By Chris Ward, January 14, 2025
Mercedes is struggling right now, having recently reported a decline in worldwide sales due to a sharp drop in demand in China. In response, Mercedes UK appears to be engaging in some wild mental gymnastics. According to their figures, 102,757 cars were registered in 2024. However, dealerships often pre-order build slots from manufacturers, leading to pre-registered stock that ends up gathering dust on lots, waiting to be sold.
Mercedes UK is boasting about over 100,000 registered cars—but registering cars is not the same as selling them. Notably, in their boastful press release, the terms “sold” or “sales” were conspicuously absent, which suggests that someone in Mercedes-Benz UK’s PR department may harbor a shred of guilt or shame over the spin.
Apparently, this increase in registrations marks Mercedes UK’s best performance since 2020. However, that isn’t particularly impressive, given that the UK was in the throes of full lockdown chaos throughout much of 2020.
Honestly, Mercedes-Benz UK’s approach feels like a masterclass in mental gymnastics. They seem to assume that people are gullible enough to overlook the difference between registrations and actual sales.
