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2014 Issue One First Quarter

President’s Message By Bob Holbrook

Musings and ramblings. Several months ago I took my 1989 Mercedes 560SL to the dealership to have the mechanical fluids changed – engine oil & filter, automatic transmission fluid, and differential fluid. Preventive maintenance is good for the soul and good for the machinery. I normally change the engine oil & filter myself but was lazy and did not want to deal with the nearly ten quarts of dirty oil (U.S. oil drain pans hold only 5-6 quarts. I know from experience – story for another day). My preferred oil for the 560SL is 10W-40 or thicker for the south Texas climate. The ONLY oil that the dealership carries is Mobil 1 0W-40; they must purchase it in 50-gallon drums and use it in every vehicle. Believing that the correct oil is important, I went to Walmart, bought Mobil 1 10W-40 synthetic for “vehicles over 75,000 miles,” returned to the dealership and had them use my oil to change the fluids. I am happy, my 560SL is happy – I was just surprised that the dealer did not stock any oils other than the 0W-40. In early December I drove my 2000 Porsche Boxster S to a local car wash for cleaning. The automated wash machine did a great job. However, one of the young boys who did the “wipe down” at the end of the wash cycle leaned his full weight onto the plastic rear window and ripped it halfway out of the convertible top. The manager was a stand-up guy who accepted full responsibility and covered repair costs. I found a wonderful convertible & upholstery repair shop (Pena Brothers on Bandera Road) to do the work. As it turns out, the plastic window could not merely be re-installed; an entire new top and headliner was necessary. The top was ordered and an installation date was set. As fate would have it, two days before taking my car for top replacement, my pressure plate and clutch gave out (at only 109,000 miles!). The independent Porsche repair shop that I contacted for repairs was closing from Christmas until January 2, so I had to wait several weeks for clutch work. I had the Boxster transported on a flat-bed truck to the repair shop, had the clutch, pressure plate, IMS bearing, CV boots, dual flywheels, and rear main seal all replaced/repaired. Then I rescheduled the top installation with Pena Brothers who had graciously stored the new top. I now have a beautiful Boxster S with a smooth clutch and impeccable top. After these car traumas I was beginning to relax and smile again. Then yesterday my daughter backed the BMW Z3 into the rear bumper of our Durango. The Durango suffered no harm; the Z3 has a large dent in the trunk that will need the services of a good collision center. Tomorrow I will contact GEICO to start the process. Cars – you gotta love them to bear the anguish. But I do love them.

Inside This Issue President’s Message Welcome New Members Thanks to Renewing Members Section Leadership and Directors National Club Contact Information Membership Anniversary’s Membership Benefit Summary Upcoming Events: March – Planning Stage April - Hill Country Drive May – Coming Soon Texas Sections Calendar of Events Pop Quiz: How well do you know the Brand? National Club News Pop Quiz Answer 2014 Formula One News A Visit to the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart By Ronnie and Sallieann Swanner Sponsor & Advertising Information

Newsletter of

Texas Hill Country Section Of the

Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Proudly Serving South and West Texas

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Section Officers

President Robert (Bob) Holbrook 210-630-7495(c)/holbrook.robert@sbcglobal.net Vice President Tom Jones 210-787-9108(c) thomas.preston.jones@us.army.mil Secretary Kathie Steele 512-497-9012(c)/dieselbenz@wildblue.net Treasurer Keith Steele 512-558-1834(c)/keiths@wildblue.net Newsletter Editor Kathie Steele dieselbenz@wildblue.net

Regional Director Charles Boyd 580-255-4040(c)/cl.boyd@sbcglobal.net

New Members

Craig Bosse Alexios Campos Jeffrey Fissel Tom Harlan Kimberley Hodgson Christian Nelson Donnell Nelson Terry Ray Paulette Sontag Graham Sore Trent Uehling Alton Wilson

Member Renewals Michael Adamek John Agnew Joe Borrero Daniel Briggs James Brown Marcy Cavazos-Colunga Odel Couch Dave Curtis John Davidson Robert Hoover Kathryn McCall Dennis Moroney Raja Naidu

Willkommen

And

Dankeschon!

Thank you for your support in helping make the Texas Hill Country Section one of the best in MBCA! Your yearly membership dues help to support our section financially.

Got Email? If you have provided us with an email address, thank you! If not, PLEASE send your email address

to dieselbenz@wildblue.net. Your email address is used strictly to communicate club business and event notices and never shared with respect for your privacy. Providing an email address simply allows you to receive information in a timely manner rather than on a quarterly basis. It also is more cost effective.

