SOCSF™

Provided by Mercedes-Benz Club of America / San Francisco Bay Area Section / First Sunday Drive

As always, smart and other Daimler brand owners are welcome to attend! 

Hello Sunday Drivers!

Our May weekend drive was just fantastic! Thanks again to David and Maggie for all of the planning that went in to making two days worth of driving and exploring so much fun!

Our June drive is going to be pretty special as well. Those of you who are members in the San Francisco Bay Area Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club are aware that Sunday, June 7, is the club’s Member Appreciation Party in Western Sonoma County. Our Sunday drive will be the perfect opportunity to drive to the party! The drive begins in Fairfield and makes two great stops along the back roads before we end in the town of Graton. Those continuing on to the party will have a second map for the remainder of the drive. Those that are not going to the party have great options for lunch and exploring in Graton and Sebastopol.

Our two stops are First Sunday Drive favorites – The Marin French Cheese Company and Wild Flour Bread. If you’re planning on attending the party with a picnic lunch these stops will go a long way toward stocking your basket with great cheeses and breads – and the cheese company also sells packaged salami.

In order to arrive at the party in time for lunch we need to get started at exactly 10AM. Our pre-drive briefing will begin at 9:50 and we will be on the road at 10. Plan accordingly and make sure you arrive at our start location no later than 9:30 to insure you have time to get signed in. As always – look for the blue and white balloons in the parking lot to find the sign-in sheet. This is also where those of you with confirmed reservations for the party will get your driving map to the event.

As always, if you have any questions e-mail me. If you need to reach me on the morning of the drive call my cell phone at 650-619-7550. The deadline has passed for making reservations at the MBCA party so please do not call or e-mail asking how you can attend – at last count it looked like all 60+ parking spaces around the estate property were filled so we should have a very good showing of great cars and great friends around the pool for the afternoon!

Looking forward to seeing you Sunday, June 7!

Drive safe!

Robert

__________

Robert E. Schilling, President
San Francisco Bay Area Section
Mercedes-Benz Club of America 

Fairfax to Graton 
Directions to start: Take Sir Francis Drake exit off of Highway 101. Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard

west to the town of Fairfax. Turn right into the parking lot of the Red Hills Shopping Center and look
for the blue and white balloons to find the sign-in sheet.

Departure time: As always – 10AM. Arrive early to socialize and get signed in!

Details: Our drive includes two of the favorite First Sunday Drive stops – Marin French Cheese and
Wild Flour Bread. We have to be quick at both but don’t miss a trip inside each store – especially if
you need cheese, coldcuts and bread for your lunch!

If you do have a confirmed reservation at the MBCA Member Appreciation Party, continue
through town and follow the directions provided to you at the beginning of the drive.
To return to a major freeway from Graton, turn right onto the Gravenstein Highway. This
will provide you with a great trip through the apple orchards to the town of Cotati where
you will intersect with Highway 101. You will pass thriough the town of Sebastopol which
provides for some interesting exploration and you will also pass by a great funky natural
foods cooperative that is worth checking out.

Dear smart enthusiasts,

Many of you may have become aware of a recent crash test study performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). You may have even seen some of the crash videos on the news. We’d like to take this opportunity to share with you some additional information about the tests and to clarify any questions you might have regarding the performance of the smart fortwo’s safety management system.

The overall purpose of the IIHS test was to demonstrate that small cars do not perform as well as big cars in high impact crashes. Therefore, the IIHS crashed three small cars – a Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, and smart fortwo – into three larger cars – a Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Mercedes-Benz C-Class – respectively. In its press release announcing the results of the test, the IIHS stated that all three smaller cars performed poorly in this particular test, despite the fact that all three cars had received “Good” ratings from the IIHS in previous standard tests.

The IIHS’ non-standard test is rare and extreme and unlikely to occur in real world crashes. In fact, federal safety regulators do not require this type of testing because the likelihood of an accident within these test parameters is so rare: fewer than 1% of all accidents can compare to this type of crash.

