This two owner Mercedes Benz SL550 in Alabaster White with stone interior just arrived here at Sears Imports Mercedes Benz in Minnetonka. It just went through our service department, it was fully inspected, serviced washed and detailed. It’s ready for retail sale and a new owner. This is a very well optioned car with the AMG Sport Package (note the cool AMG wheels), it is loaded with navigation, heated and ventilated seats, KEYLESS GO, all the usual options you’d expect from an SL550 Roadster. This car has just over 38,000 miles on its odometer.

Non smoker, 'no smells' interior is in excellent condition.

This is a two owner car originally purchased at Mercedes-Benz of Sarasota. It was regularly serviced there. It was involved in a minor accident with its first owner when it had less than 10,000 miles on it. It was later sold to its second owner, a Minnesota resident who has a Winter place in Sarasota. They brought the car back up here to Minnesota a couple of years ago. The owner recently brought it in to Sears Imports to see if we wanted to buy it, as he was trying to ‘thin his vehicle herd”. We can never pass up a good SL, even in the late Fall with Winter coming.

This would be a good car to buy at a discount price now and store away until Spring, or, if you’re somewhere warmer than Minnesota in November, we can ship the car to you, wherever you are. White with the Stone interior is a fairly rare color combo, don’t let this one pass you by. Sears Imports stock# 20086, the price is $47,900, less than half its original MSRP!

This past Saturday a customer, and long time Mercedes Benz Club member, came in to Sears Imports and traded in these two cars on a Mercedes-Benz S class. These are two of the more rare modern Mercedes-Benz models and both are in excellent condition. I looked them over closely and drove both cars today. They both run and drive very well, I took a bunch of photos of each car in preparation for eBay auctions later in the week. These two cars need to be presented to a national audience. I took the photos here as these cars were traded in. They have not been cleaned, washed, nothing, just parked behind the dealership after being traded in on Saturday afternoon.

Let’s look at each car individually…

1987 Mercedes Benz 190E 2.3-16

This is a very rare car, originally built to compete directly with the first BMW M3s of the 1980s. The 2.3 liter, 16 valve engine (2.3-16) was developed by Cosworth engineering for Mercedes-Benz. These cars were only offered in two different colors, Pearl Black and Smoke Silver, this car is the Pearl Black color. It is fitted with the original Recaro Sport seats. The car does appear to have been repainted in its original color at one point after my close inspection. It currently shows 187,064 miles.

This car has clearly been well cared for, but also driven. The suspension has been lowered making it an extremely good handling car. It drives straight and true, it accelerates and stops easily. The 5 speed manual transmission has the race layout you see in some high performance cars… 1st gear is down and to the left, leaving a simple “H” pattern for the other 4 gears. Call me for more info, or if you’d like to set up an appointment to come and see it.

1993 Mercedes Benz 500 E

Only 1,596 500 E models were built in 1993, they boasted 322 Horsepower and a top speed of 161 mph. This was the ultimate ‘Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing’ according to the motoring press of the period.  The 500 E was created in close cooperation with Porsche. Each 500 E was hand built by Porsche, being transported back and forth between the Mercedes plant and Porsche’s Rossle-Bau plant in Zuffenhausen, Germany during assembly. Each example of the 500 E took a full 18 days to complete.

This particular example is silver with a black interior, both of which are in original and very clean condition. This car runs and drives perfectly, the transmission shifts smoothly, no clunking of any kind. The suspension is tight yet comfortable. Acceleration is brisk. It’s a great driving car, as nice today, with 118,169 original miles as it was when new. Huge fender flares all the way around, AMG wheels and a Lorinser spoiler, anyone in the know will understand what you’ve got when you pull up in this ‘Young Classic’ Mercedes Benz muscle car.

It’s unusual for me to be able to work different Pulp Fiction quotes into the Dave Knows Cars blog in the same week, but with this entry, I guess I did it… from the scene when Vincent Vega (Travolta) discusses his displeasure with a vandal who keyed his car after it had been safely stored for four years while he was in Amsterdam with Lance (Eric Stoltz), his Heroin dealer.

The short article below has been bouncing around different websites since last week when, apparently, John Travolta‘s 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL was stolen. One account quoted Travolta estimating the car’s value at about $35,000, other reports call it a $100,000 car. I’ve got to believe Travolta is much closer to the actual value of his car than the Hollywood reporters.

