At the Wheel: Gene Jurick, President
At Full Speed
Even though we are now entering the September-October period, Mercedes-Benz Club of America activities are still at full speed. Remember, no matter the section you are a member of, you are invited to attend any MBCA section event anywhere. Our website, www.mbca.org is the place to go for a listing of upcoming events – and information about events that have already taken place. This is also a great place to get ideas for events that your section members may enjoy.
As president, I have the responsibility and privilege to participate in MBCA events around the country. Recently, I got to enjoy a truly exceptional event, the Concours d’Elegance of America. Arguably, this event ranks with the other top concours and is up there with Pebble Beach and Amelia Island. This concours is held at The Inn at St. John in Plymouth, Michigan. The MBCA was represented at the Concours d’Elegance of America by the International Stars Section. The leadership and members of International Stars really stepped up and represented MBCA with honor; everything, from the tent and MBCA identification to communicating with everyone that approached the display about club benefits and being a member. No doubt, we did attract new members. International Stars arranged for the display of a brand-new CLS53 AMG courtesy of Mercedes-Benz USA. Great job, International Stars.
Of very special note, the Automotive Heritage Foundation presented awards at this concours in four separate competitions: The AHA Concept Vehicle of the Year; NAHC Future Collectible Vehicle of the Year; AHA Lifetime Achievement Award; and Automotive Heritage Journalism Competition. I listed all the competitions to show the significance of the Automotive Heritage Awards. My real goal is to point out the significance of our own magazine, The Star. The Star went home with a Best-in-Category award, six Gold awards, one Silver award and two Bronze awards. No other publication in the competition came close to The Star. The details of the awards are on page 24.
If you have been reading the President’s Message in The Star for the past year and a half, you have noticed that our membership growth or lack thereof has been an important topic. But, make no mistake: The MBCA has been diligently working to grow its membership.
Recently, while speaking with a Mercedes-Benz dealer owner and MBCA club member, I got a bit of a surprise. AMG has at least one version of an AMG vehicle in every M-B model segment. Many of the AMG buyers are younger, the very segment we try to attract to the club. The surprise is that many of these buyers don’t identify an AMG vehicle with Mercedes-Benz. This being the case, if we are to attract them to the MBCA, we must establish a connection that will attract them to MBCA. I am very much an AMG enthusiast, but I came to the club as a Mercedes-Benz enthusiast and moved to AMG. I have had no such identity misunderstanding. I guess, therefore, I was a bit surprised by this information. The upside is that we have a reasonably clear opportunity to work on.
As I reach the end of my allotted space, I would like to suggest something to think about. Coming in November is the Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance. This concours has been around for some time and becoming bigger and better with every event. For the first time, MBCA will have a presence at the event. It is being spearheaded by the MBCA’s Eastern and South Eastern regions. These regions have put a lot into this event; it does warrant your consideration.
As always, I look forward to seeing you soon.