Thank you for your support and telling others of the many benefits of membership!

Mercedes-Benz Club of America National Information

MBCA National Business Office 1907 Lelaray Street Colorado Springs, CO 80909-2872 800-637-2360 www.mbca.org

South Central Regional Director Gene Jurick/gjurick@tx.rr.com

Barbara O’Connor William Ohlemueller Bruce Scarborough Nicky Smith John Terry Ruben Torres Thomas Tredici Michael Yost

Texas Hill Country Section Officers and Board of Directors

President Robert (Bob) Holbrook 210-630-7495(c)/holbrook.robert@sbcglobal.net Vice President Joe Borrero 210-408-1059/joeb55@sbcglobal.net Secretary Kathie Steele 512-497-9012(c)/dieselbenz@wildblue.net Treasurer Keith Steele 512-558-1834(c)/keiths@wildblue.net Director Joe Aaron Director Dick Fitch Newsletter Editor Kathie Steele 512-497-9012/dieselbenz@wildblue.net

More than a car club.

We’re a community

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Club Member Benefits Summary

Member Forums - Here, you'll find members en masse who can talk, guide, answer or listen to your Mercedes-Benz related questions and comments. There are forum topics such as Women on Wheels (WOW), Youngbucks for younger Mercedes enthusiasts, Interest Groups and Technical topics. And don’t forget the Forums for Mercedes-Benz Models and Chassis. Mercedes forums include every model made by Mercedes from A class to GLK, the Sprinter, Smart Car, Adenauer, Gullwing, vintage and collectibles. Tech Talk - This is where the MBCA technical director is available to assist members with their technical questions. Tech Talk is furnished with hard-to-find technical manuals and bulletins from Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA).

15% off parts from Mercedes-Benz Classic Center NEW! 40% off plus FREE ground shipping on car, boat and furniture covers from empirecovers.com. Dealer Discounts on Parts, Service & Accessories at Participating Mercedes-Benz Dealers - The presentation of your membership card may entitle you to 5%, 10% or (up to) 20% off parts, service and accessories from U.S. and Canadian Mercedes-Benz dealers. Call your local Mercedes-Benz dealer in advance to confirm their participation in the Mercedes-Benz Club of America dealer discount program. You must present your MBCA membership card before having service performed or paying for parts. The MBCA website abounds with information - Sign on to the MBCA website (www.mbca.org) to update your member profile with an email address or phone number. You may use your member ID listed on your membership card as your password. Remember – you may change your password at any time. Associate Member Benefits - Your membership also includes a FREE associate member for one adult living in your household. An Associate member has all the benefits as the primary member, will receive their own membership card, and may participate in any local, regional, or national MBCA event. To view all member benefits, go to www.mbca.org, click on the tab “Membership”.

The Texas Hill Country Section begins 2014 by observing our members who have been with MBCA for 10, 15, and 20 years or more. We are fortunate to have these members in our section. Thank you for your support and for your guidance in making our section better for all of us.

10+ Years Robert Banks Steven Bennett Harold Brauner Cecil Clark Robert Dorsey G. Green Brian Helweg Gail Hepner Steven Hurley Stan Keutz Obi Isiguzo John Schrock

15+ Years David Baxter Edward Beasley Julian Beltran Eugene Brandon Jeff Brown Bill Ehler Rojelio Garcia Robert Hoover Joseph Lancaster Williford Light Charles Luther Elinor McCarty Cecil Patterson Val Salazar March Schwarz Keith Steele

20+ Years Charles Adamson Don Barbian James Cline Thomas Cooper Edward Davitt George Dixon Jose Fernandez George Finley AL Herrington Charles Honore Daniel Jacob James McCannon Donald Miller Dennis Moroney Frederick Mullin Barbara O’Connor

William Ohlemueller Ingeborg Pickard William Rankin William Rasco Charles Sherman Daren Spessert Ronnie Swanner Richard Taylor Thomas Tredici Scott White Michael Yost

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And Check out our Upcoming events…

Find our event information at:

www.mbca.org

Facebook

Section Newsletters

Email Notification

Texas Section Calendar of Events (Events Reported as of 2/1)

North Texas: March 8 – Member Meeting March 22 – Drive to Tyler, TX April 5 – Cross Timbers Prairie Drive & Wine Tasting April 12 – Member Picnic May 10 – Day at the Gun Range Fort Worth: March 15 - Nawlins Crawfish Boil April 26 & 27 - TX Hill Country Run May10 - Mercedes Car Show Lone Star: February 15 – Drive to Walburg and Lunch Always check the section’s website at www.mbca.org for the most complete event information. All dates are subject to change.