According to Hollywood media reports, “Swordfish” actor left stranded in Santa Monica, California, as his car was stolen. A thief took 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL, and it was worth $100,000.

He was at Jaguar dealership for a short visit, but as his car got stolen, he returned back to dealership and waited for the cops to make crime report. Reports also say that  no suspect has been identified yet. Motoring enthusiast John, 57, has a large collection of cars including a Rolls Royce, and a Jaguar XJ6 as well as vintage Ford cars.

He said in 2007: “I have a 55, 56 and 57 Thunderbird – American Fords in the great old tradition. I love the fact that they could achieve speed and distance with such style. I don’t use them for long journeys any more, but to just enjoy the drive.”

At Sears Imports Mercedes Benz in Minnetonka we just received our first shipment of all new, 2012 Mercedes Benz ML350 SUVs! They were just being unloaded a couple of minutes ago. Three of these all new, highly anticipated vehicles just arrived, two black ones and a white one. They are here and available today (the blue car on the transporter below the two MLs is a Cadillac, not an ML).

This is the second redesign for the M Class SUV since its introduction in the late 1990s. The last redesign was back in 2006. This is a completely new vehicle, inside, outside and under the hood. These new ML350s get the direct injection engine that pumps up the power to 302 horsepower while returning better gas mileage than the previous generation M class vehicles at the same time.

Prices have remained about the same, the white ML here in stock now has an MSRP of $54,255 with the Premium 1 Package which includes things like Navigation, Bluetooth, voice control, all the goodies you’d expect in this top of the line SUV. It’s also got a trailer hitch and rear DVD pre wiring.

You can see from the photos below that the ML has been completely changed. The interior is really nice with a new steering wheel, the navigation screen has been moved up higher on the dash, the COMAND controller (that you see in just about every other MB vehicle) has been added to the ML as well. I immediately noticed the upgraded interior materials. The MB tex seats feel softer and come with contrasting stitching in the new ML, it’s just an overall richer feeling vehicle on the inside.

The exterior is completely different of course, the largest change is up front, the grille is much more upright, like every other recent Mercedes redesign (think 2012 SLK and last year’s R class) echoing styling cues that trickled down from the SLS AMG supercar. The other thing I noticed immediately is that there are no tailpipes hanging out the back of these new MLs. They have tucked the exhaust pipes up under the rear of the vehicle, it is dual exhaust, but it is not visible unless you crawl under the rear bumper an look up.

No visible tailpipes on the new 2012 ML.

Check out these photos and call today to schedule a test drive. One of these will be our regular demo car, the other two won’t last long in inventory.

The Mercedes Benz Club Twin Cities Section is holding one of their most attended events of the year, the Mercedes Benz Club Fall Color Tour, on Sunday October 9, 2011!

This is a casual, fun club driving / tour / ‘eating’ event. The Annual Fall Color Tour Caravan to brunch at Sarah’s Restaurant in Red Wing is always a crowd pleaser. A fun time to get out with your car one last time before Winter with friends and enjoy the Fall colors as tree leaves change along the Mississippi.

This year the club is incorporating its annual meeting into the event, as the national Mercedes-Benz club has requested individual chapters complete annual meeting business before the end of October. Don’t worry, the club business will be brief and held at Sarah’s Restaurant when we first arrive. The club is hoping for a big turnout, as the annual meeting requires a quorum of club members in order to carry out the necessary club business. The club business won’t take more than a few minutes, the rest of the time you can spend telling all of those tall car tales and discussing February vacation plans to escape the Minnesota Winter for a few weeks!

If you’re interested in participating, read the general schedule of events and timeline below, have a look at the printable flyer below here (click on it and print it…CLICK THIS LINK TO VISIT THE CLUB WEBSITE.

MBCA-TC Fall Color Tour 2011 – SCHEDULE:

Sunday, October 9, 2011:
10:30 AM- Meet at Starbucks, at the inter-section of Lyndale Avenue South & 77th Street West in Richfield (Just one block North of I494 & Lyndale Avenue South. The address is 7610 Lyndale Ave. So. in Richfield). Park on the plaza on the West side of the coffee shop.

11:00 AM – Caravan to Red Wing.