>> The smart fortwo is safe.
The most important thing to note is that the smart fortwo meets or exceeds all federal government crash test standards, including a 5-star side crash rating. It also received the highest scores for front and side crashes from the IIHS.* The reason for these excellent results is the incredible safety management system of the smart fortwo. The vehicle is equipped with advanced crash avoidance (active safety) and crash protection (passive safety) systems that come as standard on all models.

The most notable of the active safety systems is electronic stability program (esp®). According to the IIHS, cars equipped with esp are 20% less likely to be in a fatal accident with another vehicle and 51% less likely to be in a fatal single-vehicle accident.** Additionally, the smart fortwo is the only vehicle in its price range to offer esp as standard equipment.***

In the event of a crash, the safety management system of this amazing vehicle will work hard to protect the occupants. The passive safety system, featuring four airbags and a collapsible steering column, is highlighted by the tridion safety cell – a steel safety cage reinforced with high-strength steel similar to a NASCAR roll cage.

smart has a proven, real-world track record with over a million cars on the road in 37 countries over the past 10 years. More than 30,000 smart fortwos have been sold here in just over one year of being on sale in the United States.

To learn more about the incredible safety management system of the smart fortwo, visit www.smartusa.com.

>> www.safeandsmart.com
At smart USA, we have received emails, letters and phone calls from owners who have shared stories with us about how their smart fortwo protected them and, in some cases, helped to save their lives.

smart USA has also recently launched a new website called www.safeandsmart.com. On this website, smart owners and drivers from across the country can share their own real-life safety stories, read about how the smart has protected others and learn more about the smart’s safety features.

We encourage you to visit www.safeandsmart.com today and share your safety story, whether it be about how the smart fortwo protected you in an accident, or helped you avoid one.

>> smart is changing the landscape of American highways.
As smart owners, reservation holders and enthusiasts, you know that we as a society are trending towards smaller cars. People are choosing the smart fortwo for many reasons: environmental consciousness, fuel efficiency, urban mobility and economic value. All in all, less consumption, more conservation in a package that is both safe and fun. That’s what smart is all about.

We trust this information has helped you to better understand the IIHS’ recent test, and assured you of the safety technologies that make the smart fortwo one of the safest small cars today. Should you have any additional questions about the test or the smart fortwo’s safety management system, please call smart USA’s Customer Care Center, at 1.800.smart.USA (762.7887) or visit www.smartusa.com.

Thank you for your continued support of the smart brand.
Kind regards,
The smart USA Team

*Results based on a 2008 smart fortwo coupe.
**Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. www.iihs.org
***No safety system can replace proper driving practices. Always drive carefully, consistent with conditions. Always wear your seat belt and obey traffic laws.

Ah look at my silly blog, my posts haven’t made it in! So here’s notes from April’s meeting… We went to Extreme Pizza in San Bruno and Larry showed off his new turbo – yes a turbo for the smart car, with magnaflow exhaust! Wow! The screaming cow really screams — it’s a blown cow — hmm what will we call it? lol.. then we grabbed some Starbucks afterwards, compared the exhaust notes coming from different smart cars, and then went our separate ways, me and Larry raced back to San Francisco, it was so fun to see his car on the freeway, and I had a bit of trouble keeping up with him LOL — he has over 150 BHP now in that thing! Crazy fun! 

Anyway back to the meeting? Well we planned to go on some drives and would like to organize a BBQ at Ocean Beach, as well do some drives around the area. Point Reyes, Woodside/SantaCruz, and a track day are forthcoming… Will there be a repeat of the Lombard rally? If so, the dealership is behind us this year and will set aside some budget to make it happen (yay! SF dealership rocks! Comeon SJ, Sac, and WC, let’s see how you can be a part of this too!)  :) Until next time… Cheers!

smart USA Marks One-Year Anniversary With Forest Restoration Project

Company will plant trees in the Cache River State Natural Area in recognition of all smart fortwos sold

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI, (March 31, 2009) – smart USA Distributor LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Automotive Group, Inc., (NYSE: PAG), announced today that it will plant a tree in recognition of each of the 24,622 smart fortwos sold in 2008, to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the vehicle in the United States.  In partnership with American Forests and Daimler Financial Services, smart USA will plant trees in the Cache River State Natural Area, located in southern Illinois, about 150 miles southeast of St. Louis, Missouri.  smart USA plans to continue this initiative for every vehicle sold in 2009.

