prod ucts and their environmental impact throughout their life cycle are yet to be developed. The sector "Production Research and the Environment" is currently drawing up the necessary fundamentals. The Urban Living Environment - An Interdisciplinary Research Project Under the auspices of the "Tech nology and Society" research group in Berlin, scientists from various disciplines are working together in the research association "The Urban Living Environment" on the future- orientated development of expertise for solving a key problem of all in dustrial societies, namely the con flict of aims between quality of life and the efficient functioning of a large city. This research association is sponsored by the Gottlieb Daimler and Karl-Benz Foundation. We are uniting the necessary scientific skills of engineers, administrative experts, planners and sociologists. The development and assessment of the options available is of strategic significance to the integrated technology group. Environmental Protection environmental regulations, the as sessment of draft legislation and the preparation of reports on environ mental matters. The Environmental Officers, whose activities within the group are conditioned by legal require ments, ensure compliance with all environment-related legislation in addition to monitoring the group's own environmental guidelines. They are directly responsible to the plant managements of the respective corporate units. Through the functions of "Chief Environmental Officer" and "Environmental Officer", the Daimler-Benz group is setting standards far more stringent than those prescribed by legislation. Interdisciplinary Projects With interdisciplinary projects in the field of environmental protec tion engineering, the Daimler-Benz group has devised technologies and planning concepts which go far beyond mere compliance with currently valid legislation. Projects already initiated include an exhaust treatment unit for sta tionary diesel engines, by means of which particulate and nitrogen oxide emissions can be reduced to a level far below the more stringent limits likely to be introduced in Europe in the future. Together with Mercedes-Benz, AEG and DASA, a schedule has been drawn up for the development of a factory free of waste water. This project is being implemented in the various construction phases of the new passenger car manufacturing plant in Rastatt. Integrated environmental protection as a corporate principle The Daimler-Benz group is com mitted to integrated environmental protection, whereby pollution is addressed at the root of the problem and all environmental effects of manufacturing and of the products themselves are incorporated into the group's decision-making process. We have formulated our basic principles in the form of environ mental protection guidelines which are binding for all employees. The core of this philosophy is summed up in the statement "Environmental protection and efficiency are not mu tually exclusive; they condition each other." These guidelines are geared towards maintaining our natural basis of life and minimizing the burden on the environment. We are pursuing a policy of comprehensive, open information which enables all employees to play an active role in our endeavors. Environmental officers In order to ensure implementa tion of our "Environmental Protec tion Guidelines", Chief Environmen tal Officers for the group's four cor porate units and for the executive holding company were appointed in 1991. They report directly to the Chief Executive Officers of their respective corporate units and co-ordinate their activities within the corporate "Environment" work group. The Chief Environmental Officers promote environmentally compatible processes and products, advise the various corporate units and motivate all employees towards integrated environmental protection. The activities of the corporate "Envi ronment" work group include the planning, approval and implementa tion of measures for the drafting of To keep air pollution from our production facilities below critical levels, we have devised an emission level network for Mercedes-Benz AG's Untertiirkheim plant in which particulate and gaseous emission readings from 28 different measur ing points are continuously evalu ated and documented. Environmentally Relevant Information In addition to technological de velopments, active environmental protection calls for comprehensive documentation of the primary and auxiliary materials used throughout the group and of their whereabouts. To this end, an environmental infor mation system is currently being developed which can call up the relevant data for the plant concerned, the corporate unit or the entire group. This information is also of assistance in the maintenance of an "environmental balance sheet". The diversity of activities con ducted throughout the Daimler-Benz group provides the basis for highly efficient material usage; this also applies to waste materials. Investiga tions are currently being carried out as to which production waste mate rials can be reused at different loca tions within the group. A corporate materials exchange is being estab lished to provide systematic access to these materials. It is of utmost importance to us that each and every employee bears responsibility for the environment. Our second Corporate Forum was therefore staged under the title of "Environmental Protection". At this forum, speakers from within and outside the company discussed the political and technological conditions applying to environmental protec tion. By means of specific programs, we shall convey these findings to all employees within the framework of the continuous training scheme. Employees Focal Points of Personnel Policy Development, implementation and follow-up of new work and man agement structures in the individual corporate units and in the Daimler- Benz holding company were the focuses of group personnel policy in 1992. Restructuring and adjust ments, establishment of perfor mance centers, corporate integration and the further internationalization of business required the review of organization and personnel policy. In a year which was further charac terized by employment problems as a consequence of structural changes in the markets, as well as by grow ing economic difficulties, the person nel departments were faced with the frequently difficult task of striking a balance between the different expec tations of the workforce and the economic exigencies confronting the company. Employment Situation Deteriorates At the end of the year, the Daimler-Benz group employed a workforce of 376,467 (1991: 388,696), including 302,464 (1991: 317,461) employees in Germany. At Deutsche Aerospace, the worldwide workforce numbered 81,872 (1991: 83,605) at the end of 1992, including 75,404 (1991: 80,191) people in Germany. Behind this change are some contradictory tendencies. A rise in personnel resulted from the pro rata inclusion of Eurocopter S.A. and TEMIC, and from full consolidation of Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH. On the other hand, the changed interna tional security situation and the shrinking budgets of government agencies had the consequence that Deutsche Aerospace capacity utiliza tion in the year under review was on the whole unsatisfactory. In all divi sions of the company, manpower was adjusted by making use of natu ral attrition and early retirement plans. Moreover, in the second half of 1992 short-time work became necessary. Daimler-Benz InterServices (debis) had a total of 8,258 (1991: 6,203) employees at the end of 1992. The primary reason for the larger workforce was the inclusion of CAP Gemini in the group. Daimler-Benz AG (holding com pany) had a total of 3,071 employees at year-end, of whom some 555 held group management functions, 1,287 were involved in group research activities, and 1,229 worked in services for the various corporate units and for the Mohringen location. In the new Federal German states, at the end of the year 1992 some 10,300 persons were employed by companies of the Daimler-Benz group. In Germany, the employment situation in the individual corporate units was on the whole unsatisfac tory. Particularly due to declining economic activity in the second half of 1992, the situation in Germany took a substantial turn for the worse. By contrast, outside Germany the employment situation in the Daimler-Benz group was largely stable. Mercedes-Benz had an overall workforce of 222,482 at the end of 1992, including 170,137 (1991: 185,154) employees in Germany. At 52,345, employment at the foreign production and sales companies was on