FOURTH QTR
2010
MBCA | Carolinas Section
Goodbye 2010... Hello 2011!
Year End Review of Great Events • What to Look Forward to in 2011 THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE MERCEDES BENZ CLUB OF AMERICA, CAROLINAS SECTION
Triangle and Carolinas Sections Converge at Shelton Vineyards Shelton Vineyards in Dobson, North Carolina celebrated its 10th anniversary in exceptional style by hosting members from both the Carolinas Section and the Triangle Section at their birthday bash. There were plenty of activities for connoisseurs of fine wine and fine automobiles. The tour of the vineyard and winery offered a chance to see how the winemakers craft their special blends, and of course included a chance to partake of the fruits of their labor. The Carolinas section members not only enjoyed the wine, but also viewed some of the most beautiful landscaping, small creek waterways and the tremendous vineyard property and building, all created by owner
John Adams just over 10 years ago. An old fashioned hay ride was enjoyed by several members from both sections. And, how could you have some many beautiful cars in one place without organizing a clean car show? Mercedes Benz was well represented, with impeccably maintainted specimens that ranged from the 1950s through the most current model, the SLS AMG. Shelton Vineyards is no stranger to beautiful cars, as clubs for owners of both Porsche and BMW bring their members to hold car shows at their amazing venue. Thanks to the Triangle Section for their kind invitation to this fun event! Odette Sigler Pedersen, stomping grapes at Shelton Vineyard Continued on page 2
WHAT’S ON MB TV? CHECK OUT MERCEDES BENZ TV ON YOUTUBE
A great appearance: Mercedes-Benz presents the CLS 63 AMG at the LA Auto Show. The design icon offers maximum performance and impressive efficiency. The fuel consumption has been decreased by 32 percent in comparison to its predecessor. Another highlight is the announcement from AMG and the Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati: From now on both brands want to work together in the marketing and sponsorship sectors.
Sky blue amidst the cloudy British weather - experience probably the last few miles on British soil with the Mercedes-Benz 600, once driven by Elvis Presley. On the 6th December, ‘the sovereign’ will be auctioned at the auction house Bonhams. We took a spin with the current owner Eric Smith and he told us of the unique history of the car and the legend of the King.
Susie Stoddart collected her first DTM points during the 2010 season. It has been a long journey - in our film, Susie recalls the tough early stages of her racing career in Scotland and her first hard race on the track against other drivers. Her father encouraged her not to give up. An emotional and touching film about a strong woman who never lost her motivation on the track.
GATHERING AT SHELTON VINEYARDS, CONTINUED
Immediate Left: Odette Sigler Pedersen, always the life of the party! Below: Maggie and Tony show off their Carolinas section spirit by making quick work of those pesky grapes.
Every Car Has a Story HOW SOREN PEDERSEN CAME TO OWN HIS SL600 Once upon a time…. don’t all adventures start like that? Well, in this case, my adventure started at the mailbox when the newest edition of The Star magazine arrived. In the magazine there was an article about a MBCA member in New England who bought an R129 SL600 and wrote very vividly about what a joy it was to drive. I have always loved the R129 and the notion of a 6.0 liter V-12 just sounded even more appealing. With no plan and no time spent on even looking at what the market was like, I sat down with my laptop and took a quick look at Autotrader. No 600 was found within the immediate area, so I expanded to the whole nation. And there it was: a ’98 SL600 black on black and for a price that was significantly lower than the other cars listed. I wrote the owner, asking a couple of questions since I figured that a ’98 SL600 with only 53,000 miles on the clock listed for $12,500 must have something wrong with it. After a few emails back and forth, it seemed to be on the upand-up. It was getting late in the day, so I picked it up the next day with a call to the seller. As the conversation
progressed, I could feel that I was coming to the crucial point in time where I’d have to make a decision. I called Rick Deiber, who was in Charleston, SC for the week with his wife. I told him what was going on and he mentioned that he knew someone in Ft. Lauderdale where the car was located that might be able to take a look. I agreed, the seller agreed and Rick’s friend was willing to take a look. I was told the car looked good, exactly like the seller promised. I was also told that the seller had two other potential buyers looking at the car and they were trying to buy it right then and there. The seller stuck with me, as I was the first potential buyer to contact him. Well, this was the time to make a decision and I decided to buy the car unseen, relying on a friend of a friend. Anyway, after taking care of the money side, Rick’s friend getting the signed title, keys and car, I packed my toothbrush and drove to Charleston to pick up Rick and get a one-way rental to Ft. Lauderdale. We left Charleston at 6PM and drove through the night to Cocoa Beach in the only rental car in the United States without cruise control. We got a few hours of
sleep before we hit the road again. I first saw the car around 10AM on a Friday and was not disappointed. It looked as described, the engine started right up, the seats looked great along with the rest of the cabin and trunk. The agreement was that we should come over to meet the selle, as he had a car cover he wanted to include along with a storage cart for the hard-top. From talking to the seller, I learned he lived in Italy for six months in the summer and the car has been stored for the last eight to ten years every summer. After a stop at the gas station and returning the rental, we hit the road with a good 12 hours of driving back to Charlotte with a pitstop in Charleston to drop off Rick, who agreed to drive my car back home. The car performed flawlessly and with 25 miles per gallon on the interstate, I sure wasn’t complaining! Rick did try to convince me that I should leave the 600 for him to drive to Charlotte and I should take my other car instead. No such luck for Rick and I was home at midnight after a couple of days with a lot of driving but also a lot of fun and an SL600 ‘richer.’
