If cars can give their owners a certain social standing, Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has the class and model to suit any American status seeker. The three-pointed star luxury-brand is available in the US through MBUSA, a subsidiary of Daimler AG. The company imports, distributes, and markets Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, and smart vehicles through some 350 dealerships. It operates its own dealership too, Mercedes-Benz Manhattan, as well as three parts distribution centers, four vehicle preparation facilities, and four learning and performance centers. The company sold 220,000 vehicles in the US in 2010. Founded in 1965, MBUSA is among FORTUNE's "Best Companies to Work For."

Parent Daimler doesn't release specifics for the Mercedes-Benz brand in the US, but the number of vehicles it has sold in the US is finally growing after years of declines. Its high point was in 2007, when it sold more than 250,000 cars. In 2008 the company sold 225,000 cars and 203,000 in 2009. By 2010 the company was back up to 220,000 vehicles in the US.

The US is Daimler's third-most important market, following Germany and Western Europe. The company plies an array of models, from the mini smart fortwo small cars to premium models and sedans for the affluent (by Maybach); however, its top sellers are the Mercedes-Benz C- and E-Class sedans. In the meantime, the company is leading the US automotive industry by putting an emission-free, lithium-ion battery powered sedan on the road. The all-electric B-Class is expected to go on sale in 2013.

Manufacturing operations for the Mercedes-Benz brand is the US is handled by Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc., which operates a 3.7 million sq.-ft. assembly plant near Tuscaloosa, Alabama.