Who was 1st USA Mercedes franchise? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Nipperiley · #1 05-02-2006, 01:37 PM

The answer is Don Rasmussen. The year was 1957. It seems odd to me that the first dealer franchised in the US would be located on the left coast in the small town ( at that time) of Portland Oregon. The reason I am bringing this fact to light is that Mr Rasmuseen just passed away. He was in his late eighties. The dealership remains family operated with two local stores.

NKowi · #2 05-02-2006, 01:50 PM

I actually knew that. Hang out in Portland much and you'll see far more older MB's than you will in most towns.

TX76513 · #3 05-02-2006, 03:44 PM

Cool trivia - that's where my SDL was sold

t walgamuth · #4 05-02-2006, 07:39 PM

i would have guessed max hoffman in new york.

also in the sixties for a while they were sold in studebaker dealerships!

i can remember that.

tom w

Nipperiley · #5 05-03-2006, 12:22 AM

According to the newspaper article, Rasmussen originally sold Studebakers too. I cannot remember this, but I do remember the MBZ store in the mid sixties because it was just three blocks from my high school.
Nothing against Studebakers, but it seems a strange combination of motorcars to sell at the same store.

Jim B. · #6 05-03-2006, 01:32 AM

I've been there, but didn't know it was the first one.

It is beautiful, inviting, and at at gorgeous location downtown.

Met some poor fellow who had a V12 W140 sedan with serious dash control issues. Car was some kind of a gray market one too. Uh Oh, big trouble.

Portland is exquisite when it hits 70 degrees and a little bit of sun comes out. That spells summer! And oh, the women come out in those halter minidresses. Any excuse!

A Wonderful town, downtown is lovely, people friendly, clean, neat bookstores, a Chinatown all its own, Lloyd Center, across the River! and a wonderful indie MB garage (recommended me by a local: Burback motors, Mike and Pam Burback, used by www.mbcoupes.com Oregonians, clean shop, quick service, best diagnostic I ever had, their predictions worked accurately for years ahead, uncanny. Never found anything near that in 8 years in the Bay Area.

Lucky Oregonians in Portland.

BENZ-LGB · #7 05-03-2006, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nipperiley

According to the newspaper article, Rasmussen originally sold Studebakers too. I cannot remember this, but I do remember the MBZ store in the mid sixties because it was just three blocks from my high school.
Nothing against Studebakers, but it seems a strange combination of motorcars to sell at the same store.

This was after WWII, when Benz had a hard time selling cars abroad. So in *1957* Benz struck a deal with Studebaker, which had a great dealer network, but had no clue on how to sell Benzes. The deal with Studebaker gave Benz access to about 2500 Studebaker dealers across the country.

Studebaker was in already in financial trouble. In 1964 Studebaker went into liquidation and moved most of its operations to Canada. Benz then exercised its buy out option and formed what is now Mercedes Benz of North America. Benz just took over most of Studebaker dealers.

Earlier in the century, Mr. Daimler sold his cars (and boats) through a partnership with William Steinway (the piano guy

). Steinway even built a factory to manufacture American-made Mercedes cars. The business lasted for about two years -- the factory burned in 1907 putting an end to US made Mercedes (until the ML began to be put together in Alabama ).

t walgamuth · #8 05-03-2006, 04:44 AM

interesting. i didnt know that benz bought out the studie dealers.

i wonder if you meant '57 for the beginning of the studie benz relationship.

studie had some good cars.

love the 53 coupes and the avantis.

dad worked in the factroy and my gfather and my uncle.

tom w

BENZ-LGB · #9 05-03-2006, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

interesting. i didnt know that benz bought out the studie dealers.

i wonder if you meant '57 for the beginning of the studie benz relationship.

studie had some good cars.

love the 53 coupes and the avantis.

dad worked in the factroy and my gfather and my uncle.

tom w

Tom, I am sure that it was 1957, but now that you asked, I'll have to check, just to be sure.

And yes, I meant '57 not '67. I have to get better at proofreading.

Studebaker made some great cars. I can see that you come to your love for cars by way of DNA.

crash9 · #10 05-03-2006, 10:08 AM

Odd thought, but I was an impressible 12 yr. old around then and we spent the summer in SoCal as my dad had a job building the first DC-8's. There were a lot of Jags in Beverly Hills which is a very Jewish place and the Mercs were becoming popular in South Pas and Newport Beach where the old WASP types lived and had their weekend places. VW's were also more common in Orange County. Don't know why I picked up on that as a kid. So I'm wondering what type of people populated Portland back then?

BENZ-LGB · #11 05-03-2006, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crash9

Odd thought, but I was an impressible 12 yr. old around then and we spent the summer in SoCal as my dad had a job building the first DC-8's. There were a lot of Jags in Beverly Hills which is a very Jewish place and the Mercs were becoming popular in South Pas and Newport Beach where the old WASP types lived and had their weekend places. VW's were also more common in Orange County. Don't know why I picked up on that as a kid. So I'm wondering what type of people populated Portland back then?

People who enjoyed owning and driving a quality car and were willing to think outside the box?

t walgamuth · #12 05-03-2006, 07:52 PM

also cant be 67 cause studie stopped all auto production after 66.

tom w

BENZ-LGB · #13 05-03-2006, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

also cant be 67 cause studie stopped all auto production after 66.

tom w

Tom, I checked with the ultimate Benz history guide: The Star and the Laurel --The Centennial History of Daimler, Mercedes and Benz 1886 - 1986.

On pages 340, et seq., it mentions M-B long efforts to establish a distributor relationship here in the US. Curtiss-Wright had bought Studebaker and was looking for someone to help out their new auto business. So Studebaker and M-B hooked up. The deal was struck in 1957.

Studabaker had about 2,500 dealers nationwide but they had no clue how to sell Benzes. Plus about this time (late '50s and early 60s) Americans were into big V8 engines and Benzes were underpowered compared to American cars.

By 1964 Studebaker had folded operations and moved to Canada. M-B bought them out for the grand sum of $3.75 million greenbacks. M-B then set up Mercedes Benz of North America (originally headquartered over a shopping center in Fort Lee, NJ, across the river from Manhattan.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Incidentally, I coudln't find any reference to Rasmussen on The Star and the Laurel. I think I'll research him a bit further.

Lycoming-8 · #14 05-04-2006, 01:59 AM

Some of these combination Stude / MB dealerships also sold DKW's and Audi's. For sure the one in South Bend Indiana (Spicer Freeman I believe was the name) did, and serviced all of them as well. This was back in their (Audi / DKW) 3-cyl 2-cycle days.

Could see MB minivans, Loewy coupes and DKW 3=6's all in the work bays together!?!