 12:00 PM (Estimated arrival time) Please note that we will not stop West of Prescott to pick anyone up, as we used to, because we will take a different route.

If somehow you become detached from our caravan (this has happened before!), or come to Red Wing from a different direction, Sarah’s address is: Sarah’s – 307 Main Street – Red Wing, MN 55066 – Tel.: 651-388-2711
CLICK THIS FLYER TO GET LARGER, PRINTABLE VERSION!

Lots of car for not a lot of money… It’s a 4matic all wheel drive V8 E class in immaculate condition. It’s a 2000 model that was just traded in here by an older gentleman, he replaced it with a pre owned S class. The color is Desrt Silver with tan MB tex interior. the exterior of this car is extremely clean, the paint looks brand new, it was clearly garaged all of its life, but it’s the interior that stood out to me, it looks brand new, no joke.

The car has 145,985 original miles on its odometer. Our inspection of the car revealed no necessary service work, it has been that well maintained, we just performed a lube oil and filter service on the car, it’s ready to roll today. A great car for the upcoming Winter if you need something all wheel drive, these late 1990s / early 2000s E classes are known for the reliability and longevity.

The price today is just $9,995, Sears Imports stock# 65253C. (more photos below)

Super clean interior!

Forget the blueberry pancakes… this might be the most unique trade in I’ve ever had… this is a completely custom built chopper. It’s absolutely beautiful, a piece of rolling art with a lot of blood, sweat and tears poured into it… not to mention money. It was traded in by one of my customers today at Sears Imports. He decided he had enough toys, so with less than 100 miles on it, he traded this bike in on a Mercedes-Benz C class that will end up at his place in Florida.

The bike frame is a 2009 model year War Eagle Conqueror with a V twin engine. I’ve got an entire page with all the build details, this is what it’s got:127 SS motor, 6 speed Baker transmission, custom pipes, 280 rear, 21″ front 80 spoke, Legend Air Ride suspension, Right side drive, floating rear fender, Performance Machinery primary hand controls, Accutronix foot controls, custom paint by TJ Design and custom bars with Dakota Digital instrumentation.

This thing is very cool looking and insanely loud. It’s an electric start bike with rear air suspension, big belt drive and a back tire that’s a mile wide. The color is Metallic orange with silver accents and lots of skulls… chrome all over the place, forks a mile long. Don’t try to sneak up on anybody on this iron horse, they’ll hear you a mile away, literally.

I don’t have a clue what it’s even going to cost if you wanted to buy it at this point… but it is for sale today at Sears Imports in Minnetonka. Give me a call if you want more information or if you’d like to schedule a time to come in and see it.

Sears Imports co sponsored the Wayzata Rotary Club Car Show held in conjunction with Wayzata’s J.J. Hill Days this past Sunday, September 11, 2011. I attended the event for Sears Imports Mercedes Benz with a couple of vehicles from our inventory. Bother were pre owned vehicles. One showcased the timeless lines and design of the Mercedes-Benz coupe… a one family owned 1964 220SE. The other display car showed the modern side of Mercedes-Benz… a 2005 SL65 AMG, 12 cylinder, twin turbo charged roadster.

I arrived at the show site in downtown Wayzata at about 8:30 in the morning to set things up. Once the cars were in place I turned around only to see my friend, Dave Bortner, from the Mercedes-Benz Club pulling in the parking lot. I had spoken to him the day before to encourage him to come out with his car. The minty 1969 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3 that you may have seen grace the pages of this blog if you read with any regularity. As he climbed out and we started to talk another classic Mercedes. It was Dave Steingas in his pristine 1951 220 cabriolet, he parked next to Dave. A minute or two later, MBCA-TC member Mark Flaten turned up with his 1970 280SL that was just completely restored by Lake Country Classics in Minneapolis. What a great line up! People came and went for most of the morning, eventually club member Ron Berg appeared in his brown 280SL as well. A number of other club members showed up as well, Chris Georgacas showed up, but not in a Mercedes, rather, he was in his Ferrari 355 Spyder… decisions, decisions I suppose.

Bortner's imposing 6.3.

Steingas' 1951 220 Cabriolet.

Flaten's expertly restored 1970 280SL.

Ron Berg's 280SL and the Georgacas F355 Spider.

