MB Dealerships Across the Years

[Pawel66]

I think it is quite interesting, I am sure many of you saw that:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2180691765324752&set=gm.2290297231248562&type=3&theater

[zak]

A walk down memory Lane Pawel. Very Nice.
The style of the showroom matched the style of the MBs back then.
A simpler time.

jz

[Bonnyboy]

And there are more changes coming with the Daimler strategy of selling off corporate stores. 

I have been hearing about this for several years but it finally hit me the other day when I went in to purchase stuff and I was told that they can no longer offer the discounts that I used to get because the store has been sold and new owners won't approve discounts.   

OUCH   I guess I will have to purchase over the internet now to keep costs down and food on the table.



 

[Cees Klumper]

Our local Volvo dealer sells parts at two price points:

- at their desk, or for service customers bringing in their cars: list plus 10%

- via their website, pickup at their desk: list minus 15%

So the same part in the same dealership, 25% price difference. Internet competition drives prices down.

[Pawel66]

I wonder if this is legal in Europe, actually...

[ksalzer]

Pawel, thank you for posting this!

Actually, I find this VERY interesting, as it's possible one of these vintage photos of dealerships shows my actual car sitting out front!

A explanation: One of the photos shows the LP Evans dealership; when I saw it, the name sounded familiar. After a moment it came to me: the build sheet that I requested from MB said that my car, a 1966 230sl, was delivered to LP Evans Mercedes Benz. So this is where my car's journey in the US started. But looking at the shot a little closer you can see what appears to be a tannish light-colored 230SL (doesn't look like there's any side marker lights, so it would be a 230sl) out front. My car is Grey Beige, which is also a light tan. Moreover, according to my build sheet, it was originally ordered with white walls, and the tires in the shot may also be white walls (could also be the trim rings, but stay with me here). And one last thing, probably the most tenuous connection, is that my car was ordered with a *green* soft top. This is a pretty unusual color, and it sure looks like the soft top on the car in the picture may be a dark greenish color. This might be an artifact of the vintage photo... or not!

If true, it'd be pretty amazing to stumble on a photo that shows my car sitting out front of the dealership in 1966.

What do you think?

[Pawel66]

That would be an amazing story!

No need to talk about probabilities here of course, but things happen and let"s believe it is your car!

I suppose there is a way to get to the source of the picture - they may have the information about the approximate time when the photo was made.

I am keeping the fingers crossed it is your car!

[ksalzer]

Pawel, I appreciate your positive thinking!

[Pawel66]

Of course, always thinking positive!

Well, that soft top colour on the picture may to some appear a bit brownish... but the grass looks more olive than green - those photo materials those days were not really high fidelity as we have it today. But, what the hell... would it not be better for everyone if it were your car?