Germany’s Bernard Kuhnt is shaking things up at the former Caliber Motors. For one thing, it’s now called Mercedes-Benz of Anaheim. A $20 million showroom opened last week at the Imperial exit of the 91, where it enjoys a built-in audience of bumper-to-bumper motorists. And Kuhnt said sales already were up 12% last year to $225 million; no other Mercedes dealer recorded double-digit growth in new-car sales. Kuhnt has become a local booster, too, calling Orange County “the best location on this planet.” Kuhnt served as a Mercedes- Benz exec across Europe before moving here in 2001 to oversee Western U.S. sales. Two years later Mercedes-Benz wanted to move him to the East Coast, but Kuhnt, his wife and two daughters balked. The compromise: Kuhnt moved from corporate to the dealer side, taking over as hired gun for Caliber’s ownership. Mercedes has wanted all of its dealers to adopt the brand-and-location name and Kuhnt said he’s happy to oblige: Caliber Motors used to get confused with the unrelated Caliber Collision, as well as a company that went bankrupt. Kuhnt hopes to somehow integrate the new name into Caliber’s catchy old radio jingle but “it’s not that easy.” Next question: Will Fletcher Jones Motorcars,Mercedes’ No. 1 U.S. dealer and the biggest dealer in OC,now become Mercedes-Benz Newport Beach? No way, the Insider is told. But Kuhnt said the Mercedes brand is powerful and Newport Beach has cachet. He noted that Fletcher’s new neighbor is Newport Lexus,”It’s not called Wilson Motors” …
A standing O for diva Milena Kitic at,Opera Pacific’s opening night of “Carmen.” Among those in the “hometown” audience,hubbie Milan Panic and friend, AG Jerry Brown …
Open Air Stereo drummer Nick Gross, a cast member this season on MTV’s “Laguna Beach,” is the son of Pimco bond guru Bill and Sue Gross …
Rona and Stevan Gromet were throwing a $2,000-a-person fund-raiser for Hillary Clinton at their Laguna Beach home this past weekend …
With the $40 million capital campaign wrapped up and the big party thrown, fund-raiser Linda White-Peters departs Chapman U’s Dodge Film School for a new challenge: helping Discovery Science Center to “grow exponentially” as its new VP of development …
Laguna Beach Councilwoman Elizabeth Schneider is giving up her Adworx consulting business to become executive director of South Coast Medical Center’s foundation. And yes, she’s dropped Pearson from her name …
The Three Wise Men: UC Irvine’s Michael Drake, Cal State Fullerton’s Milt Gordon and Chapman’s Jim Doti appear this week on “Inside OC” …
The 19th annual O’Ridley, O’Cooley & O’My St. Patrick Sports Outing and Meditation Session is set for March 16 at Tustin Ranch. Go to www.acgoc.org …
This marks the Insider’s 10th anniversary. Thanks to all of the readers, sources and subjects for making the column possible.
