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Mercedes Set to Open Classic Center for Vintage Models

Mercedes-Benz lovers brace yourselves.

The Mercedes-Benz Classic Center opens this month in Irvine, selling models from 1979 to 1992. The 28,000-square-foot, two-story center also restores and repairs Mercedes with genuine factory parts. If an original part is no longer available, Mercedes will make one.

The facility is the first U.S. classic center for Mercedes-Benz USA, part of Germany’s DaimlerChrysler AG. The building off the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway mimics the company’s original classic center in Fellbach, Germany.

Orange County was chosen for its car culture and its vast numbers of Mercedes owners. Mike Kunz is the center’s manager. The center expects to sell fewer than 50 cars a year and derive the bulk of its revenue from parts and restoration.


Speaking of Mercedes

Fletcher Jones Motorcars, the nation’s top Mercedes dealer, reported sales of $569 million for 2005, a 6.8% rise from 2004 and a record for the Newport Beach dealership.

Fletcher Jones sold 8,513 vehicles, nearly doubling the sales of its closest competitor, Mercedes-Benz of Laguna Niguel.






Fletcher Jones: $569 million for 2005 sales

The dealership also set a record for December, selling 1,011 vehicles.

It was a good year in general for Mercedes, which is facing stiff competition from BMW and Lexus. Montvale, N.J.-based Mercedes-Benz USA reported December as its highest sales month in its history. Mercedes dealers sold 31,192 autos in December, a 17.2% rise from a year earlier.

For the year, Mercedes sold a record 224,421 autos. Big sellers were the ML-Class sports utility vehicle, the R-Class and the CLS-Class.


Auto Board

The Orange County Auto Dealers Association in Costa Mesa recently elected its new board.

Mark Dershem of Foothill Ranch Chevrolet is the trade group’s new president. Mark Parkinson of Tustin Buick Pontiac GMC Hummer and Tustin Nissan, is vice president.

John Wooden was the guest speaker at the association’s annual meeting, which was held at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa in Dana Point.

Last year, OC’s franchised dealers generated nearly $8 billion in sales, including $608 million in state taxes, according to the association. Local dealerships employ about 12,000 people in OC.


Technician Showdown

Seniors from Foothill High School in Santa Ana won the 13th annual Orange County Auto Dealers Association’s Automotive Technology Competition held at Hyundai Motor America Inc. in Fountain Valley.

The winning students will go on to compete at the National Automotive Technology Competition in New York in April.

The competition paired students with local dealers. The competition is part of the local industry’s effort to encourage more students to become auto technicians. Dealers nationwide are facing a shortage.

The association awarded all of the participants one-year scholarships to pursue studies in the automotive industry.

Students are given 90 minutes to diagnose and repair a car with “bugs.” They get points for fixing malfunctions.

The competition pairs students with local dealers, which lent cars for the competition.


Diamond Salon

Tiffany & Co. is getting bigger and more sparkly at South Coast Plaza. It’s building a “diamond salon” in space it used for the holidays. The boutique is set to show off all of the luxury retailer’s diamonds.

New York-based Tiffany’s holiday sales rose 8% to $386 million. Same-store sales rose 6%. Tiffany opened four stores in 2005 and now has 59 in the U.S. The South Coast Plaza store is the only one in OC.


Elsewhere at South Coast

Robinsons-May’s closing sale is under way at South Coast Plaza. The store is set to turn into a Bloomingdale’s next year.

Federated Department Stores Inc. plans to shut down the Robinsons-May store later this year. After a remodeling, the new Bloomingdale’s is set to be upscale, with Jack Hruska heading creative services for the stores.

Dog Shop

Muttropolis opened recently at Fashion Island. The pet store sells designer doggie items including bowls, collars and carriers.

That’s a lot of Blinds

Orange-based Budget Blinds has hit a milestone, opening its 1,000th store in St. Paul, Minn. Budget Blinds, which sells shutters and shades, was founded in 1992.

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