orsepower
is the name of the game when it comes to
interstate passing, driving an autocross, or track time at Summit
Point. Yet, there is another type of horsepower that is just as
important. That horsepower is displayed at our local harness
track---Rosecroft Raceway.
To enjoy this type of horsepower, GWS is having a "Night at the Races" on September 15. Members and their guests will enjoy a delicious, all you can eat, buffet with desserts, coffee, and tea. A cash bar will be available. To make this a memorable event, the section has reserved the John Hanson room at Rosecroft Raceway to ensure that all VIP amenities are available.
The buffet will start at 6:30PM with the first display of horsepower beginning at 7:20. In honor of the section's attendance at Rosecroft, one of the races will be named the Mercedes-Benz Club of America race. At the conclusion of "our" race, some members will be escorted to the Winner's Circle for a photograph with the winning horse.
This should be an exciting and relaxing evening for meeting new section members as well as renewing current friendships.
There is a limit to the number of people that can attend, so mail your registration (see the centerfold) and $35 per person fee today.
To reach Rosecroft Raceway, take exit 4A (Maryland) from I-95/495 and follow the signs to the track.
We look forward to seeing you at the section's "Night at the Races"---Rosecroft style.
| Mason |
Calendar of Events
Greater Washington Section Events
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President's Message
Thoughts of a Car Guy
he
music was a mellow backdrop to the fabulous July Sunday
picnic at the estate of Hank Harris in Potomac, Maryland. More
than 165 members from our section, Northern New Jersey, and
Delaware Valley lingered on the lawns and around the pool. We all
enjoyed burgers and wursts hot off the grill, plenty of cold
drinks, cake, and watermelon. The weather provided one of the
best days ever for an outdoor event.
About thirty cars entered the show, which was won overall by Frank Spellman and his beautiful 1962 300SL roadster. Strong showings were made by Keith Morgan, Ellen Ruck, Fred Perry, Bob Platz, and Bruce Roth. The silent auction and a fifty-fifty raised about $200 for Children's Hospital and The Hospital for Sick Children.
Our thanks again to Hank Harris for providing his wonderful property for us. Thanks to our club's many volunteers for working tirelessly to provide a great day for our members: Judy and Bruce Roth for handling registration and buying the beer and wine; Debbie and Klaus Hirtes for cooking and managing the membership pins; Joe and Bobbie Wozney for being our bartenders; Ed Ayre, Mason Beale, Bill Hooper, Rob Kaplan, and Vern Luke for judging the Concours. And, thanks to Tom and Mary Kestel for arranging for the fresh wursts and bakery rolls. Without the help and dedication of all these folks, these events would not be possible.
The summer road trips continued with our trip to the premier of a new national event---Star Track---in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Section, and it's president Bob Speer, did a great job of taking an existing large local event, the Vintage Grand Prix of Pittsburgh, to build a national event around. They had a large number of members who came out to the event and showed their cars, in a way like our Deutche Marque Concours, but much larger. The Grand Prix combined every car club in Pittsburgh and is held for charity---the Autism Society.
For MBCA members they provided a track event at a local NASCAR short track, and an autocross at a nearby shopping mall. Next year they will use a brand new road racetrack, Beaver Run, for the driving events. The final banquet was a black tie affair held at the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. All in all, a very nice long weekend.
Tri-0-Rama was, in a word, fabulous. The weather person blessed us with hot summer days to enjoy our splendid cars to the fullest. The Saturday Concours on Winchester's walking mall was better than ever.
A neat group of cars were entered from the all over the mid-Atlantic area. A 1960s 600 hearse---complete with a casket---and a world class 1962 300SL journeyed from Pennsylvania. Sparkling sedans from New Jersey and a well restored 190SL from North Carolina gave the concours a national feel. The blue 300SL won best of show and appeared regal with its blue paint and white interior and white side walls.
The driving events were exciting with many fast cars, including Dan Kary's CLK 60 Renntech One Lap of America car. All heads turned when it went down the straight. What a sound! Dan's car took fastest time of day on the Summit Point racetrack. Many members took advantage of our defensive driving clinic ably presented by Frank and Mary Alice Cozza and Walt Anderson.
