Click screenshot to view ad on YouTube.

I got a call from my buddy Bruce Kelly over at Lake Country Classics a couple of weeks ago about an advertising agency here in Minneapolis that needed a vintage Mercedes-Benz roadster for a TV commercial. Bruce just seems to be the guy that people call for this sort of thing no matter what kind of car is needed, people just know to call him. He called me to see if I could get a hold of a friend we have in common, and fellow Twin Cities Mercedes Benz Club member, Mark Flaten. The ad agency was looking for a vintage Mercedes roadster, and ideally, one in a light color, to use in a Brooks Brothers TV spot. Bruce and I both thought of Mark’s car… an absolutely pristine 1971 280SL roadster in the classic Mercedes color combination of silver over red leather.

Bruce’s shop, Lake Country Classics, finished a complete restoration of Mark’s car last year. It is one of the most pristine and correct cars of this type and vintage I’ve ever seen. I got Mark on the phone, told him that this ad agency was doing a Brooks Brothers ad and they were looking for a car like his the next day… and that if he was interested he should give Bruce a call ASAP. He did, and…

About a week later, Mark forwarded me this link to the finished ad on YouTube. They did indeed use his car for several hours the day after we spoke on the phone. He was well paid for the three hours the agency used his car, he was on set the entire time with the car. In the end it’s a couple of seconds on film, but it’s a fun story and will certainly ad to the interesting history of the car. Click this link to view the video on YouTube.

Members of the Twin Cities Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America gathered early Saturday morning, May 12, 2012 at the new Mercedes-Benz dealership in Minnetonka, Sears Imports, to form up and drive North to Osseo, MN for one of the upper Midwest’s largest vintage, foreign car shows… the InterMarque Spring Kick Off Car Show. About 12 cars showed up at Sears Imports to make the 25 minute drive North to Osseo, another 3 or 4 member cars met the group at the show. The mix, and quality of the cars in attendance was spectacular. From the oldest car in attendance, new (only because his membership expired some time ago!) club member David Steingas’ 1951 220s to one of the newest, Matt Jurcich’s super clean 1999 ‘large and in charge’ S500 Grand Edition, the cars looked great and everyone was eager to check out the Intermarque’s new car show venue. For some time the Intermarque Spring Kick off Car Show was held at St. Paul’s Como Park, this was the first year for the show in Osseo.

Twin Cities Mercedes Club members meet at Sears Imports to head up to Osseo.

Mercedes-Benz Club members, and their cars, that showed up at Sears Imports for the convoy North were:

Mark Flaten – 1971 280SL
Dave Bortner – 1969 300SEL 6.3
Dave Tobin – 1973 280C
David Steingas – 1951 220S Cabriolet
John Olson – 1959 300SL Roadster
Jack Church – 1985 500SL (euro)
Dean Nolde – 1999 SLK230
Daniel Miller – 1970 280SL
Jim Klecker – 1968 280SL
Matt Jurcich – 1999 S500 Grand Edition
Ron Burg – 1971 280SL

Tobin corrals Mercedes Club members at Sears and passes out maps to the show.

A couple of other members met the group in Osseo including:
Ron Scott – 1980 450SLC
Don Stephenson – 1971 280SL

(I think most of the years of the cars mentioned above are correct, a couple could be a few years off).

Any new venue creates challenges to organizers of a car show of the size and scope of the InterMarque’s Spring Kick Off. Our Mercedes-Benz Club was one of the ‘club sponsors’ of the event. We were told we could pick just 7 cars (all had to have been built prior to 1991) to show on the main street of the show. The rest of our club member cars would be pointed to peripheral parking areas, but still be allowed to park together if we arrived together. Well, once we got there, we ended up with about 9 of our cars on the main drag and and a handful of other down the street and around the corner, others, those build after 1991 were parked in an entirely different area, so we were a bit spread out. In the end, there was plenty of room on the main street, so we really all could have parked together… there was more than enough space, but organizers just weren’t sure how it was going to shake out, so they did their best, which was quite good, this first time around. I spoke with them during the show and it sounds like they’ll apply the lessons learned this year to next year’s show. I would guess we’ll all be able to park in the same area next time.

We pitched our E-Z Up tent to provide us with some shade, set up a table with club membership materials and some back issues of the Northern Star for  passers by to pick up and take with them. It was a great day with a wide variety of cars in attendance.

Mercedes Benz Club tent and car display.

There were more British cars than anything, as usual, at this show… from MGs and Triumphs to Jaguars, Rolls Royces and Bentleys. There were a good number of Italian cars including a pair of Maserati Ghiblis and handful of Alfa Romeos, I could only find one Ferrari and it happens to belong to a gentleman I know fairly well, he also has two Mercedes-Benz vehicles as daily drivers… he was even wearing his Mercedes-Benz hat all day while standing next to his Ferrari, I guess he has decent taste. There were plenty of German cars as well… more Mercedes than Porsches or BMWs… thanks to our good club turn out.  I haven’t seen so many Citroens in one place since the last time I was in Paris… there seems to be a pretty active Citroen Club here in the Twin Cities.

A great turn out of T series MGs and other vintage British cars.

