Future of MBCA as linked to new MB design language - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Marrs · #1 01-27-2014, 03:22 PM

One of our writers posted an interesting article on an issue that both the MBCA and Mercedes-Benz seems to be attempting to tackle recently, how to get younger members/buyers into the brand and maintain them. I've had similar discussions with folks at other forums, it seems clubs are having a hard time across the board. Will the new models coming out now and in the near future enough to get younger people into the brand, and by extrapolation, into the club?

Moto Arigato: Mercedes-Benz and the New CLA Welcoming Future Generations

MTI · #2 01-27-2014, 04:01 PM

The relationship between Mercedes Benz USA and Mercedes Benz Club of America is "complicated." In addition to the $49 annual dues, MBCA gets quite a bit of money from MBUSA. MBUSA, in return for its investment, wants to attract and retain customers and over the past few years, MBUSA wants to attract a younger ownership segment to compete primarily against BMW and Audi.

As we all know, there are lots of younger Mercedes owners, typically driving a second, third or fourth owned car, and loving the experience.

The MBCA however, is probably second only to AARP in terms of its membership demographic. That makes sense, as most luxury car clubs tend to be older and participation in club events easier without having kids soccer games or business duties conflicting with club events. Drive & dine events are the norm, and frankly, younger members want to drive more. The club demographic isn't likely to change anytime soon either . . . baby boomers are still the largest segment of likely future members.

So, on one hand, MBUSA want's new blood to show up at dealerships and start their loyalty relationship with the brand, but the MBCA experience is more like having Sunday dinner at your parent's house. To their credit, the newly elected president of the MBCA is much younger and seems ready to change directions as much as he can.

JB3 · #3 01-27-2014, 04:02 PM

MB USA has deliberated set out to make a mercedes something you buy when you "arrive" through years of marketing and appealing to only the upper end of car buyers.

This line says it all-

Quote:

"The key to all of this is the Star brand, it has brought class and prominence to every Mercedes way before the 60’s 600 limousines and anyone that drives one not only gets a bank vault for an automobile but the prestige and pride of ownership as well".

younger generations haven't "arrived". They are still en-route. Secondly as a member of the mid to younger generations, I could care less about "class and prominence" or "prestige and pride of ownership". I doubt im alone.

I drive my old car because its indestructible, easy to repair, cheap, and I like it. Not because it being a mercedes automatically places me on a higher plateau of ownership than other car makers or owners.

If mercedes really wants to appeal to the younger generations, bring over the A-class for as cheap as a civic, the work vehicles, the trucks, and everything else that gives mercedes a broad market in Europe without as much pomp and circumstance over the brand alone as we get in the USA. The engineering alone will sell vehicles, it doesn't need to come with a mink and a golf club membership.

lorainfurniture · #4 01-27-2014, 05:35 PM

One major thing IMO is how difficult it is to make your Benz "yours". What I mean is the lack of modifiable aspects of the Benz. You can buy a bolt on turbo kit for a honda but to do the same to a merc is a $pecial club. Bmw has dinan and others, merc has nothing.

I see a lot of younger people driving 300e's because they are pretty cheap to buy ATM. There is very little to invest in them modification wise, so once the car becomes a nuisance the love affair quickly ends because the equity (both emotionally and financially) is small.

Jim B. · #5 01-27-2014, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lorainfurniture

One major thing IMO is how difficult it is to make your Benz "yours". What I mean is the lack of modifiable aspects of the Benz. You can buy a bolt on turbo kit for a honda but to do the same to a merc is a $pecial club. Bmw has dinan and others, merc has nothing.

I see a lot of younger people driving 300e's because they are pretty cheap to buy ATM. There is very little to invest in them modification wise, so once the car becomes a nuisance the love affair quickly ends because the equity (both emotionally and financially) is small.

I call BS on that.

There is a tuner market for Mercedes Benz, going back to the early 80s.

Kleeman, pre-merger AMG, Remus, Wald, Lorinser, MKB, Brabus, Carat-Duchalet, SGS and several more tuners, just from Germany, Holland and Austria, alone, spring instantly to mind.

My personal rides -- the '91 560SEC and '95 e420 each feature Remus exhaust and AMG pentas/monoblocks, and the 560 has AMG headers and downpipes on it and the e420 has a Lorinser spoiler.

Skippy · #6 01-27-2014, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JB3

younger generations haven't "arrived". They are still en-route. Secondly as a member of the mid to younger generations, I could care less about "class and prominence" or "prestige and pride of ownership". I doubt im alone.

Do I count as a member of a mid to younger generation? I'm 36. I've had the same Benz since I was 27.

Quote:

I drive my old car because its indestructible, easy to repair, cheap, and I like it. Not because it being a mercedes automatically places me on a higher plateau of ownership than other car makers or owners.

Same here. I also like the diesel clatter, which is hard to get for cheap with anything other than a Mercedes in the U.S.

Quote:

If mercedes really wants to appeal to the younger generations, bring over the A-class for as cheap as a civic, the work vehicles, the trucks, and everything else that gives mercedes a broad market in Europe without as much pomp and circumstance over the brand alone as we get in the USA. The engineering alone will sell vehicles, it doesn't need to come with a mink and a golf club membership.