Race night is Saturday, September 15, not car racing but horse racing. Mason Beale has arranged for a "Night at the Races" at Rosecroft Raceway in nearby Maryland. We will have our own area, a buffet, and our own betting window. They are naming a race for the club and we can all go down to the winners circle and pose for a photo with the wining horse. Sounds like a winner, no pun intended. See you there,
| Dick |
Just when you think you've seen it all!
s
you will notice, there is a
new paid ad in this
issue of the Tri-Star! You see... the incumbents on the National
Board of your club---the Mercedes-Benz Club of America---have
outlawed editorial comment on the 2001 election in MBCA section
newsletters under penalty of section rebates being withheld or
some such thing.
The Board gave the Elections Committee carte blanche in determining the rules without the full Board's final review and approval.
You should be outraged! I know that, as a club member for fifteen years, an editor of this newsletter for more than nine years, a writer, and a candidate, I sure am!
It seems that some of the candidates for Director at Large have plenty of money for letters and postcards. I'm sure you've received some sort of a mailing by now.
Those candidates without the thousands of dollars necessary for a national mailing are denied a voice! They are denied a forum! They are, however, permitted to pay for ads in the 85 or so local newsletters subject to the editors' acceptance and the availability of funds.
So, while I cannot comment on the MBCA election or the candidates for Director at Large in this column, I can do what I always do... I recommend that you support our advertisers!
Please read the ad now!
| Joe |
pylon alley by Joe Wozney
Autocrosses #2 and #3
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ith
Tri-O-Rama 2001 now a part of club history, we can catch
up on the results of the "other" GWS driving events---the 2001
Autocross Series.
With two more wins under their respective belts, Mason, Debbie, and Klaus have already accumulated 30 points in the race for 50 and are undefeated in class. If the Benzes were to run with the "other" cars, Mason would have placed his G-Stock 190E 2.3 16-Valve fourth overall in event #3. Not too shabby!
Excluding a breakdown in event #1, Steve Walters is still undefeated. Larry Taylor has two wins but Dana David leads the 300E class as she has been to all three events and has a third and two seconds. Richard Lipsky has 19 points in his C-Class but with the Moog back on the road, we'll not likely see that Benz again this season.
Lief Graham and "Herbie" picked up a first and a second place in the last two events giving him 25 points. Bill Brochu took a first and a sixth and also has 25 points. Harry Newman added a second and a third and... guess what... has 25 points.
Angie Brochu has two firsts in the Ladies' class but Megan Furlong has a first, a second, and a third to lead all woman.
The FTDs for the first three events have gone to three different drivers---Marty Gallagher (Mustang), Bill Brochu (BMW 535), and Mac Henkel (BMW M3).
It's been an interesting year so far. We never know what Warren Wang will be driving. We've seen the "emergence" of Kyle Newman and Lief Graham. We've witnessed the arrival of the WRX. (Has SCCA sponsorship had anything to do with its classification in G-Stock? Nah! If they place the Mitsubishi Evo 7 in E-Stock, it's time for revolution!) We've seen eighty-seven percent of all the Audi S4s sold within fifty miles of Washington, DC. We've seen too little of some of our old friends.
I want to take a little room here to thank the folks who help make our autocross program a success. Thanks to Jim Smith, Harry Newman, Tom Newman, Mason Beale and the others who arrive early to set up. I want express my special gratitude to Debbie Hirtes for all her work in set up, timing, and clean up. And, I want to thank all the others who are always ready when something has to be done. But most of all, I want to thank Bobbie for getting up early, working all day at registration and wherever else she is needed, for making sure I drink my water, and for being the "lunch lady."
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Board Members
President Committee Chairs Technical Advisors |
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An Appeal To All GWS Members for Election 2001
y
now you have probably received a postcard from the incumbents asking for your vote for the position of Director at Large on the MBCA Board. We're sure they'll tell you how much good they have done for the club. What have they really done?
Only five or six years ago there was $500,000 in the club's reserve account. There is now no real reserve. Let's call it "fun with numbers." Without the car raffle, even the club's budget would not be balanced. Raffle funds were always supposed to be for the "extras" the club was to do, not to be used to ensure the club's survival. If the current raffle does not improve soon, only two-thirds of the tickets will be sold and the budget results will be even worse.
