The decision on whether the next contract for the C-class right hand drive will be awarded to the local DaimlerChrysler plant will be known in March.

Local executives are upbeat about the contract and said that it was “unthinkable” that the next contract for this series would not go to South Africa.

The awarding of this contract would mean a direct investment of R1 billion into the local economy. This investment will be made up of capital (technology and equipment) but excludes the training of personnel.

DaimlerChrysler’s Rudi Borgenheimer added that the investment for the next generation vehicle would not be big and there are marked advantages to manufacturing it in South Africa.

DaimlerChrysler opened its R1,4 billion production facility in East London, which handles the production of the right hand drive C-class, in September 2000.