Who is Dave and does he really know cars?

Dave Tobin

My name is Dave Tobin, I live in Minneapolis, MN. I’m an Internet Sales Manager at Sears Imports Mercedes-Benz in Minnetonka, MN.

I specialize in new and pre-owned Mercedes-Benz vehicles, but I work with all makes of used cars if duty calls. I work with cars ranging from a $2,000 Toyota Camry that’s 10 years old to a new $205,000 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG sedan with a 12 cylinder twin turbo engine producing 604hp. So, if you’re looking for a car that falls in that range, I can probably help.

For years I have read about and researched cars and the companies that manufacture them. Cars are what I’m generally thinking about when I go to bed at night, I think about them when I wake up in the morning, they’re what I talk about at dinner parties (just ask my friends) and now they’re what I surround myself with everyday at work.

My love of all things automotive was passed on to me by my father. He has always loved European sports cars, the really innovative, groundbreaking designs that influenced automotive history that show up these days in modern art museums, all the way down to the more common cars you still see out and about on those beautiful spring days.

Dave Tobin and his father playing "Simpkins the Horse" circa 1978, Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 painting in background.

Growing up there was always a British sports car or two in various stages of completion in our garage. Car books and magazines littered shelves and coffee tables around the house.

As you can see in this photo I grew up with an oil painting of an Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 racing at Le Mans in 1931 hanging in our living room. Since this photo was taken it’s been framed, they’ve moved several times over the years, and it still hangs over the mantle in their current home.

My mother is clearly a saint to put up with such automotive nonsense, but secretly she’s been a willing participant for years, even before my parents were married! In fact, she found my father one of his first sports cars. She saw an ad on a bulletin board at the University of Cincinnati in the late sixties for a 1959 Morgan +4 Drop head Coupé, just $600. She took the ad off the bulletin board so no one else could see it, took it to my dad, and he bought the car.

My father in the 1959 Morgan +4 Drop Head Coupe my mother found for him circa 1967.

I’ve been a member of the Sports Car Club of America for almost ten years, I currently serve on the board of directors of the Twin Cities Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America. When I’m not at work I’m often doing something auto related. During the long winter in Minnesota I spend a lot of time online combing auto classifieds keeping up with the new and pre-owned car markets or writing articles for my other blog affordableclassiccarreviews.com.

I didn’t set out in life to be a car salesman, but I’m really glad that’s where I’ve arrived. I wish I would have started ten years ago.

They say if a customer has a good experience they’re likely to tell three of their friends about their experience, if they have a bad experience they’re likely to tell seven. I’d like to be in the car business for a long time, I will not sacrifice a long term relationship for a few extra dollars today. I take my job seriously, my reputation as an honest, no nonsense car guy is all I’ve got.