Fletcher Jones Motorcars of Newport Beach has some high-end models hitting the showroom.
Just in is the Mercedes-Benz C63, a sports sedan built by Mercedes-Benz’s performance division, AMG. The auto starts at $54,725 and goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds.
Fletcher Jones offers its preferred owner benefits program amenities with purchase of the car.
The program includes free car wash and shuttle service.
Fletcher Jones will have the largest number of the C63s to sell, given its sales ranking within Mercedes-Benz.
The dealership is the top Mercedes dealer and the No. 2 dealer in the nation.
Fletcher Jones had about $611 million in sales last year.
Mercedes-Benz is boosting AMG as a brand in the U.S., according to Ward’s Auto, a trade magazine. The automaker plans to showcase the AMG autos at AMG Performance Centers set up inside of Mercedes dealerships.
Mercedes-Benz plans to open seven pilot centers in the U.S., according to Ward’s. It plans to have a total of 70 in the U.S. by 2010.
The U.S. market makes up half of AMG sales. The center locations have yet to be announced.
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Mercedes-Benz C63: starts at $54,725 |
Fletcher Jones will also be selling the newly redesigned SL Roadsters starting next month.
The SL Roadsters come in variations of engine size and speed: SL550, a 382-horsepower V8 with Sirius satellite radio; the SL600, a 510-horsepower, twin turbo V-12; SL63 AMG, a 525-horsepower V8 engine and the Sl65 AMG, a 612 horsepower V12 engine.
In other Fletcher Jones news, German TV producers paid a visit to the dealer last week. They were filming for Germany’s popular automotive show called “Auto Mobil.” The show averages 2.5 million weekly viewers.
Yellow Highlighter Color
On the microcar front, Daimler AG’s smart fortwo cars have been selling well in Orange County.
But there’s about a year wait to get one, said Denise Long, brand specialist at the Smart Center in Laguna Niguel, a division of Mercedes-Benz of Laguna Niguel.
The Smart Center in Laguna Niguel is the only place to pick up a Smart Car in OC. But the only way to order one is to pay a $99 deposit online, Long said. Customers can test drive the cars and order online at the Smart Center, she said.
The $99 goes toward payment of the car. When the cars come in, the Smart Center delivers them to the customer.
Mark Derengowski is general manager of the Smart Center.
“People are so excited. They love them,” Long said. “It’s the craziest little thing.”
The highlighter yellow color is one of the more popular.
The cars come in three models: Pure Coupe, which starts at about $11,000; Passion Coupe, which goes for about $13,000, and the Passion Cabriolet for $16,000.
The micro cars get about 33 miles to the gallon around town and 41 on the highways. It can go about 90 mph.
Mercedes-Benz Cars, a unit of German automaker Daimler, tapped Smart USA, which is a subsidiary of Penske Automotive Group Inc. (formerly United Auto Group Inc.), to be the exclusive North American distributor of the cars to dealers. There are about 74 Smart Car dealers in the U.S.
Daimler’s Smart Cars are sold in 36 countries, mainly in Europe. The U.S. model was designed specifically to meet U.S. safety and emission standards.
Cavalli Doubles Up
Just Cavalli, designer Roberto Cavalli’s younger line, is planning to open at South Coast Plaza, according to the San Diego Business Journal.
South Coast Plaza already has a Roberto Cavalli store.
Just Cavalli opened this month at Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego.
The company is expanding to cities including San Diego, Boca Raton, Fla., and Atlantic City, N.J.
Enrico Di Muccio, chief executive of IT USA, the U.S. subsidiary of clothing manufacturer IT Holding, is the licensee of Just Cavalli. Lost Angeles has three Just Cavalli stores.
Di Muccio said South Coast Plaza was the next planned California site.
Just Cavalli sells men’s and women’s clothing and accessories. Jeans run $300 to $600.
About 60% of Just Cavalli’s business comes from its women’s line, which is seeing a 35% increase season over season.
The men’s line is growing at a rate of 17% annually.