President’s Message NEW MEMBERS Donald Olin Lee Larrew Daniel Ayars
MBCA CAROLINA’S SECTION PRESIDENT, RICK DEIBER As the year comes to a close, we’re pleased to report that the MBCA Carolinas section had a successful year in 2010. We hosted a variety of events, including a member BBQ in Columbia, tax-free shopping in Gaffney, our annual dock party in Charleston, the Shelton Vineyards trip to Dobson, North Carolina, exhibiting at the Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance and our annual meeting in lovely Asheville.
Thanks to everyone who helped us plan our 2010 events, especially Odette Sigler Pedersen, Events Coordinator, who spent many hours planning, sending invitations and working at the events. Thanks to Melissa Sprouse Browne and her husband Chip for hosting our member BBQ at their home in Columbia and thanks to Henry and Katherine Dunbar for hosting the dock party at their home in Charleston.
Robert Sergi William Tate Harold Rhodes Robert Jeter
For 2011, we are planning more regional events. There will be something close to you, so check the calendar that will be published in the first quarter 2011 issue.
Robert Morris Dean Schmelter
Want to have a say in exactly what’s planned for next year? You’re invited to attend a 2011 planning/board meeting on January 15th in Columbia, SC. It’s an open meeting, and all members in good standing are welcome. At this meeting, we’ll discuss ideas and make plans for all events in the new year. We welcome input, via email, letters, or in person. The meeting address is: Real Estate School of SC, 101 Medical Circle Drive, West Columbia, SC 29169.
Timmy McLaughlin Eddie Davis Anthony Willard Daniel Parks Bret Terry George Latta Luke Dollar Margaret Ransohoff David Bowman
WELCOME! Cannon’s
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JERRY CANNON Owner
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We are looking for members who want to be more involved. Since we’re planning a more regionalized focus, we are looking for people to serve as regional event chairmen to help with event planning and implementation. Another area needing member participation is the election committee. We need a small group that will handle our section’s election process, as the positions of Vice President and Secretary will be up for election in 2011. If you’d like to serve as a club officer, please submit your name to one of the current officers. Or, you may consider nominating another club member. The officer elections will be held in October, 2011. Something different you may notice in this issue is that there are fewer ads. We rely upon advertising revenue to help support club activities and our participation from sponsors is quite low. If you’d like to advertise your business, please contact our Newsletter Editor at info@mbcacarolinas.org for a rate schedule. If you know someone at a business that could benefit from exposure to our membership, please forward a link for our publication to that person and suggest that he or she place an ad with us. We publish quarterly and the rates are extremely reasonable. FInally, if you can please provide your current email address to us, we will appreciate it. Out of our approximately 400 members, we are still missing 60 member emails. As of 2011, we will no longer be mailing hard copies of newsletters, so it is important to have your email address. The best way to make sure your information is current throughout the club is to provide any updates to the National Business Office, geni@mbca.org. If you are interested in one of the many opportunities to serve with your club, please contact one of the officers, who will be happy to speak with you anytime! Our contact information is listed on the last page of this publication. I’d like to wish everyone a happy and safe Holiday Season and New Year! Join us next year at one of the events near you!