The InterMarque group is a sort of consortium of car clubs… it is a single organization that sort of compiles information about all the different foreign car clubs in the upper Midwest, their events, website information, etc. and publishes a monthly online newsletter with car show and event information as well as articles and reports that are of interest to all sorts of car enthusiasts. They also hold regular events throughout the Spring and Summer, the group meets every Saturday morning at the Square Peg Diner in Minneapolis every Saturday morning. If you’re into old cars and want to keep up with what is happening in the Twin Cities old car scene you need to sign up to receive email updates from the InterMarque. Visit their website by clicking this link and sign up to receive InterMarque Updates, it’s FREE!

Ferrari Mondial, Maserati Ghibli.

Wheels of Italy organizer Dan Schaefer's Alfa Romeo GTV.

MBCA-TC member Matt Jurcich's 1999 S500 Grand Edition.

Steingas' 220S followed by Olson's 300SL, Bortner's 6.3, Flaten's 280SL and on down the line.

Jack Church's red 500SL, Tobin's '73 280 Coupe.

Dave Bortner's 6.3.

Dave Tobin's 1973 280C.

Great looking Jaguar XK120.

Morgans are rare... Drophead Coupes are even rarer.

Citroen Traction Avant sedan.

Big 1925 Bentley.

1955 Porsche 550 Spyder replica painted up like one of the Carrera Panamericana cars.

More MGs than you can shake a stick at.

Some nefarious characters were even allowed into the show... Mercedes owner Alkis Michaelides brought his newest midlife crisis... a 1992 Ferrari Mondial.

Schaefer's Alfa GTV.

Pretty MG TC.

This Mercedes-Benz 190SL showed up with a for sale sign in it... looked a bit tired for a $47,000 asking price.

Late in the day, and MG TD drives off, pipe in teh driver's mouth and all.

Show's over... Olson drives off, Flaten not far behind.

Following Olson in his 300SL (trying to keep up anyway).

One of the most fun parts of the day for me was driving back home… following John Olson all the way down Plymouth Rd / Xenium Lane / Zachary Lane for about 15 miles. People might not know what he’s driving, but all eyes, through every intersection, were on that 300SL, there is just something about that car, that shape… it absolutely must be one of the all time great designs. They look good in photos, on paper, but nothing prepares you for how they look gliding over the road at speed. A special day indeed.

Sears Imports Mercedes-Benz is having a Spring Open Haus on Saturday, May 12, 2012! Come join us at the dealership between 11:00am and 3:00pm for FREE gourmet German food from Deutschland Meats, beverages and other refreshments while you browse our new and pre owned vehicle inventory.

We expect to have a new 2013 SL550 on hand for the Open Haus, as we are already beginning to receive new 2013 SL inventory.

There will be great lease and purchase deals available for all new 2012 vehicles including our entire E and M class inventory as well as C class and GLK class vehicles. There are also special deals on Certified Pre Owned Mercedes-Benz vehicles… the Special Coupe and Cabriolet CPO event continues… Interest rates as low as 1.99% APR are available on Certified Pre Owned CLK convertibles!

Come on out for lunch or come on out to find that new car… everyone is welcome!

No Joke… we have an entire lot of new Mercedes-Benz vehicles, from C, E and S classes to R, GL, M, GLK classes… all in white.. a mixture of Arctic White and Diamond White Metallic really… and of course, we have other colors too… but the big push is WHITE cars for Spring 2012.

We have more than 80 new Mercedes-Benz vehicles currently in stock. Interest rates are as low as they’ve been in years, lease rates are aggressive and we’re having a record month this April of 2012.

If you’re even close to making a car buying decision, you owe it to your self to come in this weekend and take advantage of the inventory and aggressive deals here at Sears Imports.

If you’d like to see a specific model (no matter what color) please feel free to give me a call, I’d be happy to set up an appointment for you.

Used Mercedes Benz C63 AMG cars don’t come up for sale very often, this one was just traded in yesterday on a pre owned S65 AMG… so, if you’ve ever wondered where you go from a C63.. I guess that’s the answer. This C63 AMG is absolutely loaded… original window sticker / option list is pasted below for your reference.

Finished in Arctic White over Sahara Beige / Black AMG Premium Leather interior, this is a local, one owner vehicle that was purchased here at Sears Imports when it was new. It has just 7,053 original miles, it is essentially perfect in every way. It has the Premium 2 Package (P2 Package) which gives you Bi-Xenon headlamps and cornering fog lamps, it’s also got the Multimedia Package which includes COMAND Navigation, a music register, Satellite Radio, Bluetooth, voice control and a ton of other tech options.

All of that gadgetry is really secondary to the huge, 6.2 liter, naturally aspirated V8 under the hood… it cranks out 481 Horsepower… making it, in my opinion, the most fun AMG car to drive, the SLS AMG coming in a close second (no joke). Originally over $66,000 new, this vehicle is available today at Sears Imports (stock# 20236A) for $51,900.