the previous year's level. Scaled- down production schedules necessi tated a reduction of the workforce in all German plants with the exception of Rastatt. This was achieved by na tural attrition and non-renewal of lim ited employment contracts. Excess staff then remaining was trimmed by increased granting of leave, non- work shifts, and early retirement. Short-time work is planned for the first half of 1993 in all German car and commercial vehicle factories. At AEG, the employment situa tion in 1992 was satisfactory on the whole, although activity in the latter half of the year in some areas of the Automation field of activity, in Com ponents and in Microelectronics was affected, in some cases sharply, by the economic slowdown. At the end of 1992, the AEG group had a world workforce of 60,784(1991: 58,642), including 46,559 (1991:43,975) employees in Germany. The number of employees in Germany increased, above all due to inclusion of the units acquired in the new Federal states. The inclusion of TEMIC TELE- FUNKEN microelectronic GmbH only on a pro rata basis caused a re duction in the number of employees - particularly outside Germany. New Work and Management Structures in the Group In all corporate units and in the Daimler-Benz holding company greater efforts are being undertaken to meet future requirements in inter national competition through mod ern, integrated forms of work organi zation. Shorter communication chan nels and speedier decision-making processes will raise efficiency. Mercedes-Benz is facing up to the challenges of competition with all-around further development of its organizational structures. The planned reorganization into product and service centers has the purpose of gearing organization in all areas of the enterprise more strongly to the needs of the market and the cus tomers. The heart of this new man agement structure is a large-scale decentralization of responsibility and decision-making power. This not only strengthens personal respon sibility, but in logical consequence also reduces the number of hier archical levels. Introduction of group work in the plants and performance centers of the company is designed to im prove the basis for employees to be come more actively involved in and to assume greater responsibility for company operations and to make work more interesting and more efficient. 1991 having been a year in which fundamental decisions were made concerning the future strategic orientation of the AEG group, in the year under review further steps were initiated to change the man agement structure and improve the cost structure. The operative units will take independent responsibility for their business in future. The group's headquarters will concen trate on managerial planning and control as a steering unit, with about 200 employees. Tasks formerly per formed by head office will be trans ferred to the fields of activity or con centrated in service units. This will be supplemented by development of a management concept for the AEG group which includes organization in the operative units. The previous Deutsche Aero space was merged with the MBB and TST companies in the year under review. The administrative depart ments of the various headquarters were streamlined by combining the previous staff functions of the divisions Aircraft, Space Systems, Defense and Civil Systems as well as Propulsion Systems with those of the new DASA. These measures are intended to improve the capacity for action and cooperation and to in crease transparency and efficiency. In the Daimler-Benz holding company a new management struc ture was approved which will be put into practice beginning in 1993. Its essential elements are short commu nication channels, fewer manage ment levels, and appreciably en larged spans of control for top-level executives. Collective Bargaining Agreements for 1992 In the old Federal German states, the accords for the metal- working and electrical industries brought an increase in wages and salaries of 5.4% effective April 1, 1992, and a further 3% increase effective April 1, 1993. The contract runs for 21 months, ending on December 31, 1993. In addition, an increase in contractually guaranteed special remuneration to 55% of monthly pay for 1992, and to 60% as of 1993, was agreed. This special remuneration can be set off against equivalent voluntary company pay ments. As agreed in a phased plan, in the new German states the stand ard wages and salaries were raised to 70% of the amounts which were paid in 1991 in the metal-working and electrical industries of the old Federal German states. Personnel and Social Welfare Expenditure Group personnel expenditure rose by 9% to DM 32 billion. In Germany, the increase was due pri marily to rises in standard wages and salaries and a renewed rise in social welfare contributions. A central element of the social benefits provided by the Daimler- Benz group are the company pen sions. In 1992 it was decided to increase the pension tables for employees of Daimler-Benz AG and Mercedes-Benz AG by 6% with effect from January 1, 1993. Daimler-Benz AG and Mercedes-Benz AG paid a total of DM 318 million to some 49,400 pensioners, widows and chil dren in the year under review. A to tal of DM 623 million was allocated to pension provisions at Daimler- Benz AG and Mercedes-Benz AG. These expenses are calculated - bringing them into line with the practice used in the Daimler-Benz consolidated statements since 1989 - on the basis of the fiscal stipula tions of Section 6a of the Income Tax Law, that is to say using a notional interest rate of 6% instead of the pre vious 3.5%. AEG disbursed DM 107 million and DASA DM 96 million to recipients in the year under review. A total of DM 1.5 billion was allo cated in the group to company pension schemes. Private Capital Formation Assistance in forming private capital was also provided in 1992. Employees of the domestic plants had the opportunity to purchase shares of Daimler-Benz AG and Mer cedes Aktiengesellschaft Holding at a preferential price. In all, about 120,500 employees took advantage of this offer, subscribing to some 146,000 Daimler-Benz shares and 15,200 MAH shares. Managerial Development and Planning A difficult business environment creates new situations for manage ment. Demands grow on managers to deal with complex, fast-changing tasks. The available human re sources in the company must be op timally utilized through systematic personnel development. Serving this purpose are also the uniform guide lines for filling senior-level manage ment positions, which have been adopted in all corporate units, and which aim, amongst other things, at greater internationalization of management. A particular concern in the year under review was the integration of newly added companies in manag erial development and planning programs. Company Training Activities At the end of 1992, 13,314 young people were undergoing voca tional training within the domestic group. 3,850 young men and women commenced training in the year under review. Of the 3,835 who suc cessfully completed their courses, 82% were given jobs within the group. Training is offered in almost 60 technical trades and 10 business professions in all. This training is supplemented by 15 special pro grams for school leavers, above all at the professional academy. As in the years before, these programs enjoy rising popularity. Advanced training has great sig nificance in the Daimler-Benz group, also in times of economic troubles. All the corporate units offer a com prehensive program consistent with the individual areas of activity. The senior managerial staff training scheme was further extended in 1992. Expenditure for basic voca tional training and advanced train ing came to some DM 834 million in the year under review. Preventive Health Care and Occupational Safety Medical care for our employees is traditionally an essential facet of our personnel and social policies. The medical services of the various corporate units employ a staff of 250, including 50 doctors. Throughout the group in Ger many, 200 full-time safety experts were responsible for on-the-job safety. The success of their work is reflected in the further reduction in the number of accidents in all corpo rate units. Thanks to Our Workforce We would like to express our gratitude to all our employees for their commitment and hard work in a year in which reorganization of the group was continued and which was also characterized by special chal lenges and in some cases greatly changed market conditions. We also appreciate the trust and cooperation demonstrated by the representatives on the various labor