We can park our cars together as a club if we arrive at the show together, so let’s convoy!

I need to let the InterMarque Spring Kick Off show organizers know how many cars from the Mercedes-Benz Club are planning to attend so they can reserve space, for us. So PLEASE RSVP if you’d like to convoy to the show and attend with other MBCA club members! Or come along to attend the show as a spectator, Everyone is welcome!

We will meet at SEARS IMPORTED AUTOS, the new Mercedes dealer in Minnetonka, at 8:00am and leave as a group once everyone arrives, about 8:20. We will actually meet in the parking lot JUST WEST of the main Sears dealership lot. There is a separate driveway, just west of the main Sears Imports lot, by that big electronic billboard. We don’t want to disrupt a busy Saturday morning at Sears by taking up customer parking spaces in their main lot area, so don’t park there.

2 show categories:  
- The Main show area is reserved for cars 20 years old and older (model year 1991 and older).

- There is a “Modern Classics” section for cars from model year 1992 and newer.

Please call or email me ASAP so I can RSVP to the show organizers. This should be a great event, let’s have a big turn out!

Dave Tobin (651) 216-1265 or send me an email: dave (at) daveknowscars.com

Come out and join members of the Mercedes-Benz Club Twin Cities at the Maplewood Imports Auto Fair 2012.This is a fun annual show, really the first of the season for most of us, it’s a laid back event that gives us all an excuse to bring those Summer fun cars out for the first time each year. Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Audi vehicles make up most of the show, from concours quality show cars to driver quality survivors and daily drivers. Other interesting cars are also invited. Over the past several years we’ve seen a smattering of interesting machinery… a primrose yellow Ferarri 275 GTB4 made an appearance a couple of years ago, various British cars… a Morgan a few years ago, a 70s vintage Aston Martin DBS and various other cars you don’t get to see everyday.

The show is Sunday morning, from about 9:00 – 1:00,  at Maplewood Imports… $20 donation to show a car to benefit Children’s Cancer Research.

2780 Hwy 61, Maplewood, MN

Click this text link to download the online pdf file (best viewed at 100% in your pdf viewer).

The print version of the newsletter will be mailed to members about May 1, 2012.

This issue covers a lot of ground, especially in terms of event announcements. In addition to the event announcements there are a number of event reports from recent club events.

There is also valuable news regarding this year’s German CarFest, no longer a stand alone club event, this year, the German CarFest will be held at the AutoMotorPlex in Chanhassen in conjunction with their Oktoberfest event, to be held in mid October 2012.

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.

A nice brace on display!

Club members listen to Bruno Silikowski describe the incredible complex and tour.

Bruno and host Christopher describe the AutoMotorPlex and tour.

For 50 pop bottles returned for deposit at 2 cents each – hamburger, French fries, root beer float and 8 cents change.

Bruno Silikowski allowing club members to oogle his loft office.

Christopher Haas, Vice-President, and Liz Maki hosted.

In this issue: Event report from the Ellingson Car Museum outing, Guest Column from club member Jim Krueger, Tech Files with John Elliott, Prez Release from Jim Walrath, lots of event announcements and several new advertisements from local MBCA supporters. The printed copies of the newsletter should be in the mail the week of February 27.

Thank you for using your site.

2011 marked the 17th Annual German Car Fest. Held again at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Shakopee. Saturday June 11th couldn’t have been any more beautiful, the weather was perfect.

The turnout this year was great, in terms of total number of cars as well as the wide variety of different German auto makes and models that showed up. There were more than 130 cars in attendance, 43 of which were Mercedes-Benz vehicles, more than 40 BMWs, 30+ Porsches as well as Volkswagens, and a number of rare makes like Borgward, Lloyd and Opel.

The German Car Fest is our club’s biggest event of the year, it’s also the most important in terms of club visibility in the community, it was great to have such a good turn out, thanks for your participation. If you couldn’t make it this year, mark your calendar for next year.

The club is considering some changes for the 2012 German Carfest, a change of venue may be in order for the next event. Wherever it ends up and in whatever form, the tentative date is June 9, 2012.

Club members came from as far as Owatonna and Rochester for the event.

Among the many American cars was a 1938 Maybach Staff Car originally ordered new by General Josef Dietrich, Commander of the 6th Panzer Division in Nazi Germany. Between 1921 and 1941 Maybach built only 1,900 cars.

After the museum the group ventured to the local Maynard’s restaurant for several hours of good food and conversation.

As usual Paul and Chris Bergquist did a fabulous job of arranging the tour and hosting the event.

Group photo of some of the attending club members: Chris and Paul Bergquist, Peter Nyberg, Mary & Bill Malinen, Hans Friedbach, John Sutter, Kurt Drews, Dick Lind and John Fair, Mark Flaten (taking photo). Not pictured: Greg Thompson, Jim and Judy Kruger and Kruger’s grand daughter Samantha.