I agree. Mercedes in Europe isn't strictly a luxury brand. It's a very broad brand that happens to include luxury vehicles. I think it was a mistake for MBUSA to take the brand in a strictly luxury direction if they want to sell large volume.

tbomachines · #7 01-27-2014, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lorainfurniture

One major thing IMO is how difficult it is to make your Benz "yours". What I mean is the lack of modifiable aspects of the Benz. You can buy a bolt on turbo kit for a honda but to do the same to a merc is a $pecial club. Bmw has dinan and others, merc has nothing.

I see a lot of younger people driving 300e's because they are pretty cheap to buy ATM. There is very little to invest in them modification wise, so once the car becomes a nuisance the love affair quickly ends because the equity (both emotionally and financially) is small.

I sort of agree. However I'd say that one issue they've had is that they don't make drivers cars that really beg to be modified. For example, I could toss a whole handful of aftermarket parts from the companies Jim mentioned onto my 300E and it STILL won't be as fun and enjoyable to drive as an stock E30. Comfortable? Absolutely, but not fun. I realize I'm talking to a bunch of people who think their 240D's are fun to drive, but that doesn't seem to be the norm.

lorainfurniture · #8 01-27-2014, 07:24 PM

Jim b, can you show me a link for a performance part or kit for my 300e? Maybe something under 1k? Further more, something that exists for purchase today?

Something that may actually do something positive in the hp department.

Last performance upgrade I bought was a set of mosselman turbos that where over 1k. I'll be 5k deep by the time I'm done.

MTI · #9 01-27-2014, 07:54 PM

HP on a Mercedes isn't cheap, since (believe it or not) the folks in Germany did a pretty good job back then. A less restrictive exhaust, and weight reduction would be within your budget, but for your 1988, switching to EFI would likely be the big step.

Just curious, but what would a "bolt on" EFI system for a similar vintage BMW cost?

tbomachines · #10 01-27-2014, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTI

HP on a Mercedes isn't cheap, since (believe it or not) the folks in Germany did a pretty good job back then. A less restrictive exhaust, and weight reduction would be within your budget, but for your 1988, switching to EFI would likely be the big step.

Just curious, but what would a "bolt on" EFI system for a similar vintage BMW cost?

Missing the point. Mercedes has made cars that don't really foster a strong performance following, save for some AMGs, but that group is small (as evidenced my MBCA) if anything. You don't see tons of C classes out every weekend racing, but you'll find e36s everywhere. You don't have a popular w201 series, yet you have an E30 NASA series. Go to any LeMons race and you'll see e30s dominating.

MTI · #11 01-27-2014, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbomachines

Missing the point. Mercedes has made cars that don't really foster a strong performance following, save for some AMGs, but that group is small (as evidenced my MBCA) if anything. You don't see tons of C classes out every weekend racing, but you'll find e36s everywhere. You don't have a popular w201 series, yet you have an E30 NASA series. Go to any LeMons race and you'll see e30s dominating.

You don't say . . .

RC Imports may take issue with some of that.

Back in Europe . . .

Turbo 300E v Ferrari

Hatterasguy · #12 01-27-2014, 09:24 PM

When I was younger and just got into it, I didn't feel very welcome at MBCA events with my older car.

I got the impression it was mostly for the new car crowed, in their 60's...

Now as I get older and move along in life, eventually I will get a new Mercedes, and I won't join the MBCA.

MBCA should do something with the Classic Center to try to get more younger people with older Mercedes interested in events. That's part of the problem with selling higher priced cars.

BMW gets them threw slightly used 3 series and Audi has VW as a funnel towards A4 ownership.

Hatterasguy · #13 01-27-2014, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim B.

I call BS on that.

There is a tuner market for Mercedes Benz, going back to the early 80s.

Kleeman, pre-merger AMG, Remus, Wald, Lorinser, MKB, Brabus, Carat-Duchalet, SGS and several more tuners, just from Germany, Holland and Austria, alone, spring instantly to mind.

My personal rides -- the '91 560SEC and '95 e420 each feature Remus exhaust and AMG pentas/monoblocks, and the 560 has AMG headers and downpipes on it and the e420 has a Lorinser spoiler.

No offense Jim but that's nothing, modifying a Mercedes has always been limited, challenging, and expensive. You have to hunt for parts and import a lot of them from Europe, and what you do find is very expensive. Renntech can do a lot but anything beyond an ECU flash is like $20k+

I can buy a Corvette, Mustang, or a Honda and get 1k page thick catalogs of cheap and very affective bolt on parts.

Even BMW and Audi are worlds ahead.

When I talk about aftermarket:
http://www.jegs.com/
https://www.mustangsunlimited.com/

Mercedes tuning is similar to Porsche and Ferrari. You either have a lot of money or are an engineer with a massive and well equipped garage so you can fabricate everything.

OTOH I can buy a Mustang with a Coyote V8 and in my garage bolt on a super charger and get E63AMG level's of power for what $8k maybe probably less. Also since its a Mustang their are probably DIY Youtube videos on the kit, and oh I have 6 to chose from as well...

Hatterasguy · #14 01-27-2014, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skippy

I agree. Mercedes in Europe isn't strictly a luxury brand. It's a very broad brand that happens to include luxury vehicles. I think it was a mistake for MBUSA to take the brand in a strictly luxury direction if they want to sell large volume.

I couldn't agree more, Mercedes is in the unique market position of being able to sell just about anything.

The new E250 CDI is a step in the right direction though.