councils and committees at all levels of our group. Finance Group Valuation Methods Standardized Extensively With the changes in valuation methods made in 1989, Daimler- Benz adapted its accounting policies more closely to internally accepted accounting policies because capital markets only rely on financial state ments thus prepared. The valuation methods traditionally applied in the automobile business has been con tinued in the individual accounts of both Daimler-Benz AG and Mercedes-Benz. In 1992, we have adapted the valuation methods for pension provi sions and for inventories to the prac tices used in the consolidated ac counts. We are thus applying the same accounting principles and val uation methods at the different levels and within each area of the Daimler-Benz group. This will in crease comparability of the individ ual corporate sectors among them selves and of other companies with the Daimler-Benz group as a whole. At the same time, we thus improve our information by segments, which is an important part of U.S. publica tion requirements. Net Income Declined to DM 1.45 Billion The financial statements were impacted, sometimes substantially, by changes in the circle of consoli dated companies. While some com panies of the AEG group were re moved, Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH - on account of the uniform control existing now - was fully consolidated for the first time. As in prior years, we have re duced the interest income earned in the high-inflation countries by the inflation portion. The results of operations from ordinary business activities dropped by 37 % to DM 2.5 billion. Operating results (results from ordinary busi ness activities less financial results less other taxes), declined to an even greater extent, namely by 59% to DM 1.0 billion. Of decisive influence here was the unexpected deteriora tion of the automobile business be ginning in the third quarter, the changing climate for important sec tors of the aero- and space travel in dustry and the burdens resulting from the devaluation of several Euro pean currencies. Net income fell dis- proportionally by 25 % to DM 1.45 billion, while income taxes, on ac count of substantial losses incurred by consolidated companies, notice ably declined also. Balance Sheet Picture of the Group Characterized by Financial Services Business The consolidated balance sheet is more influenced by the strongly expanding leasing and financing business than is apparent in the statement of income. Our leasing contracts are ordinarily designed in such a way that the assets are shown in the books of the lessor; leased items are valued at acquisi tion or manufacturing costs reduced by scheduled depreciation al lowances. They are shown sep arately under fixed assets. Deferred taxes resulting from the elimination of intercompany profits are shown on the asset side of the balance sheet under deferred taxes. The sales financing business is a pure credit business; it increases both sides of the balance sheet Sales revenues in 1992 rose 4 % to DM 98.5 million; on a comparable basis, the increase amounted to 2 %. The positive trend in the domestic marketplace during the first six months was nearly compensated for in all markets during the following period because of the difficult eco nomic situation. With DM 101 bil lion, total output exceeded the DM 100 billion mark. Since the cost of materials remained nearly un changed, its share in terms of total output declined to 48.7 % (1991: 50.2 %). In contrast, the ratio of per sonnel expenses noticeably rose to 31.7 % (1991: 29.8 %) as a result of the first-time inclusion of companies with labor-intensive manufacturing. Union-negotiated wage and salary increases effective April 1, 1992, further increased expenses; offset ting this were generally lower an nual average employment figures. Depreciation allowances climbed 18 % to DM 7.2 billion on account of higher investments in fixed assets and in leased equipment. Net interest expense of our leas ing and sales financing companies remained nearly unchanged at DM 0.4 billion, just slightly below the previous year's level. The offset amount to the interest expenses that are necessary for the financing of the leasing business are the reve nues which are included in the leas ing rates and thus in total sales. Ex cluding the interest expense from the leasing and sales financing, consoli dated interest income amounted to DM 1.0 billion (1991: DM 1.1 billion). because receivables from customers and liabilities from refinancing are simultaneously shown. Moreover, deferred leasing income and special lease payments are shown under deferred credits on the liability side of the balance sheet. Within the Daimler-Benz group we use the financial services business as a flexible tool to support our global sales strategy. The effect that the financial services business has on the consolidated balance sheet is illustrated by the table below. Here it was assumed that the funds bound by the financial sevices business are available for the un scheduled repayment of liabilities. The changes in stockholders' equity result, in particular, from consolida tion methods. Group Balance-Sheet Total Noticeably Increased The group's balance sheet total (assets/stockholders' equity and lia bilities) rose 14 % to DM 86.2 billion on account of the larger business volume and the first-time inclusion in consolidation of Deutsche Aero space Airbus GmbH. Long-term as sets, including leased vehicles and equipment, climbed by 15 % to DM 33.6 billion. Fixed asset additions of DM 7.8 billion were offset by depre ciation allowances of DM 4.7 billion and disposals of DM 0.4 billion. Also in 1992, leased vehicles and equip ment increased disproportionately by 21 %; their share in terms of total assets rose to 11.3 %. Excluding leased vehicles and equipment, the ratio of fixed assets to total assets remained nearly unchanged at 27.7 %. Receivables from sales financing activities climbed 45 % to DM 6.2 billion. Inventories, which strongly increased over the Expense Structure in Terms of Total Output Daimler-Benz Group DM 100.9 Billion (1991: DM 98.6 Billion) previous year, were financed to the tune of 25 % through advance payments received from customers. Liquidity declined to 11.4 % (19 91: 13.9%) of total assets. On the liability side of the bal ance sheet, shareholders' equity - excluding the amount set aside for dividend payments (unappropriated profit) - rose by DM 0.3 billion to DM 19.1 billion. Because of the no ticeably higher business volume, the ratio of net equity to total capitaliza tion fell to 22.2 % (1991: 24.9 %). Ex cluding the financial services com panies, the net equity ratio in terms of total capitalization amounted to 27,9 % (1991: 29.9 %). The coverage of long-term assets (excluding leased vehicles and equipment) fell to 81 % (1991: 89%). The liabilities attributable to our financial services companies amounted to DM 11.0 billion (1991: DM 8.1 billion). Their change ac counted for about 75 % of the in crease in total liabilities. Also, provi sions increased far above average, i.e. by 24 % to DM 34.7 billion; the main cause for this was the change in the circle of companies included in consolidation; provisions ac counted for 40.3 % (1991: 37 %) of total capitalization. Long-term assets (excluding leased vehicles and equipment) and net inventories are fully covered by net equity and long- and medium-term provisions. Statement of Cash Flow In the course of a further inter nationalization of our account pre sentation, our statement of cash flow has been closely geared to the U.S. Financial Accounting Standard (SFAS) No. 95. The basic difference between SFAS 95 and the method heretofore applied consists in the unequivocal attribution of the payment streams to the three segments (business activities, investment activities and financing activities). In contrast, our presentation hitherto has only shown sources of funds and applica tion funds separately. Besides this the cash flow figure currently shown from business activities is purely a financial indicator. In comparision to the previous year this figure decreased by 25% to DM 5.9 billion. This resulted from a decline in operating liabilities of DM 1.6 billion against an increase of DM 1.7 billion in 1991. The cash flow from investment activities was also below that of the previous year at DM 9.0 billion; this was affected mainly by the first-time consolida tion of Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH. As the internally generated liquidity did not suffice to finance various investments and we took on less debt as in 1991, our