A total of 1,125 LCVs were registered in April, an increase of 39 per cent on the same month last year.

A total of 6,093 LCVs have been registered for the first four months of the year, a four per cent increase on the same period last year.

The milestone vehicle was a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. More than 2,000 employees, political officials, and businesspeople took part in the ceremony at the plant and witnessed the official handover of the milestone vehicle to the Berlin Landesverkehrswacht traffic safety organisation.

And there’s something extra special about this milestone: That’s because the one millionth commercial vehicle from Ludwigsfelde is equipped with the one millionth engine produced at the nearby Mercedes-Benz plant in Berlin.

“Our plant has had a very eventful history and things have not always been easy,” said Michael Humpert, Plant Manager and Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz Ludwigsfeld GmbH. “That’s why we are particularly happy that we can jointly celebrate this production milestone today. I would therefore like to thank our employees for their dedication.”

A brief film clip was shown during the ceremony enabling the guests to relive the plant’s 45-year history. In his address, Mayor Frank Gerhard of Ludwigsfelde congratulated the plant and highlighted the facility’s great importance for the region.

Further speakers were Dr. Heinrich Weiss, Head of Production at Mercedes-Benz Vans and a former manager of the plant, and Lothar Heinzmann, a former director of the IFA combine. Seven vehicles were exhibited during the celebration as representatives of all the various model series that have been produced in Ludwigsfelde to date.

The Revenue Commissioners and Department of Finance are planning to introduce a “type approval” system next year, in line with EU Directives, that will mean only vehicles with prior approval can be registered as LCVs.

A Revenue spokesman said the change was designed to bring the State into line with a number of European Directives on vehicle classification and would come into force on January 1st.

A spokesman for the Revenue Commissioners said provision

for the changes were included in the Finance Act 2010.

to figures released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry.

Light Commercial Vehicle registrations for November 2009 (307) were down 38.1 per cent on the same period last year (496), while the year to date figure at 9,102 is 69.5 per cent down on the 11 months of last year (29,864).

Heavy Vehicle registrations were down 41.18 per cent (40) compared to November 2008 (68) and are down 69.5 per cent (1,066) for the year to date compared to the same period in 2008 (3,495).