There has been no effort to raise funds or seek sponsorship from any source other than their recent rise in member dues---a 29% hike with only one dollar going to the local sections!
Since the current group, including the incumbents, took charge three years ago, membership has dropped from more than 32,000 to less than 26,000 – a 20% loss. Other than the dues increase what has caused this incredible drop? Well, for one, the MBUSA glove box program was allowed to lapse and it took them three years to get it reinstated.
What other "successes" have there been? The folks on the postcard canceled StarFest 2000 – our biannual national event. They have also canceled StarFest 2002 but are waiting until after the election to give us the bad news – there is no chairman, no hotel, no track, no event! We're the only major car club with a Board that doesn't support its own national event or will work to make it happen.
Several years ago, the Board established the MBCA Educational Foundation. Funding was to come from the club at a dollar a year per member. There has been no money budgeted for the Foundation for three years. The Board also voted that no funds would be provided unless the Foundation began a defensive driving program for teens. There is still no program.
More than five years ago, the Board approved a plan to allow members to join more than one section. It was to be implemented in a "few months." It's still being "studied."
The total lack of communication on the part of the current officers with the membership is tragic. Some refuse to give out reachable phone numbers. Some will not answer email. MBCA has been without an executive director for two years. The last one wrote in her resignation letter to the current president and treasurer: "Communication from you to me has been reduced to faxes and third party messages. Your behavior towards me is not what I would expect from a superior." And, "I have come to the conclusion that I will not be the 'fall-guy' for this budget and accounting debacle."
Had enough? You really can make a difference in this election!
n
Wednesday, October 24, at 6PM, please join us for a tour of
Washington's premier interior designer showcase house, White
Oaks, in Northwest Washington, DC. This is a private, after-hours
opening offering section members a special opportunity to tour
the 2001 NSO Designer Showhouse.
White Oaks was built in 1923 by the legendary Washington developer Harry Wardman. The home sits on one and one-half acres overlooking Rock Creek Park and features 10,500 square feet of living space with five fireplaces and a heated pool.
White Oaks is an excellent example of the Mediterranean-style in American architecture, as interpreted by Washington architects who favored brick over the more traditional stucco exterior. The Mediterranean-style, popular in the 1920s and 1930s, was especially prevalent in California and Florida where movie stars and millionaires built informal suburban retreats that opened to the light. White Oaks is a step back to an era of subdued opulence with a gracious interior that has inspired an exciting redefinition of style for this year's NSO Showhouse.
Come join fellow GWS members to see first hand the magic that has been made in transforming this house by more than twenty of the Washington area's top designers.
Cost is $25 per person and tickets to this event will be limited in number, and will be on a first-come-first-served basis. Please register with payment to ensure that your space will be held for you on this private tour. Permission has been granted to display cars on the driveway during this event only. Please indicate on your registration form, the year and model Mercedes that you wish to display during this visit. Display spaces are limited and will be assigned.
Contact our Social Chairs, Bill Hopper at 202-363-4189, or Judy Roth at 301-774-5390 for further information. Or better yet, send in the centerfold form now with your check to reserve your space.
Directions: From the Capital Beltway (I-495) and Maryland: take Exit 31 (Georgia Avenue) South. Make a right onto 16th Street. Make a right onto Colorado Avenue immediately after the Carter Barron Amphitheater. White Oaks is on the left. From Virginia: take Rock Creek Parkway North. Make a right on Beach Drive. Make a right on Blagden Avenue. Make a left on 18th Street, NW. Make a right onto Colorado Avenue. White Oaks is on the right at 4845 Colorado Avenue, NW.
t's
back! For all of the enthusiastic MBCA members and
guests who have joined us before at the Mercedes-Benz North
America Vehicle Prep Center in Belcamp, Maryland... well, we've
spoken with Bob Juergensen, the Manager of the Prep Center, and a
reprise of our past visits has been set for Saturday, October 6
at 9:00AM sharp.
For those who have not attended this event in the past, please put it down on your calendar. Bob goes all out for us by making sure there are special vehicles available for you to sit in, to stick your head in and under the hood, to ask any and all questions, and to just generally appreciate the vehicles Mercedes-Benz has built and will be creating for us, their customers. Two years ago we were surprised with an A-Class!
