Mercedes-Benz South Africa says the 500 000th W205-generation C-Class has rolled off the assembly line at its East London plant.
The milestone unit built earlier in March 2019 is a right-hand-drive C200 sedan finished in Obsidian Black. It is set to be exported to the United Kingdom.
While the factory built its very first C-Class back in 1994, the first customer-ready W205-generation unit rolled off the production line at the start of March 2014.
The East London plant is one of four factories worldwide that builds the C-Class, and exports to more than 80 markets. In addition to the cooking versions of the luxury sedan, the facility also produces other variants, including the Mercedes-AMG C43, the Mercedes-AMG C63, the Mercedes-AMG C63 S and the C350 Hybrid.
“Since 1994, when the first C-Class model rolled off our assembly line, we have never looked back in producing excellence from this plant,” said Andreas Engling, CEO of Mercedes-Benz South Africa and executive director of manufacturing.
“Producing the 500 000th unit of the W205 model reaffirms our commitment to manufacturing excellence and the positive multiplier effect that our operations have on the economy of East London. This achievement also follows the R10-billion investment into the expansion of the plant to equip it for the future,” he added.
That investment, of course, means the next generation of the C-Class will also be built here in South Africa.
