Gemutlichkeit Video

Click here to see the Gemutlichkeit 2011 video by Western Reserve section member Terry Kiwala
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By Don & Carol Velcio

An interesting situation came together this year and Carol and I decided to capitalize on an opportunity to have a vacation of a lifetime. The lease on Carol’s car was coming to an end. We were exploring our options at Mercedes-Benz of North Olmsted.

The dealer suggested, of course, that we get another new car. I advised the dealer’s owner that we’ll probably exercise our purchase option on the old car instead, as I was interested in getting a new diesel and Mercedes didn’t seem to be offering those in a sedan version. He told me that a new 2011 diesel, the E350 BlueTec, is coming to the USA in September and he’d be happy to order one for me.

So we designed a car to our precise specifications with the understanding that we were not obligated to buy the car. The dealer would order it and it would be built in September. This was in early July.

As time went by, various matters came up that prevented us from taking the vacation that we normally would in August or September. Then it struck me. Maybe we could make this car into a Mercedes-Benz European Delivery car. The dealer inquired for us and found out that we had enough lead time to do so. We finalized our plans at the end of August. Thanks to Bernie Moreno, the owner of Mercedes-Benz of North Olmsted, VP of sales Gabe Despres, and salesman Michael Thomas, we were on our way to Germany.

A significant advantage of taking European Delivery of a new Mercedes is very attractive pricing. Basically, Mercedes-Benz sells you the car for 7% below MSRP, and without the normal $875 transportation charge. Essentially, you get the car below dealer invoice. Included are taxi vouchers, a night or nights in five-star hotels, various meals, and royal treatment. You are offered the option of purchasing the four-day Black Forest – Alps Rally tour, which we did. Mercedes arranges for the shipment of your new car back to the selling dealer in the USA after your vacation ends. Any MBUSA financing offers or financial incentives can be applied to a European Delivery car. The discounts allow you to buy a new car, drive it in Europe, visit beautiful vacation spots, stay in first-class accommodations, eat wonderful meals, and spend about what it would cost you to buy the car in America. Read the details at www.mbusa.com.

Now if the above isn’t reason enough for you to consider European Delivery, the Mercedes-Benz Club of America Membership Loyalty Reward Program also applies to cars purchased through European Delivery sales. We will receive a $1,500 prepaid gift card redeemable at any Mercedes dealer for parts, service, and accessories. We’ll probably use some of that $1,500 to purchase three or four years of prepaid maintenance and some winter floor mats.

We left on Wednesday, September 29, 2010. We flew Cleveland to Atlanta to Stuttgart. It was easy going through airport security in Cleveland. Thanks to a tail wind that was at times over 150 mph, we arrived in Stuttgart early, about 8:10 am on Thursday morning. Continue reading »

Mercedes-Benz of North Olmsted is continuing their tradition of sponsoring our annual Cleveland Auto Show Dinner. Join us at the IX Center in Berea for the Auto Show on Opening Night, Saturday, Feb 26 to view the latest from our favorite car company. Enter the Auto Show at your convenience—the show is open from 11:00 a.m. until 11:00 P.M. Members and guests are welcome! We’ll meet at the Mercedes-Benz display (located near the East entrance) at 6:30 p.m., and walk to a private room where we’ll feast on a hot dinner, with your choice of Lasagna or Lemon Chicken. New members – be sure to attend. Old and new members can hobnob with board members and officers. Continue reading »

This originally appeared in the Winter 2009 Crier.

As we are once again enjoying (!) the winter season in Northeast Ohio, a few tips and reminders can help make your travels easier and safer:

1. Make sure your car is ready for winter. Proper car care is beyond the scope of this article, but it is the foundation of safe winter driving.
2. Adjust your brain for winter. Be prepared to leave earlier than normal to allow extra time for each trip to adjust for the slower speeds you will be going. This will reduce stress and result in a more comfortable, safer trip. SLOW DOWN!! Once you have slowed to a speed that you think is comfortable and safe, it’s not a bad idea to slow down an additional 5 mph. You should allow as much as 3 times more space for stopping than you would on a dry road.
3. Be SMOOOOTH with all the controls. It sounds like a cliché, but drive as if you had an egg between your foot and the accelerator (no fair using a hard-boiled egg either). Use small and gentle steering movements. Except in an emergency situation, you should never do anything with any of the controls that you must immediately undo. For example, don’t floor the accelerator only to need to immediately slam on the brakes. Continue reading »