Well I don't agree with him, that Mercedes is perceived as less prestigious than the others in Europe but perhaps Mercedes is perceived by traditional Mercedes buyers (ie. the conservative elite) as a bit too Bling for them these days. We must remember that Mercedes-Benz was socially in a different league to the others for so long - I'm not reffering to cost but to the brand's social-class conotations and the sorts of people who traditionally bought them.

The European elite classes can have some odd attitudes to things, the fact that the German Chancellor now uses an Audi A8 as his official transport and Prince Charles replaced his Daimler with an A8, shows that Audi is now regarded as the vehicle for the social elite. The A8 has found acceptance among the "upper classes" because it projects a prestigious image without being too flamboyant. In Britain and France particularly, but also on the East coast of the US, subtlety can make all the difference in high social circles. But there is still a larger and very lucrative market among highly paid, self-made people, whether they be business executives or entertainers - they may be newly-rich and not so familiar (or concerned) with the subtle social codes of the conservative elite, but they sure have the money to buy their expensive toys - and that is good for Mercedes in the long run.