At the Wheel: From the President – Gene Jurick

Rolling into the Future

As we roll into the New Year, I would like to share my experiences at the 2018 International Mercedes-Benz Club Presidents’ Meeting. This three-day event held in Stuttgart gave club presidents a peek into the automobile industry’s future – and the future of automotive clubs – worldwide. 

On the first day, we traveled to Immendingen, 80 miles south of Stuttgart, to visit the Daimler AG Proving Ground and Technology Center, built at a former military base. With 55 kilometers of testing track simulating all driving conditions and situations, 12 kilometers of dirt track and 75 acres of asphalt surface for specialty testing – featuring all the various road markings of the world – Mercedes-Benz has ample space to test models’ handling and braking, performance driving and driver-assistance equipment.

The technology center also provides specific areas for testing cars of the future. The automobile industry is changing rapidly before our eyes. Battery-electric and self-driving vehicles are just some changes on the horizon. Of the proving ground’s 35 different road-testing modules, Bertha Area accommodates testing for semi- and full-autonomous vehicles, safety testing for robot vehicles and car-to-car communication; 300-400 vehicles can be tested simultaneously at the Daimler AG Proving Ground and Technology Center, considered to be one of the most advanced facilities of its type in the world.

The center also connects nature and technology: Two bunkers were converted to bat caves for species preservation and the center monitors the safe movement of animals in the area. The center will also bring more than 300 new jobs – with apprenticeship opportunities – and will work in cooperation with schools, colleges and universities.

Day two at the Daimler Conference Center in Stuttgart/Untertürkheim focused on Mercedes-Benz clubs and was filled with meetings dealing with topic and strategic planning, including features and benefits provided by Mercedes-Benz to the clubs around the world. There was also plenty of opportunity to speak with the Mercedes-Benz Club Management Team, which consists of six members, one of whom is responsible for overseas clubs, including the MBCA. It was obvious that Mercedes-Benz is serious about its relationship with the clubs worldwide.

There are 80 Mercedes-Benz clubs around the world, with a total membership of approximately 100,000. Nearly three-quarters of these clubs were represented by their presidents at the meeting. The Mercedes-Benz Club of America is the largest club in the world and accounts for about 20 percent of total world membership. The Mercedes-Benz Club of the United Kingdom is second, with about 6 percent of total world membership.

There is a vast difference in the clubs and how they function, even in their requirements for membership. For example: Mercedes-Benz Club of Poland requires that members own a classic Mercedes; the club’s national president didn’t say what determines a model to be a classic. And as near as I could determine, there are about 13 Mercedes-Benz clubs in Germany, each representing a different model. Though separate, they seem to communicate with each other and meet with the Classic Club Management.

At the end of the day, we were introduced to the Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4Matic. Interestingly, I had already become acquainted  with this futuristic model – including pictures and technical details – in the November-December issue of The Star magazine. We spent more than an hour with the chief engineer for this project, plying him with questions; he was very candid in his responses. However, he didn’t say when the vehicle would be released – or what the price would be – but that we could expect to see full electric versions in every model category.

So, while we look forward to automobile concepts of the future becoming realities in the years ahead, I am looking forward to the year we have planned; many activities are ready for kickoff, including the Super Bowl! I also look forward to seeing many of you as the New Year unfolds.