April Hill Country Drive Our April drive will begin in Fredericksburg and include automotive fun and lunch. Dick Fitch will lead us again on this country drive. The merriment is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, 2014 beginning at 10:00 AM. Details will follow soon!

March This event is in the planning stage. As soon as event details are confirmed, we’ll let you know. Look for upcoming email and check our website for the latest information.

May This event is in the planning stge. Look for detail updates coming soon.

Texas Hill Country Section|MBCA On The Web! http://texashillcountry.mbca.org

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ Texas Hill Country Section| Mercedes-Benz-Club-of-America

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The MBCA Club Store: Section Name Badge Create a unique name badge! Choose from three different styles such as magnetic, safety pin, or tie tack. Choose from three different colors: Blue, Gold, or Silver. Generally the top line is name, second line is Section name.

Add the City in which you live, year and model of your Mercedes, or the year you

joined. Order your section name badge by calling the MBCA national business office at 800-637-2360. To order online at www.mbca.org, click on the Club Store tab, then on Membership and Office Items and scroll down to Name Badge.

At the November 2013 National Board meeting, marketing director Lisa Juhl proposed the testing of a new MBCA leadership role in 2014. The new leader will be called a Membership Expansion Leader or “MEL”, for short. Over the next three years, one of MBCA’s primary goals will be to recruit younger Members to the organization. Data collected from MBCA Member surveys in 2013; from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE); and from U.S. demographic/population experts reveal:

The average age of an MBCA Member is 62.6 years of age. Most of our Members were born in the Baby Boomer generation (b. 1946-1964) or in the Silent Generation (b. 1925-1945)

By the year 2015, the majority of the U.S. workforce will be in their 20’s. These “Millennials” will vastly outnumber Baby Boomers in the workplace (about 10,000 Baby Boomers are currently retiring from their jobs every day)

Mercedes-Benz USA is spending millions of dollars to market to Millennials — by introducing the $30,000 CLA for example — to attract and capture this influential buying audience; projected to be about 80 million people strong. They will be the largest generation (in terms of size) in America’s history.

A Membership Expansion Leader will only be added to three (3) Sections in 2014 — one Section in the East; one Section in the West, and one in the central U.S.. The incentives and programs MEL will be asked to execute to incite younger members to join MBCA will be fleshed-out as the MELs brainstorm with them, their Section Officers and the MEL Committee over the next several months.

Pop Quiz: How well do you know the Mercedes brand and its history? See how well you do. Take the test, if you dare.

The 1960’s created more than free love. Mercedes-Benz also produced the W111 series (see left) with 4-door sedans, produced from 1959 to 1968, and 2-door coupes and cabriolets from 1961 to 1971. The W111 series also included the distinctive rear-end which included the small tailfin. It was an attempt to appeal to the United States market at the time with the outrageously finned styled cars, such as the Cadillac and Buick. What safety feature did Mercedes-Benz add to the W111?

National Club news…

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Quiz Answer:

The Fintail models, known as "Heckflosse" in German, were pioneers of the automotive safety feature of crumple zones, which absorb the energies of a collision. The idea for crumple zones came from Bela Barenyi (1907-1997) who worked as an engineer for Mercedes-Benz from 1939 to 1972.

Bela Barenyi pioneered the idea that passengers were safer in a vehicle that was designed to easily absorb the energy from an impact and keep that energy away from the people inside the cabin. Barenyi devised a system of placing the car's components in a certain configuration that kept the kinetic energy in the event of a crash away from a bubble protecting the car's occupants.

For example, Barenyi arranged the steering column and other heavy components so that they would not form blocks that would heighten the impact on the cabin. The system was designed to have the car's body crumple around the cabin, absorbing the worst of the kinetic shock of impact.

Mercedes obtained a patent from Barenyi's invention way back in 1952 and the technology was first introduced into production cars in 1959 in the Mercedes-Benz 220, 220 S and 220 SE models. Barenyi is credited with about 2,500 patents, more than half as many as the more famous inventor, Thomas Edison.

Source: Daimler

Is It Time to Renew Your Membership?

Lisa Juhl, MBCA Marketing Director, reminds you that when you renew your club membership, you will automatically receive specific months free.

This benefit has been in place since December 2011. The two and three year renewal offers are good indefinitely, and Members can renew at any time to receive the free months. There is no extra benefit for renewing for just one year.