We can't divulge what surprises will be in store this year... our only suggestion is to fill out the centerfold registration form as soon as you can and get it in the mail to Ed Ayre.
The schedule: hot coffee and donuts upon arrival... tours start at 9:00AM sharp... and a very nice noonish lunch after satisfying all of our automotive appetites!
Directions: I-95 North, 20 to 25 miles north of Baltimore, take Exit 80 East onto Route 543. Go past Route 7, turn left onto Brass Mill Road (sign says Riverside Industrial Park) and then turn right onto Mercedes Drive. It's quite all right to park on the street.
aybach,
one of the world's most exclusive automotive names
during the 1920s and 1930s, will be reborn in 2003 as a super-
luxury car marque within the Mercedes-Benz division of
DaimlerChrysler AG.
"We are using the Maybach name to emphasize the unique nature of our future premium-quality product," said Professor Juergen Hubbert, DCAG board member in charge of the Mercedes-Benz and smart car division, "and to carry on the tradition of a legendary marque, whose exciting cars were the ultimate in design and technical perfection in the years between 1921 and 1940. We are pursuing these very same goals in the development of the new Maybach.
Based on state-of-the-art Mercedes technology, these vehicles will set new standards in the world of premium cars, thus paying due honor to the great name of Maybach."
Based on the distinctive emblem that adorned the much-admired
Maybach cars, a new double-M insignia will recall the German
luxury car brand of years gone by. Originally signifying "Maybach
Motorenbau," the double-M badge in the future will stand for
"Maybach Manufaktur," highlighting the marque's focus on
individualized hand-craftsmanship.
Individuality, elegance, and exclusivity are cornerstones of the Maybach marque, and giving each customer close attention will be a priority. An unprecedented range of fine materials and paint choices as well as innovative technical features will be available, ranging from specially designed inlays to high-tech business equipment for the rear-seat passenger area. As a result, each and every Maybach model will be a unique, custom-made specimen.
High expectations for the Maybach will be matched by the manufacturing process at the Sindelfingen plant, which is flexible enough to ensure that personalized equipment and trim requests can be fulfilled while guaranteeing the highest levels of hand-craftsmanship.
The new luxury marque is also aiming for technological leadership. Maybach development is in the hands of top engineers at the Mercedes Technology Center in Sindelfingen. The Maybach is thus destined to exceed established Mercedes levels of quality in important areas such as safety, reliability and longevity.
Maybach customers will be able to choose between two basic versions---a standard or a long-wheelbase model. Fewer than ten vehicles will be built each day in the Maybach Manufaktur, which will have a maximum annual capacity of 1500 cars.
A newly developed 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12 will make over 500 horsepower and 664 lbs.-ft. of torque. At 2,000 rpm, this Maybach engine produces 90 percent of its train-pulling power.
The new Maybach will be equipped with yet another technology first---electronic braking, providing faster brake response with exactly the right brake pressure at each wheel, making driving safer and less stressful.
A new electronic air suspension is designed to adjust for a wide range of driving conditions, to ensure highest level of active safety and driving comfort. Other appointments include four-zone automatic climate control, ventilated comfort seats, and a new audio system that provides Dolby surround-sound at every seat.
When cars were first taking to the roads in the early 1900s, the name Maybach was already closely linked to Mercedes. Wilhelm Maybach was the technical director of the Daimler Motor Company and a close collaborator with Gottlieb Daimler, who developed the first Mercedes car in 1900. With its front-mounted, dual-camshaft engine and advanced honeycomb radiator, this car was the precursor of all modern passenger cars. Its inventor, Wilhelm Maybach, was considered the "king of engineers." at the time.
Maybach left the company in 1907 to start his own company. Specializing in designing large airship engines, Luftfahrzeug- Motorenbau, was to become MTU Friedrichshafen, now part of DaimlerChrysler AG.
In 1921, Maybach's son Karl began to produce technologically advanced luxury cars in Friedrichshafen. His company's flagship model was the Maybach Zeppelin DS 8, the largest German luxury car of the 1930s. The bodies for these cars were made by renowned coachwork specialists based on customer specifications, so that every single Maybach was a one-off model to suit its owner's style. No two cars were alike.