By purchasing this vehicle, smart fortwo owners have already played an active role in supporting the environment.  In addition to great fuel economy, the smart fortwo is up to 95% recyclable, and is certified as a SmartWay vehicle for its low air pollutant and greenhouse gas scores by the Environmental Protection Agency.  The smart fortwo contributes to a smaller carbon footprint on the American landscape.

“We are very happy to enter into a partnership with Daimler Financial Services and American Forests,” said Dave Schembri, President of smart USA.  “smart USA, Daimler Financial Services and American Forests are committed to creating a healthier, greener environment.  We wanted to select a project that not only reflected one of our brand’s core attributes, but will also create a better place to live for all Americans.”

The Cache River State Natural Area is open to the public.  In the near future, a sign will be displayed at the entrance acknowledging smart USA’s contribution toward the planting of these trees.  smart owners that took delivery of their vehicle in 2008 will be notified of the program on their anniversary date and will be able to download a certificate recognizing the tree planting at www.smartusa.com/green.

American Forests, the country’s oldest non-profit citizens’ conservation organization, is a world leader in planting trees for environmental restoration, a pioneer in the science and practice of urban forestry, and a primary communicator of the benefits of trees and forests.  Since 1875, American Forests has been working to create healthy forest ecosystems for every community.  smart USA will be planting the trees as part of the American Forests’ Global ReLeaf campaign, which is dedicated to planting native trees in rural and urban ecosystem restoration projects across the United States and around the world.  The Cache River State Natural Area project will create large blocks of historic hardwood bottomlands that support neotropical migratory birds and will provide high-quality swamp and wetland habitats for more than 100 species listed as threatened or endangered.

”We are proud to partner with smart USA and Daimler Financial Services to plant a tree for each smart fortwo sold in the United States,” said Deborah Gangloff, Executive Director of American Forests.  “Making a commitment to restore forest ecosystems with American Forests reinforces smart USA’s dedication to high environmental standards.  The tree-planting project selected to honor the owners of these vehicles will provide important benefits for wildlife and the environment at a very special site in southern Illinois, in the heartland of the country.”

ABOUT the smart fortwo and smart USA
smart USA Distributor LLC, headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, is the exclusive distributor of the smart fortwo in the United States and Puerto Rico and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Penske Automotive Group, Inc.  The smart fortwo is a brand of and is manufactured by Daimler AG.  This technologically advanced vehicle achieves 41 mpg on the highway and is an ultra-low emissions vehicle, as certified by the State of California Air Resources Board.  The vehicle is 8.8 feet long, 5.1 feet tall and 5.1 feet wide and comes equipped with many functional and safety features found in most luxury models.  smart is currently sold in 36 other countries, and more than one million fortwos have been sold since 1998.  The 2009 smart fortwo is available in five trim levels ranging in price from $11,990* to $20,990*.

* For 2009 models.  Excludes tax, title, registration, destination charge, options and other dealer fees.

smart is a registered trademark of Daimler AG.

ABOUT PENSKE AUTOMOTIVE GROUP
Penske Automotive Group, Inc., headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, operates 309 retail automotive franchises, representing 40 different brands and 25 collision repair centers.  Penske Automotive, which sells new and previously owned vehicles, finance and insurance products and replacement parts, and offers maintenance and repair services on all brands it represents, has 157 franchises in 19 states and Puerto Rico and 152 franchises located outside the United States, primarily in the United Kingdom.  Penske Automotive is also the exclusive distributor of the smart fortwo through its wholly-owned subsidiary smart USA Distributor LLC.  smart USA supports over 70 smart retail centers in the United States.  Penske Automotive is a member of the Fortune 200 and Russell 1000 and has more than 14,000 employees.  smart and fortwo are registered trademarks of Daimler AG. 

ABOUT DAIMLER FINANCIAL SERVICES (DCFS USA LLC)
Daimler Financial Services (DCFS USA LLC), headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, provides brand-specific financing for Mercedes-Benz and smart automotive dealers’ inventories and their retail customers.  Daimler Financial Services (DCFS USA LLC) serves as the headquarters for operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, and has approximately 1,600 employees.  It is a company of the Daimler Financial Services Group, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, which operates in 40 countries with an employee base of close to 6,800.  Daimler Financial Services is one of the leading financial services organizations worldwide.