liquidity declined to DM 9.8 billion (1991: DM 10.6 billion). Also in the years to come we expect investments of the Daimler-Benz Group to be at a high level. The leasing and sales financ ing business in particular require the injection of additional capital. Depending on favorable stock mar ket condition we intend to secure for corporate growth also through tak ing on new equity. approval practices for credit insur ance. In contrast, the financing opportunities available in Latin America have improved depending on the economic improvement of some countries. The newly-developing and developed countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America are only able to finance capital investments if funds from subsidized programs of public institutions are available. This is particularly true for East European countries and CIS. With respect to future project financing, systems for aid and rehabilitation programs are already in place. Making use of such systems will become of considerable importance in financing our products. In the solution of these tasks, the company will, also in the future, minimize financing risk inherent in sales activities. The company will, at the same time, keep open its financ ing options. In 1992, our business policy at home and abroad again conformed with the "OECD-Guidelines for Multi national Companies". Our intercom pany pricing policy is based on the "dealing-at-arms-length" principle. Activities of the Group Treasury During the year under review, we have continued to further de velop, both objectively and instru- mentally, our "cash-management" in connection with the inclusion of Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH and the establishment of a foreign- currency based domestic "cash- pooling". We were able to increase the flexibility and efficiency of our treasury activities through more in tensive use of the commercial-paper- programs, particularly in Germany and the U.S.A. Through active portfolio manage ment we have again invested long- term funds - depending on interest rate and interest income expecta tions - primarily in fixed-interest instruments of first-class issuers. Investments in stocks represent a small portion of our portfolio. The continued growth of our leasing and sales financing business has further increased the demands placed on our centrally managed refinancing tasks. In order to enlarge our investor basis, we floated a Euro-Medium- Term-Note-Program in 1992, with a volume objective of two billion U.S. dollars. This instrument, which can be used by Daimler-Benz Interna tional Finance B.V., Daimler-Benz of North America and Daimler-Benz United Kingdom pic - companies al ready well known and active in the Euromarket - allows us to use the capital markets to the fullest extent. As in prior years, the task of the foreign exchange management con sisted in limiting the currency risks of the operating sectors, particularly with regard to the USD, JPY, GBP, CHF and ESP, through suitable for eign exchange hedging measures. Also in the future, we will be guided by continually updated currency rate expectations and then employ the financial instruments individually depending on the currency and business field. Within the scope of the above- mentioned treasury activities, we also avail ourselves of derivative capital market instruments. They serve the purpose of limiting the group's financial risks overall and of optimizing results of operations. Sales and Project Financing The worldwide sales of our prod ucts is increasingly supported by standardized financing programs and individually-tailored financing solutions. It is becoming more and more necessary to find new solutions for our companies that carry on busi ness in the infrastructure sector. In this area, private financing models must increasingly be offered. In or der for the private sector to be able to take over these tasks, the public sector in the buyer country must ful fill certain yield and risk standards. Moreover, the burden of risk must not - as is frequently requested by public contractors - be limited to the producer of capital equipment. In the traditional export financ ing field, we have again in 1992 fully utilized all opportunities of ex isting financing and hedging instru ments. The sometimes dramatic de terioration of economic conditions in some African countries and in east ern Europe resulted in restrictive Key Figures of Major Subsidiaries of Daimler-Benz AG The Daimler-Benz Share Statistics per Common Share Stock Exchange Development After an overall satisfactory development during the first six months, German stock exchanges suffered a severe backlash following the surprise increase in the discount rate. Particularly the stocks of auto mobile manufacturers, favored up to that point, often had to accept heavy losses. The Daimler-Benz share dropped from a yearly high of DM 815.50 at the beginning of June to DM588.50. During the following period, profit expectations for most German companies had to be noticeably low ered as domestic business activities weakened dramatically and the D-mark's value rose within the Euro pean currency system. The German stock index (DAX) reached a yearly low of 1,420 points in October. While the DAX index rose 9 % by the end of the year, the Daimler-Benz share dropped further to DM 538.50. Investor Relations-Activities With our investor relations activ ities, both at home and abroad, we are trying to respond to the increas ing interest in the Daimler-Benz technology group. We not only talk to financial analysts and institu tional investors, but also quite con sciously to individual investors. We regularly inform all our shareholders by means of the annual shareholders meeting, the annual report and peri odical interim reports. In Stuttgart, in May of 1992, we informed the members of the German Financial Analysts Society (DVFA) about our actual economic situation. Further more, we gave presentations in Zurich, Vienna, Paris, Milan, Boston, New York, Tokyo, London and Edinburgh. Second International Stockholders' Fair in Dusseldorf The second international stock holders' fair (IAM) took place in Dusseldorf from August 27, to Au gust 30. More than 13,000 visitors informed themselves in the booths of 105 exhibitors, and in roughly 150 presentations about all aspects of investments in stocks. We have made use of the IAM to show what the Daimler-Benz share stands for. We met with a good re sponse both during our daily special events and our "contest", in which more than 10,000 visitors partici pated. By the end of February 1993, the price of the Daimler-Benz stock jumped 11 %, while the DAX index only increased 9 %. Again in 1992, our stock be longed to the most frequently traded shares on German stock exchanges; a total of 228 million shares were traded, amounting to DM 153.5 bil lion. This amount represented 11 % of all domestically traded stocks. On the German futures exchanges, Daimler-Benz options again be longed to the most actively traded issues. Market Price of the Daimler-Benz Share Trade on Foreign Stock Exchanges Other than the German stock exchanges, the Daimler-Benz stock is traded on seven foreign stock ex changes (Basel, Geneva, Zurich, Lon don, Paris, Tokyo and Vienna): With the listing on these exchanges, we also show in financial markets the international orientation of our com pany. Long-term, moreover, we wish to be less dependent on the develop ment of a single capital market. Trading in London in 1992 was particularly active. Total turnover amounted to 16.5 million Daimler- Benz shares. At the beginning of the year we continued talks with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with the aim of introducing our shares to the New York Stock Exchange. The results to date have made us very confident that Daimler-Benz shares can already be traded in the course of this year on the worlds' most important stock exchange. Investment in Daimler-Benz Shares; Investment Amount DM 10,000 Dividend" DM Dividend unchanged at DM 13 Daimler-Benz Shares Are a Good Long-Term Investment For the business year 1992, a dividend of DM 13 for each eligible share of DM 50 per value, will be proposed to the annual general meeting taking place on May 26, 1993. For shareholders subject to in come taxes in Germany, the gross dividend thus amounts to DM 20.31. Total dividend payout of DM 604 million (1991: DM 603 million) is slightly higher because of lower inventories in treasury stock. The net income of Daimler-Benz increased solely on account of the revaluation recorded on the books in 1992. Even though the income por tion derived from ordinary business activities