This unparalleled focus on individuality, exclusivity and stylish elegance will again come alive with the new Maybach, this time with all of the no-holds-barred, industry-leading technology from Mercedes-Benz. Find out more about the innovative Maybach at Mercedes-Benz' Maybach web site.
ercedes-Benz
will unveil the concept for a vehicle that can
detect an imminent collision and engage occupant protection
systems before it occurs, at the 59th International Automobile
Fair in Frankfurt this month.
Known as PRE-SAFE®---for Preventive Occupant Safety, the experimental safety concept combines hazard-detection technology currently in use in Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles with new seatbelt tensioners and automatically adjusting seats. Future versions of the concept would include active body structure and interior components, as well. Mercedes-Benz has already developed the sensor systems and actual protective components of the PRE-SAFE concept to the point that they can be evaluated in test vehicles.
Mercedes-Benz pioneered many of the safety features used in today's vehicles, including high-performance adaptive airbags, door-mounted side airbags and side curtain airbags, seatbelt pretensioners and belt force limiters, and crash-optimized body structures. Company safety experts believe that most of the potential in passive safety technology has now been exploited and that further advances will require new concepts.
The PRE-SAFE concept is based on the findings of Mercedes-Benz accident researchers, which show that in approximately two thirds of all traffic accidents (as studied in Germany) there is a relatively long time interval between the driver's recognition of an impending accident and the impact itself. The researchers believe new technology can activate the vehicle's protection systems during this interval.
Mercedes-Benz researchers have already been testing a number of conceivable PRE-SAFE systems, including automatically extending bumpers, "smart" crash boxes in the front-end structure and even active interior components such as movable interior door panels, sensor-controlled seats and other ideas for preventive occupant protection. If the collision is avoided at the last moment, the PRE-SAFE systems would reset themselves to their original status, thereby avoiding expensive repairs.
The researchers believe that early recognition of an impending accident and the development of suitable, situation-related occupant protection technology represent the greatest safety engineering challenge of the next few years. This innovative technology is based on systems that use specialized sensors to continuously monitor the driver, vehicle and road surface and are automatically activated when danger is detected.
Several such systems already installed as standard in Mercedes-Benz models recognize critical situations at an early stage to help prevent accidents. The ABS, Brake Assist (BAS) and the Electronic Stability Program (ESP®) driving safety systems form the basis for the innovative PRE-SAFE concept.
Mercedes-Benz introduced the concept of preventive measures more than a decade ago. The SL coupe/roadster models, introduced in 1990 in the US, came equipped with the world's first automatic-deploying rollover bar, which deploys in just three-tenths of a second if onboard sensors detect a potential rollover. The current CLK Cabriolet also has such an anticipatory rollover protection system.
In a future PRE-SAFE equipped vehicle, the occupant protection systems would go into action when sensors in the car detect that the vehicle is on a collision course with another vehicle. Before the driver has time to react and apply the brakes, the seatbelts will tension and restrain the driver's and passengers' torsos, preventing their bodies from moving forward during the braking maneuver and ensuring a safe seating position. At the same time, the cushions of the front and rear seats will tilt to the rear, and the door panels will move into the car's interior and mold around the occupants' hips like protective shields.
- Warning phase: Sensors on the axles and bodywork monitor the vehicle's behavior. When the vehicle's dynamic limits are reached, a yellow warning symbol lights up in the cockpit.
- Assistance Phase: Standard dynamic systems such as ABS, Brake Assist and ESP automatically intervene in critical situations and help to make these controllable for the driver.
- PRE-SAFE phase: The sensors detect the enhanced probability of an accident. Various safety systems are activated as a precaution to prepare for the possible accident and prepare both the vehicle and its occupants. If the accident is avoided, the PRE-SAFE systems are automatically reset to their original status.
- Light impact: In the case of impacts up to about 9 mph, the bumpers and crash boxes in the front-end module absorb the impact energy. Sensors monitor the impact severity and prevent activation of the airbags if their additional protection is not required.