Take advantage of this benefit! Renew for 3 years, get 3 months FREE. Renew for 2 years, get 2 months FREE! To renew, go to www.mbca.org or call the national business office at 800-637-2360.

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2014 Formula One Race Season to Begin Soon

The three-day attendance at the U.S. Grand Prix race last November, hit a total of 250,324 fans. Overall, the Mercedes-Benz factory team ended the season 2

nd in the Constructor championship coming in behind Red Bull Racing

and ahead of Ferrari. The Mercedes AMG Petronas team has announced two key engineering appointments for the 2014 season and both of them will join the team from rival Red Bull. Mark Ellis will become Mercedes’ performance director in June of next year, while Giles Wood will take up the position of chief engineer, simulation and development, at the same time. These two appointments, the first since Ross Brawn announced he is to step down as team principal, will further strengthen the team's technical organization, particularly in the fields of simulation and vehicle dynamics. Brawn has chosen to hand over the team leadership to executive director (business) Toto Wolff and executive director (technical) Paddy Lowe. 2014 brings tons of technical changes to the teams. Teams will no longer have the 2.4 litre V-8 engines. This season you will see a 1.6 litre turbocharged V-6 configuration with a hybrid Energy Recovery System (ERS). Mercedes has introduced a steady stream of aerodynamic improvements to their F1 W04 this season. Technical changes have helped turn a car that finished 45 seconds off the lead at round one into one that dominated the field at round six. Source: formulaone.com, merdedes-amg.com.

Grand Prix Quiz: Which F1 Driver has the most victories in Monaco?

Graham Hill

Jackie Stewart

Ayrton Senna

Michael Schumacher (see answer on page 9)

One for the bucket list—having made two unsuccessful attempts to see the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart, we finally succeeded this past Fall. On our first attempt the museum was closed to the public for a board of directors’ meeting and the second time it was closed for renovations. However, our persistence was well worth the wait, because now they are in a new beautiful building (completed in 2006) with greatly expanded exhibits. The museum is nine stories and built in the modern architectural design of a silver double helix and is almost as extraordinary as the selection of exhibits it houses. The museum which is a 10-minute train ride from the center of Stuttgart and just a few blocks from the train stop, is a must see for any devotee of the mark. One welcome surprise was that admission is free for all Mercedes Benz Club members with their membership card. Upon arrival at the museum, you are greeted by friendly, English speaking docents who provide you with a map and an audio guide to the exhibits, along with directions to the seventh floor elevator where your tour begins.

(Continued on next page)

A Visit to the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart By Ronnie and Sallieann Swanner

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As one walks along the sloping walkway of the Legend tour, five Collection rooms in the center of the building provide you an opportunity to explore the automobiles that have made Mercedes a leader in automobile technology. One collection room houses many fine examples of Mercedes transportation including buses, trucks, taxis and many more. Another collection room displays the Mercedes racing success with cars from the 1901 Nice Race, followed by the Silver Arrows, the Formula One and the DTM (German Touring Car Masters) cars.

Another unique car on display was the 1902 model sold to William Vanderbilt II. It has the distinction of being the first Mercedes sold in the United States and in addition, is the oldest surviving original Mercedes.

Our favorite car in the collection was the 1936 500K special roadster. This elegant two-seater was shown in brilliant red paint with cream leather interior and white-faced instrumentation. Its highly curved fenders, running boards, long hood and gigantic grill and star made this super-charged in-line eight-cylinder automobile the car for the uber-rich of the time and one of the most collectable automobiles today.

On the day we were there, because there is something for everyone to enjoy, the museum was filled with visitors of all ages. The cars are fully restored, shiny and in well lighted exhibit areas. They have examples of all their mass produced models as well as other special purpose vehicles. They have a large exhibit hall devoted to the racing models with a complete history of the cars. On the first (basement) floor they have the largest selection of Mercedes gifts and gadgets in the world and an excellent restaurant. If you are planning a trip be sure to visit their website at www.mercedes-benz-classic.com.

While in Germany, we also saw a number of interesting Mercedes models on the highway that do not make it to America. Some of those models are shown below.

Initially you see working models of the first engines made by Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler followed by the development of the first automobile. Your audio guide describes the models and gives brief histories of Daimler and Benz. Against the back wall and continuing down the gently sloping walkway, called the Legend tour, are full sized models of the progression of vehicles which Daimler and Benz developed starting in 1886. One is able to see models of the progression from one cylinder to multiple cylinder engines, from two-wheeled motorbikes to four-wheeled motor powered wagons and then the automobile.