ABOUT AMERICAN FORESTS
American Forests’ mission is to grow a healthier world by working with communities on local efforts that restore and maintain forest ecosystems.  Our work encompasses planting trees, calculating the value of urban forests, fostering environmental education, and improving public policy for trees at the national level.  We have a goal of 100 million trees planted by 2020.

For additional information, visit:
www.smartusa.com
www.penskeautomotive.com
www.daimler-financialservices.com/na
www.americanforests.org

Central Parking System, Inc. in New York City Offers Half-Price Parking 

Latest agreement brings total to four NYC area companies offering discounts   

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., (March  18, 2009) – smart USA Distributor LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Automotive Group, Inc., (NYSE: PAG), announced an agreement with Central Parking System, Inc. in New York City, which offers half-price parking for smart fortwo owners in Manhattan.  With this latest partnership, four companies are now offering discounted parking for smart fortwo owners.

Central Parking System, Inc. has more than 350 parking lots and garages in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and New Jersey, and is the largest parking company in the area.  All lots and garages located in the areas mentioned above are providing parking discounts for customers with a smart fortwo.  A complete list of locations can be found at www.centralparking.com.  As previously announced, Meyers Parking and Icon Parking Systems facilities in Manhattan, and AviStar Airport Parking, with lots at both JFK and LaGuardia Airports, announced half-priced parking for smart fortwo owners.

“Our arrangement with the parking companies gives smart owners the best of both worlds – the ability to park at a discounted price, along with the ease to park almost anywhere,” said Dave Schembri, President of smart USA. “The smart fortwo is helping New Yorkers change the way they navigate and park in New York, while offering great fuel economy, safety and functionality.”

At 61 inches wide and 106 inches long, the smart fortwo is a practical solution for New Yorkers looking to find an easy way to park in New York City. In addition to being easy to park, the vehicle is attracting a significant number of buyers who want a solution to volatile gas prices, a way to reduce their environmental footprint and beat urban congestion in a package that is fun to drive.

“Central Parking System, Inc. is thrilled to offer a discount to smart fortwo owners.  In recent years we have implemented several green initiatives in the parking business and the ability to provide this program recognizes smart’s contribution to the environment and reflects Central Parking’s commitment to business practices that improve the environment,” said Hector Chevalier, Senior Vice President-Northeast Region, Central Parking System, Inc.

The smart dealer network sold more than 27,000 smart fortwos since January 16, 2008.  Currently, there are approximately 4,000 smart owners in the metropolitan New York market.  There are six smart centers located in the tri-state area including:  Manhattan, Roslyn and Smithtown in New York, Edison and Englewood in New Jersey, and Fairfield, Connecticut.

ABOUT the smart fortwo and smart USA

smart USA Distributor LLC, headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., is the exclusive distributor of the smart fortwo in the United States and Puerto Rico and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Penske Automotive Group, Inc. 

The smart fortwo is a brand of and is manufactured by Daimler AG.  This technologically advanced vehicle achieves 41 mpg on the highway and is an ultra-low emissions vehicle, as certified by the State of California Air Resources Board.  The vehicle is 8.8 feet long, 5.1 feet tall and 5.1 feet wide and comes equipped with many functional and safety features found in most luxury models.  smart is currently sold in 36 other countries, and more than one million smart fortwos have been sold since 1998.  The 2009 smart fortwo is available in five trim levels ranging in price from $11,990* to $20,990*.  For more information visit the smart USA website – www.smartusa.com.

* For 2009 models.  Excludes tax, title, registration, destination charge, options and other dealer fees.

 smart is a registered trademark of Daimler AG.