- Minor accident: During a more serious impact, robust structural members in the front end, sides, and rear end absorb energy and distribute the forces over a wide area. The belt tensioners go into action. Depending on impact severity, the front airbags inflate less than fully to ensure optimal occupant protection. Door-mounted airbags and side curtain airbags provide protection during a side impact. The automatic front passenger and BabySmart® child safety seat recognition system prevents activation of the front passenger airbag and belt tensioner if they are not required. The fuel supply to the engine is cut off.
- Serious accident: In the event of even greater risk to the occupants a second, an additional stage is activated in the front airbags and the belt force limiters are activated.
- Recovery phase: Doors are automatically unlocked after the accident. The Tele Aid emergency system alerts emergency services and guides them to the scene of the accident. The hazard warning flasher system is switched on.
The Mercedes-Benz PRE-SAFE system relies on sensors that not only recognize a critical dynamic situation, but also provide data from which the computer can predict an accident with a high degree of probability. This enables the electronics to initiate suitable protective measures even before the crash.
Mercedes has set its safety objectives even higher for the long- term. Company engineers are planning a "thinking" car able to recognize its surroundings---not only recognizing the road ahead or other vehicles, but also traffic lights, road signs, and pedestrians. Future Mercedes cars will be able to interpret traffic scenarios and, if necessary, initiate accident prevention measures by themselves.
here
are four way stop signs at the euphonious intersection
of Cherry Valley Road and the Great Road near the sleepy pueblo
of Princeton. This is a quiet, bucolic spot far from the madding
crowds of teaming megalopolis... that is, all except for a brief
period every weekday around morning rush hour. You see, between
7:30AM and 9:00AM, this crossroads becomes a major traffic choke
point. I have seen several fender benders when impatient
motorists have failed to observe an alternating yield. The
traffic snarl would have been much worse each morning were it not
for the blessed presence of Heather Lane.
This is a fortuitously located one block long shortcut which connects Cherry Valley and the Great Road permitting South bound traffic headed for Princeton to avoid the crowded intersection. Heather Lane is a wide, well-paved public street with a few large, affluent haciendas located picturesquely on either side of the public right of way.
Recently I noticed a most unwelcome change in this pleasant environ. A sign has been put up in the name of the Alcalde on Cherry Valley Road at Heather Lane announcing: "No Right Turn - Monday to Friday 7AM to 9PM." Since the appearance of the offensive posting the volume of traffic at the four way stop has increased dramatically. Furthermore, some resourceful motorists have taken to utilizing a one lane unpaved track to get around the congestion. Both these consequences of the appearance of the "No Right Turn" sign are most undesirable. The increased volume of motorists at the four way stop occasions increased delays, more air pollution, more frayed tempers, and more fender benders. The volume on the unpaved byway will ultimately lead to a serious accident as that narrow road is slippery when wet and visibility around its curves is very poor.
I asked myself, "Why the new sign? Why the prohibition of right turns on Heather Lane precisely during those couple of hours of the day when this street helps to alleviate a traffic problem?" The answer seems to be: an insidious form of corruption known as favoritism. The cabrons who live in the large, comfortable estancias on Heather Lane would rather not hear the sound of automobiles disturbing their repose on week day mornings. They have apparently managed to prevail upon their local politicos to, in effect, privatize their little road for two hours per day, five days a week. I believe that the Founders of our Republic would be appalled by this Heather Lane scandal.
I, Don Diego, am personally not of the Boston Tea Party sort. I couldn't ever bring myself to consider taking down the offending sign and throwing it overboard. However, I am a stolid local farmer/peon and, like the Swiss hero William Tell, who refused to bow down before the tyrant's hat, I have continued to make a right turn on Heather Lane despite the sign's stern, unjustified admonition. I have not been the only one to quietly thumb my nose at tyranny. Like the venerable Rosa Parks who refused to go to the back of the bus, there are other civil disobedients who drive slowly and with due caution, if not awe, before the imposing domiciles of the politically well connected in the exercise of our constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.
On one particular morning I turned my pearl black Mercedes 190E 16-Valve, into Heather Lane. Low and behold, I was apprehended by Sergeant Garcia of the local constabulary and given a summons to appear before the seat of Justice. I will plead "not guilty." Oh yes, I did turn into Heather Lane, but I respectfully contend that the placement of the "no right turn" sign was an improper exercise of police power and a violation of the constitutional rights of law abiding motorists.
