70 Years of Excellence: Driving our Community into a Sustainable Future 卓越七十載：引領社區邁向可持續未來

The connection between Mercedes-Benz and buses can be traced back to 1895 when Mercedes-Benz founder Karl Benz manufactured the world’s first bus, establishing the brand’s position in the commercial vehicle sector. In 1983, Zung Fu received its first order for a double-decker bus from the Kowloon Motor Bus Company. At the time, it was the largest commercial vehicle in terms of body size. To mark the occasion, the company held a special handover ceremony outside the New World Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. Furthermore, Zung Fu held its first commercial vehicle exhibition in 1989, showcasing products of various specifications and equipment. This event became the talk of the town and further consolidated our leading position in Hong Kong’s commercial vehicle market. The 1990s were a decade full of opportunities. Zung Fu seized the moment to expand into mainland China and Macau markets, laying a solid foundation for future development. That year marked an unprecedented period of prosperity for the automotive industry. Mercedes-Benz products became more diverse, with several models that are still highly acclaimed today making their debut during this period, bringing significant impact to themarket. First, the S-Class (W140), successor to the classic W126, was officially launched. With its numerous advanced features, it quickly became the best-selling luxury car model in the market at the time. Simultaneously, the world’s first convertible sports car with an electrically folding roof, the R170 series SLK, was also released, immediately triggering a buying frenzy. Quite a number of customers were purchasing pre-order quotas, demonstrating the market’s enthusiastic response. Additionally, Mercedes- Benz’s first front-wheel-drive model, the W168 series A-Class, was publicly released and quickly gained widespread popularity. This front-wheel-drive model was groundbreaking at the time, and its compact body design won the hearts of many car enthusiasts. A special promotional event in 1992 epitomised the brand’s innovation. For the launch of the 600SL sports car, Zung Fu held a grand opening ceremony at the Peninsula Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, creatively positioning the car above the hotel’s iconic fountain. This became a hot topic at the time, attaining significant publicity impact, and remains the only instance of a car being “parked” above the hotel’s fountain to this day. Mercedes-Benz’s sales performance in the 1990s was equally impressive. The brand new 230E model, launched in 1990, sold over 1,200 units in just three weeks. The 190E 2.3, released in 1992, achieved the astonishing feat of selling 500 units in just three hours. The subsequently launched new E-Class (W210) also sold a remarkable total of over a thousand units at a car exhibition. 16 B U I L D I N G C O N N E C T I O N S W I T H O U R C U S T OM E R S 創 新 優 勢 盡 領 商 機