This 2012 Mercedes E350 Wagon just arrived into our inventory here at Sears Imports. This is probably the most fully loaded E class wagon I’ve ever seen, it must be at more than $72,000! I have included a photo of the original window sticker / option list below for your reference, but here are a few option highlights: Premium II Package (P2 Package) which includes things like KEYLESS GO, Bi-Xenon headlamps and Navigation along with a bunch of other stuff. It also has the Driver Assistance Package which gives you DISTRONIC PLUS, Lane Keeping Assist as well as the Blind Spot Assist feature, and that’s just the beginning. Multi contour driver’s seat with massage feature, all the seats in this car are heated, heated steering wheel, it’s a Sport model to boot… it’s literally got everything, except a garage to live in !

Close up of the DISTRONIC PLUS grille of this 2012 E350 Wagon.

It looks great in Arctic White with Almond Leather, remember… if you qualify for the “Competitor Conquest Program” during the month of April 2012 there is an available $3,000 rebate on E class vehicles, which includes this E class wagon.

Travel in supreme safety and style with this new E350 4matic wagon… it’s Sears Imports’ stock# 66144, the MSRP is $72,620, give me a call and we can figure out what it really takes to drive this beautiful, and rare, wagon home today!

Photo of the actual option list on the wagon's window sticker.

The Mercedes-Benz Club Twin Cities Section will be holding a Spring Tech Event “The Art and Science of Paintless Dent Removal” hosted by Don Kavanagh at Dent Kraft in Wayzata.

The event will take place Saturday, April 14 at 10:00am. Coffee, doughnuts and light breakfast refreshments will be on hand.

Don will explain and demonstrate the art of paintless ding and dent removal for modern as well as classic vehicles. Whether a vehicle is the casualty of a hail storm or just had a few parking lot dings, paintless dent removal, when performed by an experience individual, can put a car back to its original state.

The event will begin promptly at 10:00, Dent Kraft is on the Frontage road along I-394, right next to BMW of Minnetonka.  Visit their website by clicking this link.

Dent Kraft
15736 Wayzata Blvd
Wayzata, MN 55391
(952) 473-8000

Please RSVP to event organizer if you plan on attending: DAVE BORTNER – dave@freedomboatservice.com or call him at (612) 590-5110.

Based on a number of spy shots taken throughout the United States and based upon confirmation from at least one anonymous source within Mercedes-Benz itself, it’s come out that, apparently, Mercedes-Benz will be the first major luxury auto maker to offer intricate PLAID paint schemes as an exterior vehicle option. This 2011 S class, a test vehicle for the new plaid paint scheme option was spied on the streets of San Francisco, CA early this morning.

Dave Knows Cars’ inside source at Mercedes-Benz had this to say when asked about the rumors of this new exterior paint option:

“We’re constantly looking for ways to further incorporate the long corporate history of Mercedes-Benz into our newest products. In the 1950s we offered plaid interior options on 300SL Gullwing coupes, now  we’re just bringing plaid into the 21st century, this time, as an exterior paint option.”

Vintage plaid interior Mercedes-Benz is giving the nod to...

The plaid paint schemes are available as a special order option only at this point, Mercedes-Benz officials say they may begin to incorporate a number of tartan plaids in a number of markets around the world. So far, and not surprisingly, there has been heavy demand from fashion conscious celebrities and movie stars around the globe, but also interest from regular folks in a number of British Commonwealth territories, specifically, Scotland.

Mercedes Benz GL450 with optional plaid exterior paint option spied near Pasadena, CA.

“We’re just trying something new and innovative,” says my inside source at Mercedes-Benz “Our almost mirror like Alubeam Silver Metallic color available on the SLS has proven, over the last few years, that at the highest end of the luxury segment, customers are interested in something unique and are willing to pay for it, with the plaid, we’re just trying something different, we’re trying to offer more than our competition.”

The Alubeam Silver Metallic is a $12,000 paint option on SLS models, these special plaid exterior color schemes are expected to demand a bit of a premium over the Alubeam Silver paint option. “Any tartan plaid is available as a custom exterior color” our inside source confirms, “If legendary race driver Jackie Stewart wants his next S class in Stewart Plaid, we can accommodate his request. What other car manufacturer can do that?

Apparently Paris Hilton has already placed an order for a Burberry Plaid G wagen that is expected to be delivered to her L.A. home in late July. If you’re interested in one of these new plaid color schemes, please feel free to give me a call and we can discuss your specific needs.

This used SL55 AMG is a rare find as a used car, it was just traded in here at Sears Imports by a long time customer who replaced it with an equally cool car. This SL55 AMG Roadster had an original MSRP of over $124,000. Today it has 59,805 miles on its odometer and is for sale for $36,900. It is black with a Charcoal interior and a dark grey alcantara headliner.

It’s as fully equipped as you’d expect of a six figure car, navigation, KEYLESS GO, all the goodies. The previous owner rear ended someone with the car a couple of weeks ago, it was a low speed impact that crumpled the front grill of the car and scuffed the bumper, our body shop did the repairs to the vehicle, which were extremely minor… you could buy and own this one with pride.

It’s Sears Imports stock# 65727B and is available for sale today at a fraction of the vehicle’s original price, buy it today for just $36,900 and enjoy this long Spring and Summer with speed and style.