Annual Meeting HOLIDAY GATHERING IN ASHEVILLE, NC
chase of all, a North Face winter coat! Further investigation of downtown Asheville uncovered a great little wine bar with chocolate wine and live music. The highlight of the weekend was the annual meeting and dinner at the Grove Park Inn. We sat by the huge fireplace, where we had our annual meeting. An award was given to Odette Sigler Pedersen as Member of the Year, along with a gift basket for her work this year as
The Carolinas Section annual meeting and dinner was held December 3 - 5, 2010 in picturesque Asheville, North Carolina. On Friday, the group met in downtown Asheville to enjoy the Biltmore Village Dickens Festival. We took a nice walk through the town square and the stores. The group of approximately ten people then went to a casual dinner and had a good time. On Saturday, we all drove to Bat Cave, Below: Biltmore House with holiday lights which is close to Chimney Rock Park. It sleeted a little, but the driving wasn’t bad. We enjoyed a leisurely get together with ice cream, coffee and lunch, not in that particular order. Even though the weather was cold, we still felt comfortable walking around the strip of stores at Bat Cave. Afterwards, we drove back to Asheville and converged on Mast General Store. They are famous for having a great selection of penny candies, which we were happy to find. Unfortunately, penny candies now cost a quarter! Soren Pedersen made the wisest pur-
events coordinator. The annual meeting was then adjourned and we proceeded into the Blue Ridge Dining Room for a nice buffet dinner of steak, pork, fish, assorted vegetables and desserts, which were all wonderful. On Sunday morning, everyone departed for home after enjoying a wonderful weekend together with Mercedes and friends.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
C heck
out full details at mbcacarolinas . org
Planning Meeting:
January 15, 2011, Columbia, SC. This meeting will be both a planning session for Carolinas section events for 2011 and a Board of Directors meeting. All members in good standing are invited to attend. The meeting will be held at the Real Estate School of SC, 101 Medical Circle Drive, West Columbia, SC 29169. From I-26, take exit 110 to Highway 378. Turn towards West Columbia and Lexington Medical Center. At the traffic light in front of the Medical Center, turn left onto Harbor Drive. Make an immediate right onto Medical Circle, the building is the last one on the left. The meeting is planned for 9:30am - 1:00pm.
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Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance 2010: THE EXHIBIT THAT ALMOST WASN’T
The annual Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance was held November 5th - 7th at Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn, just as it has been for the past nine years. The difference is that the MBCA wasn’t an invited car club for the Car Club Jamboree, which is always held on Saturday. MBCA Carolinas section has exhibited the majority of the years that this event has existed and was very disappointed to be excluded. Officials of the show cited improvements to the show field that limited space and a focus on Italian cars as reasons for our exclusion. However, after much lobbying by club officers, we were allowed six to eight slots on the show field. While we were placed in the far corner of the field, at least we were allowed to participate. Our small group showed up at Honey Horn on the morning of the 6th and caravaned to our designated places on the field. It was incredibly cold for Hilton Head, with temperatures below freezing until around 11:00am. The afternoon was a bit warmer, but nowhere near as comfortable as it was in 2009, when the thermometer reached 85 degrees on Jamboree day. The plans for the 2011 Concours d’Elegance feature another German make, the BMW. We expect to receive a proper invitation once again for the event scheduled for October 29 - November 6, 2011. All German autos will certainly be welcomed with the honored marque of BMW.
Mercedes-Benz Skyland Automotive, Inc.
255 Smoky Park Highway • PO Box 6359 Asheville, NC 28816-6359
(828) 667-5213 • (828) 667-8463
www.skylandautomotive.com
Join or Renew Today! MBCA Membership Application
MBCA | Carolinas Section 101 Medical Circle Drive West Columbia, SC 29169
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID COLUMBIA, SC PERMIT #1098
MBCA CONTACT INFORMATION Carolinas Section Officers Contact List PRESIDENT Richard Deiber Huntersville, NC (704) 948-1433 president@mbcacarolinas.org
TREASURER Roy L. Davis Columbia, SC (803) 331-1852 treasurer@mbcacarolinas.org
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Anthony Santagati Beaufort, SC (843) 522-9444 sandspub@aol.com
MEMBERSHIP CHAIR Fred Harris Statesville, NC (704) 902-6253 harrisfred@hotmail.com
VICE PRESIDENT Soren Pedersen Waxhaw, NC (980) 722-5651 vicepresident@mbcacarolinas.org
EVENTS CHAIR Odette Sigler-Pedersen Waxhaw, NC (704) 290-2257 odette@overgaardweb.com
SECRETARY Roger Levesque Easley, SC (864) 230-0081 secretary@mbcacarolinas.org
NEWSLETTER EDITOR Melissa Sprouse Browne Columbia, SC (803) 791-3800 info@mbcacarolinas.org
About MBCA Established in 1956, MBCA has approximately 20,240 active members and 9251 additional household members in 12 regions which are comprised of 80+ local sections throughout the United States and Canada. Each region is adminstered by a regional director who is responsible for assisting and inspiring the sections in the region. The regional director also fosters the formation of new sections, coordinates regional activities and represents the constituents as a member of the national board of directors. Hundreds of events are organized by sections, from social gatherings to tech sessions, from car shows to driving events. Most sections publish a newsletter of information and events and each section has its own officers and bylaws. For a list of national board of directors members, visit www.mbca.org.
From the National Business Office: With every email and address update that we receive at the NBO, we will send a 10% off coupon for one item in the Club Store. One coupon per member will be sent electronically (so it must include a valid email address). Please send these updates to Geni at geni@mbca.org.