Lots of people were interested in the 220SE, the classic lines of that car really seem to speak to people, and this particular 220SE coupe is in very nice condition. The son of the original owner came by the booth, he was probably in his late 70s. He explained that his mother had owned the car, it was eventually passed to one of her grand children, Sears Imports bought it from that grand child. In any case, it’s a local, one owner vehicle with a known history… wonderful black with a red interior. I drove this car to and from the show and had a ball, the looks you get driving that car are incredible… lots of thumbs up from passers by.

The Mercedes-Benz lineup.

The mix of cars at this show was huge, and because there is no real theme to the show, it’s just drive in what you want and have a good time… there were 1950s American classics parked next to vintage European Sports cars parked next to full classics, cars of all shapes, sizes, makes and models were there including several very special cars… how about a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Short Wheel Base Berlinetta… probably worth $3 – $5 Million dollars… a guy just drove it in… and it’s the real deal… no kit car… as the owner bought it new in Italy, and he drove it into the show Sunday morning, the same guy. Or an ex Carrera Panamericana Oldsmobile racing car, a couple of Jaguar XK120s… there was even a Duesenberg. There aren’t many shows that are so small, with such a wide variety of cars.

The 1960 Ferrari 250GT SWB Berlinetta.

Porsche 356 and an MGA MKII 1600.

There was a parade along Lake Street in downtown Wayzata a U.S. Army Band unit played behind a color guard of Boy Scouts and a uniformed color guard. It was a scene right out of a Norman Rockwell painting really, with Lake Minnetonka across the street, not a cloud in the sky, little kids with balloons. The parade ended in front of “The Muni” where the mayor of Wayzata said a few words about the 10th anniversary of 9/11. I couldn’t help but think that we live in a pretty nice place and we’re far luckier than many people in the world.

An eclectic mix of machinery.

Based on the great turn out at this show I would imagine Sears Imports will participate in this show next year. Thanks to all those who organized the event and to the Wayzata Rotary Club.

More photos below…

Wonderful Jaguar XK120.

Morrie's big Duesenberg.

Another one of Morrie's cars... a Cord 812.

1960 Alfa Romeo Guilietta... just right in red.

The parade down Lake Street in downtown Wayzata.

This lightly used 2009 SLK 300 roadster in iridium silver with black interior is show floor ready and has just less than 19,000 original, one owner miles. Nicely equipped with the Premium 1 Package (P1 Package) which gives you options such as rain sensing windshield wipers, satellite radio, an iPod / MP3 hook up, the interior ambient lighting package and a number of other items. This car is also equipped with the AIRSCARF which, thanks for vents in the headrests for hot or cold air, gives you a couple of extra weeks on either side of the Summer to enjoy this car with the top down.

This is a Certified Pre Owned SLK so it does come with the balance of the car’s original factory warranty (4 years of 50,000 miles from its original purchase date), once that expires, the Certified Pre Owned warranty (one more year or up to 100k miles) begins. As with all CPO Mercedes-Benz vehicles you always have the option of purchasing an additional year, up to 125k miles or an additional two years all the way up to 135k miles if you’d like.

There is still plenty of Summer left to enjoy this roadster, show floor ready and priced to sell today at $38,955 Certified Pre Owned. Feldmann Imports’ stock# M1283A. JUST ANNOUNCED! July programs have been released and CPO SLKs from 2008 and 2009 are eligible for Special APR financing from 1.99% up to 36 months, 2.99% up to 48 months or 3.99% up to 66 months! (original window sticker with options and equipment below for your reference)

This 2012 model Mercedes-Benz SLK350 Roadster just rolled off the transporter this morning, along with 15 other new Mercedes-Benz vehicles. this new body style SLK350 is finished in the rare Diamond White Metallic color with black leather interior.  This is a nicely equipped SLK with the 18″ 5 spoke wheels that really set this SLK apart from the other 2012 models I’ve seen.

It’s equipped with the Premium 1 Package (P1 Package) which includes a number of options including the AIRSCARF feature as well as the upgraded harmon/kardon stereo. It’s also go the Panorama Sunroof, the accessory wood trim package and KEYLESS GO. In short… a very well equipped and unique vehicle that looks great in Diamond White. The complete original window sticker and option list is included below for your reference.

This SLK is in stock and available today at Feldmann Imports. Stock#M1471, MSRP is $61,770.