ABOUT PENSKE AUTOMOTIVE GROUP
Penske Automotive Group, Inc., headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, operates 309 retail automotive franchises, representing 40 different brands and 25 collision repair centers.  Penske Automotive, which sells new and previously owned vehicles, finance and insurance products and replacement parts, and offers maintenance and repair services on all brands it represents, has 157 franchises in 19 states and Puerto Rico and 152 franchises located outside the United States, primarily in the United Kingdom.  Penske Automotive is also the exclusive distributor of the smart fortwo through its wholly-owned subsidiary smart USA Distributor LLC.  smart USA supports over 70 smart retail centers in the United States. Penske Automotive is a member of the Fortune 200 and Russell 1000 and has more than 14,000 employees.  smart and fortwo are registered trademarks of Daimler AG. 

For additional information, visit:
 www.smartusa.com
www.penskeautomotive.com
 www.centralparking.com

Thursday, March 12, 2009
San Francisco, CA

Hi folks! As you may have seen on the SCOA forum, we have started to hold regular club meetings now. They will be on the 2nd Thursday of each month, held at the smart center San Francisco dealership. The dealership is located at 500 8th Street, between Brannon and Bryant street, in the SOMA area of the city.

Last night’s meeting had the attendance of 8 smarties, including former brand manager Bill Scott and myself (who arrived a few minutes late due to me forgetting to change the clocks ahead an hour).

We discussed the following events..

- Outing to GoKart Racer in Burlingame, which is near Larry’s shop
- Stanford Concourse de Elegance
- Wine Country British & European car show
- Informal drive through Woodside, ending with lunch or appetizers at Alice’s Restaurant at 35/84 junction.
- Smart 2009 software update for the 2008 models
- Smart sales update (sales are up! and the SF dealership is #3 across the nation!)
- Continued participation in the MBCA, SFBA Section, First Sunday Drive events
- Beach bonfire
- Discussions of annual, quarterly, or per-event “dues” to help support the club.
- Club finances, liability, etc., is there a need for a club designated treasurer, legal counsel, etc?

More on each of these events will be posted in the club forum at the SCOA website

All in all a great and productive first meeting. We will meet again next month on the 2nd Thursday, 7pm, so for those who wish to attend, we hope to see you there!

Tonight’s meeting was followed by an informal dinner & drinks at custom burger, off 7th street near Harrison.

Cheers!

Christopher “StarLord”
Founding member, SOCSF.

[copied with permission from MBCA SFBA Section]

Hello Sunday Drivers!

With a short February and a March 1st drive date the March First Sunday snuck up on me – sorry to be a little late getting the details out to you.

February’s combination of a day of MBCA events and a Sunday Drive through the Carmel Valley was a huge success. I think we’ll be trying to do more of these combinations in the future!

The March drive is a great route in the East Bay – starting in Lafayette we’ll drive some of the best roads in the Bay Area as well as take in some of the best views of the bay. We start at the Lafayette BART station so be sure to grab a coffee before you arrive.

Maps and Route Information [ http://socsf.com/FSD_March2009.pdf ]

With the success of our “two day” First Sunday Drive in the Gold Country in May of 2008, we are returning to the weekend format for the first weekend this coming May. David and Maggie Retherferd have planned a great drive with wonderful stops in and around Lake County and Napa. In addition to enjoying some really wonderful back roads, stops are planned at Brassfield Estate Winery, Jim Fetzer’s Ceago Biodynamic gardens, Wildhurst Winery, and the stunning Castello di Amorosa winery in Napa. As always there is no charge to participate in the drive and lunches both days are planned as picnics to reduce overall costs.

There are several options for spending Saturday night in the Clearlake area. The Robinson Rancheria Casino and Resort has offered a group discount (details still pending). The Featherbed Railroad Inn has vintage cabooses converted to charming rooms and the Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake is a beautifully restored classic. There is also a Super 8 in the area. You might want to make reservations soon to insure you’re close to our end spot on Saturday – wine tasting on the Ceago’s wine tasting deck on the lake in Nice.

Like last year, some enthusiast groups may be using this as an opportunity to gather a collection of specific models as a “mini meet” on the West Coast. If I remember correctly we had over two dozen Pagodas in Gold Country! We are also inviting members of the Sacramento section to join us on this great drive so be sure to come out and meet some new Mercedes owners!

Hope to see you on the 1st!

Drive safe!

Robert
__________
Robert E. Schilling, President
San Francisco Bay Area Section
Mercedes-Benz Club of America