is noticeably lower in comparison to the previous year, we have maintained the dividend rate. Continuity in serving our stock holder will remain our long-term policy. The past year has shown that an investment in stocks offers both op portunity and risk. A six-year invest ment and a three-year investment both show negative results, due to the high prices at the time of pur chase and the share price decline during last year. Investments made in currencies other than the D-mark increase the risk further. Longer term, however, stocks offer returns that cannot be achieved with fixedin- come securities. A twelve-year investment in Daimler-Benz shares, as is typical for our shareholders, shows a positive return of 12.8 %. In this calculation we have as sumed that the proceeds from rights issues and cash dividends (excl. tax credit) were reinvested in Daimler- Benz stocks and that no additional payments were made by share holders. Total Divident Amount In Millions of DM Share Price Development Allowing for the 1989 Increase in Capital Financial Statements Consolidated Balance Sheet Consolidated Statement of Income Consolidated Statement of Non-Current Assets Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements Principles and Methods The consolidated financial state ments have been prepared in accord ance with regulations set forth in the Commercial Code; the amounts are shown in millions of D-marks. The items, which are summarized in the balance sheet and the statement of income, are separately shown in the notes and, where necessary, explained. Deviating from the previous year, we additionally show in the consolidated financial statements - apart from the caption "leased vehi cles and equipment" - the captions "receivables from sales financing" and "liabilities from leasing and sales financing", in order to accomo date the pecularities of the financial services business. Accounting Principles and Valuation Methods During the year under review, we have continued to apply the same accounting principles and val uation methods. Assets and lia bilities presented in the consolidated balance sheet - in identical group circumstances - are uniformly val ued. In 1992, as in previous years, provisions for approved conversion, reconstruction and maintenance pro jects have been set up, or have been systematically updated. Intangible assets are valued at acquisition costs and are written off over the respective useful lives. Goodwill resulting from the capital consolidation, if derived from the ex tension of the group, is in principle amortized over five years; goodwill relating to the restructuring of the group is charged to retained earn ings. Goodwill which arose from the creation of strategic alliances, is split. The portion relating to the group's expansion is written off over the relevant useful life, the one relating to the restructuring is charged to retained earnings. Fixed assets are valued at acqui sition or manufacturing costs. The self-constructed facilities comprise direct costs and applicable materials and manufacturing overheads, in cluding depreciation allowances. Investments in related com panies, and in other long-term finan cial assets are valued at the lower of cost or market; non-interest bearing or low-interest bearing receivables are shown at their present value. Major investments in associated com panies are valued according to the book value method at equity. The acquisition/manufacturing Leased equipment is valued at ac costs for fixed assets are reduced by scheduled depreciation charges. The opportunities for special tax- deductible depreciation allowances were fully utilized, i.e. in connection with Section 7d of the Income Tax Act (environmental protection in vestment), Section 6 b of the Income Tax Act, Section 4 of the Regional Development Law and Subsection 35 of the Income Tax Guidelines. Scheduled fixed asset deprecia tion allowances are calculated gener ally using the following useful lives: 17 to 50 years for buildings, 8 to 20 years for site improvements, 3 to 20 years for technical facilities and ma chinery, and 2 to 10 years for other facilities and factory and office equipment. Facilities used for multi- shift operations are depreciated using correspondingly lower useful lives. Buildings are depreciated using straight-line depreciation rates - and where allowable under the Tax Codes - declining rates. Mov able property with a useful life of four years or more is depreciated using the declining-balance method. For movable property, we change from the declining-balance method to the straight-line method of calcu lating depreciation allowances when the equal distribution of the remain ing net book value over the remain ing useful life leads to higher depre ciation amounts. Depreciation allowances on additions during the first and second half of the year are calculated using the full year or half- year rates, respectively. Low-value items are expensed in the year of acquisition. quisition or manufacturing costs, and is depreciated using the declining-balance method. We change from the declining-balance method to the straight-line method of calculating depreciation al lowances when the equal distribu tion of the remaining net book value over the remaining useful life leads to higher depreciation amounts. The opportunities for tax-deductible depreciation allowances were fully utilized, i.e. in connection with Subsection 35 of the Income Tax Guidelines. Raw materials and supplies as well as goods purchased for resale are valued at the lower of cost or market. Finished goods are valued at manufacturing costs which com prise, apart from direct material and direct labor, applicable material and manufacturing overheads including depreciation charges. To the extent that inventory risks are determinable, i.e. for reduced usability after prolonged storage or after design changes, rea sonable deductions are made, which are calculated based on a loss-free valuation. Receivables and other assets - if non-interest bearing - are reduced to their present vaue at the balance sheet date, and are valued taking into account all known risks. A lump-sum allowance for doubtful accounts on a country-specific scale is deducted from the receivables in recognition of the general risk inher ent in receivables. Principles of Consolidation Capital consolidation was ef fected according to the book value method where the parent's acquisi tion costs are eliminated against the relevant share capital and retained earnings at the time of acquisition or first-time inclusion in consolidation. This applies analogously to the joint venture companies that were in cluded pro rata. The differences resulting from the capital consolidation (debit balance) are, as far as possible, allo cated to the relevant balance sheet items and are written off to income over their useful lives. For the treat ment of the remaining differences (goodwill), see explanations under "accounting principles and valuation methods". The remaining goodwill resulting from the addition of the joint venture companies of the Euro- copter group is shown under "intan gible assets"; the portion applicable to the group's expansion will be amortized over a useful life of 10 years. The other portion was charged to retained earnings in 1992, without affecting income. Treasury stock is valued at the expected selling price to employees of the Daimler-Benz group. Securities are valued at the lower of cost or market value at the balance sheet date. Provisions for old-age pensions and similar obligations are actu arially determined on the basis of an assumed interest rate of 6 % using the Entry Age Actuarial Cost Method. The regulations of the 1992 Pension Reform Act have been taken into account in calculating the provi sion amount. Provisions for taxes and other pro visions are determined on the basis of fair and reasonable business judge ments. The obligations in the per sonnel and social area are reflected in the financial statements at non- discounted values expected to be paid in the future as benefits are vested. Liabilities are shown at their repayment amounts. Companies Included in Consolidation The companies included in con solidation encompass, apart from Daimler-Benz AG, 271 (1991: 255) domestic and foreign subsidiaries and 7 joint venture companies. During the year under review, 26 companies have, for the first time, been added to consolidation. Moreover, one joint venture com pany was included pro rata, for the first time, pursuant to Section 310 of the Commercial Code. A total of 10 subsidiaries and one joint venture company were deleted from consol idation. Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH and its subsidiaries were fully consolidated in the consoli dated accounts effective January 1, 1992. Up to 1991, Deutsche Aero space Airbus GmbH was only con solidated at equity in conformity with Section 296, Subsection 1, Paragraph 1 of the Commercial Code. After the transfer by the Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau of its 20 % stake in Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH to DASA, this limita tion with respect to excercising its rights no longer applies, which, on account of agreements with the Federal Republic of Germany and of rules in the bylaws, had existed up to that point. The first-time consolidation of the Deutsche Aerospace Airbus group effected both the consolidated balance sheet and the consolidated statement of income. These effects are explained under the relevant bal ance sheet and statement of income captions. In 1991, only the balance sheet items of the Eurocopter companies were proportionally included in con solidation because of their relatively short affiliation with the group; in 1992, they were included in the statement of income as well. Because income and expense items relative to the German heli copter activities were still included in the 1991 accounts, comparability of group financial statements with the previous year is not materially affected. Not included are 248 subsid iaries, whose effect on the assets, liabilities, financial position and re sults of operations of the group is not material (their total sales volume is less than 1 % of consolidated sales), and 11 companies adminis tering pension funds whose assets are subject to restrictions. Intercompany receivables and payables have been eliminated; the differences resulting from debt consolidation have been charged or credited to income. A ll material intercompany profits resulting from the intercompany sales of goods and services have been eliminated, except items of minor importance. This also applies to sales of goods and services by associated companies to companies included in consolidation. Intercompany sales and other intercompany earnings have been eliminated against the relevant costs, or reclassified to "capitalized in-house output" or to "increase in inventories", respectively. Deferred taxes (debit balance) shown in the consolidated balance sheet result from income-affecting consolidation adjustments. Curreny Translation Foreign currency receivables are translated in the individual financial statements at the bid price on the day they are recorded or at the spot rate on the balance sheet date if lower. Foreign currency payables are translated at the asked price on the day they are recorded or at the spot rate on the balance sheet date if higher. The accounts of all foreign com panies are translated to D-marks on the basis of historical exchange rates for non-current assets, and at year-end exchange rates for current assets, borrowed capital, and unap propriated profit. Stockholders' eq uity in D-marks is the remaining dif ference between translated assets less translated liabilities and unap propriated profit. The difference resulting from the translation of balance sheet items is recorded in consolidated retained earnings. Expense and income items are essentially translated at average an nual exchange rates. To the extent that they relate to fixed assets (fixed asset depreciation, profit or loss from disposal of fixed assets), they are translated at historical costs. Net income, additions to retained earn ings, and the unappropriated profit are translated at year-end rates. The difference resulting from the transla tion of annual net income, between annual average rates and the exchange rates at the balance sheet date, is reflected in other operating income (1991: other operating ex penses). The adjustments made in the in come statements by our subsidiaries in Brazil for monetary devaluations have been retained in the consoli dated statement of income without change, effectively preventing reflec tion of inflationary profits. The income taxes, which were already geared to the balance sheet date in the national financial statements, have been translated at year-end rates. Items from inflation-adjusted in come statements of our Argentinian companies are translated at year-end exchange rates. Fictitious profits/ losses resulting from the divergence between the inflationary trend and the changes in the currency's value have been eliminated. A difference (credit balance) resulting from the capital consolida tion is shown under the balance sheet caption "other provisions" ear marked as "difference from capital consolidation with reserve charac teristics". Profits earned by subsidiaries after the date of acquisition are added to consolidated retained earn ings. The unappropriated profit shown in the financial statements corresponds to the dividend payout proposed by Daimler-Benz AG. For this reason we have charged the income-affecting consolidation adjustments and the profits earned by our subsidiaries to consolidated retained earnings. The consolidated financial state ments include 127 associated com panies. At year-end, 13 associated com panies have been included in our consolidated financial statements ac cording to the book value method at equity. The remaining associated com panies are shown under investments in affiliated companies at acquisition costs - in some instances less write downs - as they are not material to the consolidated assets, liabilities, fi nancial position and results of opera tions. The 34 % stake in Sogeti S. A., Grenoble, which was acquired by Daimler-Benz AG in December of 1991, was transferred to debis AG in October 1992. As of December 31, 1992, Sogeti was included in consol idation at equity according to the book value method. However, only the 1991 accounts were used be cause Sogeti's 1992 financials had not been available at the time the Daimler-Benz consolidated financial statements were prepared. The good will of DM 355 million will be amor tized over 15 years. Notes to the Consolidated Balance Sheet 1 Intangible Assets 2 Fixed Assets 3 Financial Assets 4 Leased Equipment Intangible assets, amounting to DM 611 million (1991: DM 774 mil lion) comprise goodwill arising from the capital consolidation and from individual company financial state ments, acquired EDP software, pat ents and, to a lesser extent, advance payments made. The decrease against the previous year is largely due to amortizations of goodwill charged to income and to the write off of Eurocopter's goodwill to retained earnings. The increase in property, plant and equipment by DM 2,680 million to DM 19,254 million is derived from additions of DM 7,829 million, of which DM 1,410 million represent net book values that are to be in cluded within the scope of the first- time full consolidation of the Deut sche Aerospace Airbus group. These additions are reduced by re-classifications of DM 17 million, disposals of DM 433 million, and depreciation allowances of DM 4,699 million. Special tax-deductible depreciation allowances amount to DM 163 million (1991: DM 77 million); depreciation allowances in excess of scheduled depreciation amount to DM 21 million (1991: DM 39 million). A complete listing of our stock ownership will be filed with the commercial registry office at the county court house in Stuttgart un der the number HRB 15,350. Unscheduled write-downs, largely of investments in associated companies and of other long-term receivables totaling DM 83 million (1991: DM 115 million) had to be made. Investments in non-current as sets should have been written up by DM 7 million in accordance with the value appreciation doctrine (rein statement of original values, Section 280 of the Commercial Code). How ever, such a write-up was omitted for tax reasons. The increase in leased equip ment - almost exclusively vehicles - by DM 1,685 million to DM 9,777 million, pertains largely to Mercedes-Benz Credit Corporation, Norwalk, U.S.A., and to Mercedes- Benz Leasing GmbH, Stuttgart. About 85 % of the balance sheet total pertains to these two companies. Special tax-deductible depreciation allowances amount to DM 3 million (1991: DM 10 million). 5 Inventories Mercedes-Benz and Deutsche Aerospace account for the majority of consolidated inventories. The in crease over last year is, with rough ly DM 1,150 million, derived from the Mercedes-Benz corporate divi sion, particularly from Mercedes- Benz AG and its foreign sales com panies and with about DM 1,250 million from the DASA corporate division and DM 1,650 million as a result of the first-time, full consolida tion of the Deutsche Aerospace Airbus group. 