One outstanding display was the 1955 World Champion 300SLR sitting on the back of its custom transport truck. During its racing career, this SLR never dropped out of a race due to mechanical problems.

The fabulous 1932 770 cabriolet F of the German Emperor Wilhelm II and the 1935 Pullman limousine of the Japanese Emperor Hirohito were outstanding examples of the mark. Other interesting vehicles on display were the 1997 ML 320’s used in Steven Spielberg’s film “Lost World”, the custom 1984 190E 2.3 AMG owned by Ringo Star and the 1991 500SL driven by Princes Diana. She was the first member of the royal British family to drive a foreign car. However, after considerable criticism from the government and trade unions, it was returned to Mercedes in 1992.

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While in Germany, we also saw a number of interesting Mercedes models on the highway that do not make it to America. Some of those models are shown below.

This A180 CDI model was a good-looking small car.

This smart car made use of the small parking space between two other cars.

This smart car made use of the small parking space between two other cars.

This GLK 220 CDI might sell well in the United States.

Formula One Quiz Answer:

The driver with the most wins at Monaco is Brazilian Aryton Senna with six wins.

Editor’s Note - MBCA Trips to Germany The Mercedes-Benz Club will again offer two trips to Germany in 2014 beginning with tentative dates of July 28, 2014 and September 22, 2014. This is a great opportunity to join other members to see many Mercedes-Benz facilities and venues that are not available to the public. You’ll visit AMG, the Classic Center, the Sindelfingen visitor center and assembly plant, the Unterturkheim engine plant, the test track and development center, the “new” Mercedes-Benz Museum, and the Stuttgart Brand Center. Members will also visit the Auto Museum Carl Benz and the technical museum Sinsheim. Several other auto related facilities as well as some surprises are also included in the trip. Contact the MBCA national business office at 800-637-2360 or Jim O’Sullivan at osullivanj55@gmail.com or call Jim at 843-671-2079 for additional information. You may also download this registration form http://www.mbca.org/sites/default/files/german_tour_registration_form_2014_1.pdf.

A Chronicle of the Mercedes-Benz Trademark

The three-pointed star in 1909 (upper left) and the trademark of Benz & Cie. in 1909 (upper right). Three-pointed star in the circle of 1916 (middle left) and the new trademark of the merger of DMG and Benz Cie. in 1926 (middle right). The current three-pointed star (below).

Did

you

know?

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MBCA Texas Hill Country Section Newsletter - published four times a year is the official newsletter of the Texas Hill Country Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America. Opinions - Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of either MBCA or the Texas Hill Country Section. Neither MBCA nor the Texas Hill Country Section endorses products or services but may, as part of our informational activities, allow them to be cited in articles and notices. Trademarks - The trade names and trademarks "Mercedes-Benz", "Mercedes", and the three-pointed star in a circle are owned by DBAG and are authorized for use by its licenses which include MBCA, exclusively. Reprints - Reprinting original material herein is permitted if a proper attribution (source, including date of issue) is shown. Advertising - We welcome advertisers whose subject matter is relevant to MBCA or of interest to members of the Section. Advertising runs for one year (four issues) starting with the first issue. MBCA members may place a classified ad for free providing that ad is Mercedes specific. No inference should be made that products or services advertised herein have been approved by the MCBA/Texas Hill Country Section board of directors or this newsletter editor. Articles and Submissions - Copy should be e-mailed to the editor by the 10th of the month prior to the next issue. For example, submissions for the May issue should be received by the editor by April 10th.

You can be a Sponsor of our Section! Members and non-members alike are welcome to advertise their business and become a sponsor of the Texas Hill Country Section. We will showcase your business with an ad in our quarterly newsletter, a listing and link on our section website, listing on our Facebook page, an event visit to your business! MBCA now serves over 20,000 members; a total of 28,000 including associate members in 89 active Sections (chapters) in 12 North American Regions. The Texas Hill Country Section continues to grow showing a 38% increase in membership in the last year. Our webpage averages 220 visitors per month. We offer reasonably priced ads and offer four size ads: business card, quarter, half and full page. Contact any of the section Officers listed in this newsletter for more information about being a Texas Hill Country Section Sponsor!

This Ad could be yours!

The quarterly Texas Hill Country newsletter is distributed to the 180+ section members and around the country. Add sizes currently available are: 2” X 3-1/2” – Business Card 3” X 5” – ¼ Page 5” X 8” – ½ Page 8” X 10” – Full Page This will include advertising on our website: www.texashillcountry.mbca.org. If you are interested in advertising in our newsletter and on our website, please contact any Section Officer.