Now we know why Daimler’s Zetsche said that “2010 could become the best year in the history of the automobile.” Daimler is celebrating record numbers. Never in recorded history had Mercedes-Benz sold more cars in a June than in the last June, says DPA (via Ad Hoc News.) Due to high demand in China and the U.S., Daimler sold 122,900 passenger vehicles this June, that’s 10.6 percent more than in June 2009.

What drove sales? Mostly the E-Class and the S-Class. In China, Daimler doubled its sales in the first half year. In the U.S., Daimler registered a plus of 22 percent from January to June. Back home in Germany, sales dropped 6.5 percent in the first six months. Yet, they were  outperforming the market that was 28.7 percent below 2009. Luxury cars, said to be unsaleable last year, are coming back fast and furiously.

For Q3, Daimler expects the trend to continue, and for the year, Daimler expects to grow twice as fast as the global market (8 percent for Daimler, 4 percent for the global market.) The company expects an EBIT between €2.5b and €3b.