6 Advance Payments Received Advance payments received amounting to DM 5,549 million (1991: DM 5,827 million) were al most exclusively for projects and long-term contracts at AEG, DASA AG, Dornier, Eurocopter and MTU; they were deducted from inven tories. 7 Receivables from Sales Financing This caption pertains to accounts receivable from customers totaling DM 6,166 million (1991: DM 4,255 million), of which DM 2,804 million (1991: DM 2,699 million) mature after more than one year. 8 Receivables 9 Other Assets Approx. DM 0.4 billion (1991: DM 0.3 billion) of the receivables from related companies pertain mainly to fixed-interest debt instru ments and securities. Other assets include invest ments of liquid funds in debt instru ments not traded on stock ex changes. They amount to DM 437 million (1991: DM 2,564 million). 10 Securities 11 Cash During the year under review, we purchased 225,511 common shares (par value DM 11.3 million = 0.48 % of the total outstanding share capital) at an average price of DM 709 a share. In November of 1992, we sold 145,990 shares to our employees (par value DM 7.3 million = 0.31 % of the total outstanding share capi tal) at a preferential price of DM 469 for each share (in the event that one share was purchased) or DM 520 for each share (in the event that two shares were purchased). Cash amounting to DM 2,968 million (1991: DM 2,010 million) consists of deposits in financial insti tutions, cash on hand, deposits at the Bundesbank (German Federal Bank), in post office accounts, and checks on hand. We owned 122,287 common shares on the balance sheet date (par value DM 6.1 million = 0.26 % of the total outstanding share capi tal). Other securities pertain mainly to fixed interest securities. Within "current assets" there would have been a revaluation of DM 26 million necessary under the revaluation obligation. This did not take place due to tax law. Liquid funds, shown among various balance sheet captions, total DM 9.8 billion (1991: DM 10.6 billion). 12 Prepaid Expenses and Deferred taxes on income- Deferred Taxes affecting elimination entries amount to DM 1,329 million (1991: DM 1,596 million). Deferred taxes - a debit balance overall - as shown in the consolidated individual balance sheets are not included. 13 Stockholders' Equity 14 Capital Stock and Paid-in Capital stock and paid-in capital Capital pertain to Daimler-Benz AG. 15 Retained-Earnings Retained earnings comprise re tained earnings allocated under stat ute of DM 160 million, retained earnings allocated for treasury stock of DM 33 million, and other retained earnings of Daimler-Benz AG of DM 8,534 million. Also reflected here are the company's share in the re tained earnings and results of opera tions of consolidated subsidiaries, insofar as they have been earned by them since their affiliation with the group. Additionally, this caption takes into account the cumulative results from the elimination of inter company earnings and from debt consolidation, as well as the differ ence arising from currency transla tions. 16 Minority Interests The stock ownership of outside third parties in the subsidiaries in cluded in consolidation pertain mostly to Daimler-Benz Luft- und Raumfahrt Holding AG, AEG, Mercedes-Benz of South Africa, Dornier, MTU and Eurocopter. 17 Provisions for Old-Age Pen sions and Similar Obligations Pension provisions rose to DM 12,217 million (1991: DM 10,790 million). DM 499 million of the DM 1,427 increase pertains to the change in the circle of consolidated companies. When the assets of the provident funds are added to the provisions for old-age pensions, the company's pension obligations are fully covered. The provisions for taxes include DM 764 million (1991: 645 million) which pertain, to a large extent, to Daimler-Benz AG for open years awaiting final assessment. The difference amount with re serve characteristics resulting from the capital consolidation originates from the first-time consolidation of one subsidiary; this amount will be available to offset potential extraor dinary expenses during the start-up years. Apart from existing warranty obligations, other provisions take into account, above all, obligations in the personnel and social area, risks for losses inherent in pending busi ness transactions, and risks arising from contractual liabilities and pend ing litigation. Additional provisions exist for expenditures which are based on ap proved change-over, alteration and some development projects, for pos sible additional costs in connection with completed contracts, and for maintenance which had been planned for the year under review but had to be deferred until the fol lowing year. In addition, provisions have been recorded for future obliga tions in connection with restructur ing activities. The DM 5,239 million increase pertains with DM 4,028 to the Deutsche Aerospace Airbus Group which was consolidated via DASA. 19 Liabilities From Leasing and Sales Financing The liabilities from leasing and sales financing serve the refinancing of leased vehicles and equipment and of receivables derived from sales financing. The caption deben tures comprises commercial paper denominated in U.S. dollars; they are shown at the issue price plus ac crued interest. Miscellaneous liabilities com prise loans payable, and interest ac cruals in connection with sales financing. The liabilities due to leasing and Sales financing are secured by pledging redeemable bonds in the order of DM 45 million (1991: DM 11 million). 20 Accounts Payable Trade 21 Other Liabilities Of the liabilities to related com panies, about DM 130 million (1991: DM 370 million) pertain to liabilities to financial institutions. Excluding those, they pertain mainly to obliga tions by Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH to Airbus Industrie G.I.E., Toulouse, as well as to liabilities at DASA relating to project companies. Debentures pertain to commer cial paper issued in D-marks; they are shown at the issue price plus ac crued interest. Miscellaneous liabilities largely comprise December 1992 accruals for wages and salaries as well as tax liabilities. Liabilities to financial institu tions, notes payable, liabilities to af filiated and related companies and miscellaneous liabilities are largely secured by mortgage conveyance, liens and assignment of receivables in the order of DM 1,091 million (1991: DM 1,231 million). Contingent Liabilities Other Financial Obligations In addition, we are liable for non-estimable compensatory pay ments, guaranteed by Deutsche Aerospace AG for 1993 and future years. For outside shareholders of AEG Aktiengesellschaft and of Daimler-Benz Luft- und Raumfahrt Holding AG, there exist claims for non-estimable compensatory pay ments. Moreover, there exist contrac tual performance guarantees that could not reasonably be estimated. Other financial obligations aris ing from rental, property lease and leasing contracts average approx. DM 748 million annually; the aver age contract duration is 8 years. For companies not included in consolidation, we have other finan cial obligations amounting to DM 102 million; the average con tract duration is 9 years. In connection with the fiduciary settlement by Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH of the federally guar anteed serial credits, the effective amount cannot be determined until the beginning of 1995 when the fed eral government's last tranche of DM 1 billion is due; this also applies to the reorganization profit received in 1989. Within the scope of the government-supported Airbus- Development-Program, Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH has agreed to assume performance portions itself. DM 331 million thereof relate to the time after the balance sheet date, to the extent that they are not already reflected in the annual ac counts. All assets acquired by Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH with sub sidy funds have been conveyed to the Federal Republic of Germany as security. With reference to the develop ment work for the Airbus program, Airbus Industrie G.I.E. has given a performance guarantee to Agence Executive (government office in charge of Airbus); this guarantee was taken over by Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH - to the extent of its share interest - without restriction. Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH considers the obligation arising therefrom fully covered by the rele vant agreements for the financing and execution of the development work. Beginning in 2002, the profit sharing agreement provides that the federal government will share in the profits of Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH to the tune of 40 %. This rule, in its economic effect, stipulates the sequence of the government's repayment demands. The remaining financial obliga tions, particularly purchase order commitments for capital invest ments, are within the scope of nor mal business activities. The obligation arising from stock subscriptions and from capital sub scriptions in close corporations pur suant to Section 24 of the GmbH Act, amount to DM 14 million. We are jointly and severally lia ble for certain non-incorporated com panies, partnerships and joint ven ture work groups. In addition, there exist performance contracts and miscellaneous guarantees in connec tion with ongoing business transac tions. Notes to the Consolidated Statement of Income 22 Sales 23 Increase in Inventories and Other Capitalized In-House Output 24 Other Operating Income The income amount included in this caption for the reversal of provi sions totals DM 1,519 million. (1991: DM 893 million). Additional income is derived from exchange profits in connection with ongoing purchase and payment transactions, mostly earned abroad; exchange losses against such income are shown under other operating expenses. In addition, income is derived from costs charged to third parties, from security sales, and from rentals and leases. Altogether, DM 2,226 million of other operating income is attributa ble to prior years. 25 Cost of Materials 26 Personnel Expenses/ Employment in relation to a total output of DM 100,879 million (1991: DM 98,566 million), the ratio of cost of materials amounted to 49 % (1991: 50 %). The 1992 employment figures for the first time include the em ployees of Deutsche Aerospace Airbus GmbH and its subsidiary. In addition, 12,072 people are employed in the joint venture com pany Eurocopter. 27 Amortization of Intangible Assets, Depreciation of Fixed Assets and of Leased Equip ment The depreciation of fixed assets pertains with more than 50 % to Mercedes-Benz AG. The increase in depreciation of leasing equipment results from the growth of the leasing business of our domestic and foreign finance companies. 28 Other Operating Expenses This caption comprises additions to provisions, maintenance ex penses, administrative and selling expenses including sales commi- sions, rental and lease expenses, for eign exchange losses incurred in the normal course of business, freight- out, packaging, and the expenses in connection with the currency re valuation at our Brazilian subsidiary companies. Overall, DM 161 million is appli cable to prior years. 29 Income from Affiliated, Asso ciated and Related Companies 30 Net Interest Income The net interest expense balance from leasing and sales financing be fore the elimination of group inter nal interest income and expenses at the leasing and financing com panies amounts to DM -421 million (1991: DM -446 million). 31 Write-Downs of Financial Assets and of Securities 32 Extraordinary Results 33 Taxes The decline in tax expenses is largely due to a decline in income in the domestic circle of companies in cluded in the interlocking relation ship with respect to taxes. 34 Net Income Consolidated net income of DM 1,451 million has predominantely been earned by the Mercedes-Benz corporate unit. Special tax depre ciation of fixed assets and tax- allowable write-downs of current assets have reduced net income only slightly. Also, future charges in connection with such write-offs will not be material. Other Information/Boards Under the presumption that the proposed dividend is ratified by the shareholders at the Annual Meeting on May 26, 1993, the remuneration paid by the group companies to the members of the Board of Manage ment and the Supervisory Board of Daimler-Benz AG amounts to DM 17,002,148 and DM 2,157,079, re spectively. Disbursements to former members of the Board of Manage ment of Daimler-Benz AG and their survivors amount to DM 10,247,694. An amount of DM 75,954,745 has been provided for on the books of Daimler-Benz AG and of Mercedes- Benz AG for pension obligations to former members of the Board of Management and their survivors. As of December 31, 1992, advances and loans to members of the Board of Management of Daimler-Benz AG amounted to DM 220,741. Home loans included herein are not subject to interest; other loans and advances bear interest averaging 5.5 %. Dur ing the year, DM 71,468 was repaid. The stipulated maturities amounted to ten years for home loans; they did not exceed one year for other loans and advances. Independent Auditors' Report The accounting records and the consolidated accounts, which have been audited in accordance with professional standards, comply with the legal provisions. With due regard to the generally accepted accounting principles, the consolidated accounts give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and results of operations of the Daimler-Benz group. The business review report, which summarizes the state of affairs of Daimler- Benz Aktiengesellschaft and that of the group, is consistent with the finan cial statements of Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft and the consolidated fi nancial statements. Frankfurt am Main, March 24, 1993 KPMG Deutsche Treuhand-Gesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft Zielke Wirtschaftsprüfer (Certified Public Accountant) Dr. Koschinsky Wirtschaftsprüfer (Certified Public Accountant) The annual financial statements of Daimler-Benz AG as of December 31, 1992, show an unappropriated profit of DM 5,094,165,653. It will be proposed to the Annual General Meeting that this amount be applied as follows: Stuttgart-Mohringen, March, 9, 1993 The Board of Management Report of the Supervisory Board The result of the examinations made by the Supervisory Board and the auditors showed no cause for questioning. We approved the finan cial statements of Daimler-Benz AG as prepared by the Board of Manage ment; they are hereby ratified. We concur with the proposal of the Board of Management regarding the application of the unappropriated profit. The financial statements, the business review and the external auditors' report were available to the Supervisory Board. Stuttgart-Mohringen April 1993 The Supervisory Board Chairman In the four Supervisory Board meet ings held last year and by means of written and verbal reports, we were informed in detail about the state of the corporation and principal matters of corporate policy, and dis cussed these issues with the Board of Management. In particular, dis cussions centered on questions in connection with the development of the company into an integrated tech nology group. We also concerned ourselves with the trend in employ ment and earnings and with corpo rate planning, including investment policy. In addition, we discussed im portant individual business transac tions and made business decisions which, by law or company bylaws, had to be submitted to us for approval. We examined the financial state ments and the business review com piled for both Daimler-Benz AG and the group, as well as the proposal for the application of unappropriated profit. The financial statements of Daimler-Benz AG and of the group as at December 31, 1992, including the business review and the accounting principles used, were verified by KPMG Deutsche Treu- hand-Gesellschaft AG, Wirtschafts- prüfungsgesellschaft, Frankfurt am Main, and found to be in accordance with the books and with the pertinent legal requirements. The Supervisory Board, in a joint meeting with the Board of Manage ment on April 2, 1993, approved the result of the audit. From the Daimler-Benz Collection Günter Scharein * 1 9 49 Sehnsuchtstriptychon, 1987/88 Oil on hard foam panel 124 x 330 cm The paintings of Günter Scharein, with their living, vibrant, "breath ing" colors which appear to bathe in an unreal light, hinting at unfathom able depths, evoke a mystic, medita tive mood strongly reminiscent of modern altar pictures. Light and dark graduations of the same color, honed with meticulous care, are the objective foundation for a highly emotional color "experience" which transcends empirical dimensions. Annual General Meeting May 26, 1993 10.00 o'clock Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle Mercedesstraße 69 7000 Stuttgart 50 (Bad Cannstatt) Daimler-Benz AG BPA Postfach 80 02 30 D-7000 Stuttgart 80 (as of July, 1, 1993: 70546 Stuttgart) Phone number 0711-1 79 22 87 Telefax number 0711-1 79 41 16 This report has been printed on environment-friendly paper bleached without the use of chlorine. 

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