President’s Message
by Terry Kiwala
Heritage and Fresh Ideas
We are all happy to see winter depart and summer arrive so that we can start our celebration of all things Mercedes-Benz. Recently I attended two concours events, the Greater Washington Section’s Deutsche Marque and North New Jersey Section’s June Jamboree. Both of these sections have a new crop of club leaders who are paying close attention to preserving the MBCA heritage while invigorating their sections and events with fresh ideas.
The Deutsche Marque weekend began by piloting my W126 turbodiesel to Virginia. The 300SDL collected every species of insect in the area on the grille, radiator, bumper and windshield. A much-needed car wash later, I arrived at Mercedes-Benz of Tysons Corner to participate in Flagship Fridays, a new event pioneered by GWS President Aaron Streater that was designed to bring the Mercedes-Benz-crazed 20-somethings together with other enthusiasts at different dealerships to demonstrate our member’s passion for the marque and connection to the brand.
The array of of MBCA members’ cars drew the attention of other enthusiast passersby who stopped to see the cars and talk. They too are avid Mercedes-Benz admirers, who for the first time learned about our club, even though they often pass by the dealership’s lot. For me, it was great to spend time with many longtime members and meet, first-hand, potential new members invited to Sunday’s Deutsche Marque Concours d’Elegance.
This annual event is a multi-German-marque automobile club show, a joint collaboration between the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, BMW Car Club of America, and Porsche Club of America established 31 years ago that exhibits just outside of Washington, D.C. I marveled at the attention members gave to preparing excellent examples of both old and new automobiles, as well as the number of people who belong to more than one club, having multiple cars in the different club displays.
It was great to work beside the section’s new Concours Chairman, Omar Abou-Zied, and witness his enthusiasm. Omar, an MBCA member who joined the club when he was a teenager, now 15 years later continues to share his passion and vault of Mercedes-Benz knowledge with other enthusiasts.
The June Jamboree, MBCA’s oldest-running event now in its 51st iteration, featured 94 cars and more than 150 members who enjoyed an afternoon together at MBUSA headquarters in Montvale, New Jersey. This was another opportunity for me to meet MBUSA employee enthusiasts, many of whom are MBCA members who live and breathe the brand. This year’s event established a new acknowledgement – MBCA Preservation Class – where original cars more than 25 years old are recognized.
The Jamboree ran like clockwork, led by the NNJ Section’s new and young-enthusiast President Matt Huda, who along with Lucille Chabala, Joe Grattan, and Valerie Cristiano, all managed this event with great success.
My travels around the country will continue as I attend events – old and new – and meet local leaders who are changing the face of our club. Throughout all of these experiences, one thing never changes: the enthusiasm and the passion our members have for the marque. As old meets new, the MBCA’s unique heritage and its members’ enthusiasm for Mercedes-Benz are here to stay.
by Terry Kiwala
Heritage and Fresh Ideas
We are all happy to see winter depart and summer arrive so that we can start our celebration of all things Mercedes-Benz. Recently I attended two concours events, the Greater Washington Section’s Deutsche Marque and North New Jersey Section’s June Jamboree. Both of these sections have a new crop of club leaders who are paying close attention to preserving the MBCA heritage while invigorating their sections and events with fresh ideas.
The Deutsche Marque weekend began by piloting my W126 turbodiesel to Virginia. The 300SDL collected every species of insect in the area on the grille, radiator, bumper and windshield. A much-needed car wash later, I arrived at Mercedes-Benz of Tysons Corner to participate in Flagship Fridays, a new event pioneered by GWS President Aaron Streater that was designed to bring the Mercedes-Benz-crazed 20-somethings together with other enthusiasts at different dealerships to demonstrate our member’s passion for the marque and connection to the brand.
The array of of MBCA members’ cars drew the attention of other enthusiast passersby who stopped to see the cars and talk. They too are avid Mercedes-Benz admirers, who for the first time learned about our club, even though they often pass by the dealership’s lot. For me, it was great to spend time with many longtime members and meet, first-hand, potential new members invited to Sunday’s Deutsche Marque Concours d’Elegance.
This annual event is a multi-German-marque automobile club show, a joint collaboration between the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, BMW Car Club of America, and Porsche Club of America established 31 years ago that exhibits just outside of Washington, D.C. I marveled at the attention members gave to preparing excellent examples of both old and new automobiles, as well as the number of people who belong to more than one club, having multiple cars in the different club displays.
It was great to work beside the section’s new Concours Chairman, Omar Abou-Zied, and witness his enthusiasm. Omar, an MBCA member who joined the club when he was a teenager, now 15 years later continues to share his passion and vault of Mercedes-Benz knowledge with other enthusiasts.
The June Jamboree, MBCA’s oldest-running event now in its 51st iteration, featured 94 cars and more than 150 members who enjoyed an afternoon together at MBUSA headquarters in Montvale, New Jersey. This was another opportunity for me to meet MBUSA employee enthusiasts, many of whom are MBCA members who live and breathe the brand. This year’s event established a new acknowledgement – MBCA Preservation Class – where original cars more than 25 years old are recognized.
The Jamboree ran like clockwork, led by the NNJ Section’s new and young-enthusiast President Matt Huda, who along with Lucille Chabala, Joe Grattan, and Valerie Cristiano, all managed this event with great success.
My travels around the country will continue as I attend events – old and new – and meet local leaders who are changing the face of our club. Throughout all of these experiences, one thing never changes: the enthusiasm and the passion our members have for the marque. As old meets new, the MBCA’s unique heritage and its members’ enthusiasm for Mercedes-Benz are here to stay.
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