We live in an interdependent society. Local governments may not redirect traffic away from the neighborhoods of friends or political supporters. Traffic regulation must be based upon considerations of safety and the general welfare, not individual favoritism.
Let us see what the Alcalde will decide in this case... Must we turn to Zorro?
| John Kuhn Bleimaier |
n
our continuing efforts to raise funds for our charities---The Hospital For Sick Children and Children's Hospital---the
section will raffle a new Mercedes-Benz Sport Cruiser bike. The
bike retails for $1795. It is two-tone---with burgundy fenders
and a titanium bronze frame.
It is handmade in the U.S.A. of lightweight aluminum tubing. It has a 7-speed internal gearing drivetrain, a front disc braking system, and a rear Shimano internal roller brake. The shock system is state of the art. The bike has a 1950s "retro look" to it (like your old Schwinn) but is a thoroughly new design.
Find out more about the bike, including a good picture, at the MBUSA web site. Select "Bike" under "Leisure". Then click on "Bikes."
The tickets are $10 each or three for $25. Contact or send a check payable to "GWS-MBCA" to any officer or board member to get your tickets now. There are a maximum of 1000 tickets to be sold. The drawing will be at the Annual Holiday Party and you need not be present to win.
The net proceeds will be divided between the two hospitals. Over the last ten or so years we have donated more than $10,000 to our charities.
280SL, 1969: White/blue. Beautiful car. Auto. Excellent condition. Only 96k miles. New inside and out. Must see to appreciate! $28,500. Call John at 703-978-4564.
220, 1969: Blue/blue. 4 cyl. gas engine. 4-speed manual trans. New tires. $5000 obo. Call Tony at 202-362-4060.
560SL, 1986: White/white hard top/navy interior and soft top. 56k miles. Original, records, garaged. Excellent condition. $27,500. Call Martina at 703-691-2187.
300CE 3.6, 1988: Charcoal metallic/mint black leather. Euro conversion by Brabus. Sun roof, ABS. Unique 5-speed. Kenwwod CD. New brakes, head gasket, muffler. Just 36k miles. $22,500. MB trades considered. Call Brewster at 703-319-1637. Photos at <www.alfa-base.com>
SLK230, 1998: Silver/charcoal interior. Super clean. Multiple concours winner. All standard features plus 6-disc CD, car cover, bra, lexan windscreen. Stock wheels plus set of TSW custom wheels. Always garaged, little rain, no snow. Dealer maintained. 27k mi. Factory warranty until Jan. 2002. Upgrading to AMG version. $33,500. Call Bruce at 301-774-5390.
C43 AMG, 1998: C-43, Black, Black/Silver leather, xenon lights, CD, phone, rain sensor. Perfect. Fast. 27k miles. $38,900. Call Dick Pedersen 703 771-2205.
Wanted: Shop manual for 1992 190E 2.6. Looking for Mercedes version or Bentley, Clymers, etc. Call Joe Henriques at 703-689-4048 or email at Joe-Henriques@hotmail.com
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American Service Center
703-525-2100 EuroMotorcars 301-986-8800 Merchant's Tire & Auto 800-637-2426 RC Imports 301-762-4205 Curry's Auto Service 703-502-0400 MB Motors 703-978-4564 Potomac German Auto 800-831-7686 |
Radial Tire Co.
301-585-2740 Dent Wizard 800-336-8949 EMB Parts 703-425-5380 Wheel Worx 410-969-7301 MB Roadside Assistance 800-367-6372 Electronics Service Center 301-881-8637 |
The Metro Tri-Star is published monthly by the Greater Washington Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, Inc. It is furnished to each of the approximately 1,750 Section members. Please send all materials for publication to The Metro Tri-Star, 1625 Park Overlook Drive, Reston, VA 20190. For display advertising information, contact Joe Wozney, Editor, at 703-437-7866. Explicit permission to copy or republish any article is given to all sections of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, Inc. The articles in Metro Tri-Star are the opinions of the writers and no authentication is given or implied as to the validity of any expressed opinion.