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LEIPZIG, Germany, March 31 (Reuters) - DaimlerChrysler's (DCXGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) premium brand Mercedes-Benz extended its run of strong sales in March, the head of the group's German sales organisation said at the Leipzig car show on Friday.

"We have very positive sales results at Mercedes-Benz in March. Overall we are above the year-earlier numbers in the first quarter," Christoph Koepke said of global sales.

Sales of trucks and buses are also "well under way" in the quarter, he said. "One should note for the vans business that even though the new Sprinter is starting now, demand for the old model is still good," he said.

He was not more specific. March sales data for the Mercedes Car Group -- which includes Mercedes-Benz, Smart and Maybach -- are due on April 6.

The division's sales in the first two months of the year rose 8 percent to 156,600 units, Mercedes-Benz brand sales gained 14.2 percent to 140,600 units