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.
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 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.
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.
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…