On September 29th, 2004, Greek taxi driver Gregorios Sachinidis from Thessalonica handed over his 1976 Mercedes-Benz 240D to the Mercedes-Benz Museum Collection. Having covered more than 4.6 million kilometers - roughly 2.8 million miles - this "Stroke Eight" is the Mercedes-Benz with the highest recorded mileage known to date.

Driving a distance greater than 184 trips around the globe has made the definitive statement about the longevity of Mercedes-Benz automobiles. Mercedes-Benz taxis have been permanent features of both German and international urban landscapes. In Germany, every second taxi is a Mercedes-Benz. In Greece, one outlasted them all.

Mr. Sachinidis bought his car in Germany in 1981 with 220,000 km on the clock, before driving it back to Thessalonica, where it entered 24-hour cab duty until July 2004. During those 23 years, the owner rotated two spare engines in with the car's original motor a total of 11 times.

Mr. Sachinidis sent a letter to Prof. Jürgen Hubbert, Member of the Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler AG, thanking him for the excellent service Mercedes-Benz had afforded him over the years. Having received a visit from representatives of the Mercedes-Benz Museum Collection, Mr. Sachinidis decided to hand the car over to the Mercedes-Benz Museum.

Highlighting the reception in Germany, the president of DaimlerChrysler Hellas, Dr. Alexander Paufler, presented Mr. Sachinidis with a key for a new C200 CDI to be picked up upon his return to Greece.

The Mercedes-Benz Classic High Mileage Award is presented to owners whose vehicles have logged 155,000 miles or more. Each award includes a traditional Star and Laurel badge which can be affixed to the radiator grille of your Mercedes, as well as a handsome display certificate and formal presentation folder.