Enthusiasts of the three-pointed star initiate Classic Car forum

Monday, 2 April 2012 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Recently a group of men – of different ages met at the Galle Face Hotel to share their ideas and knowledge on something which they had in common and were extremely passionate about. This was the initial forum for the Mercedes-Benz classic car enthusiasts, which was organised by the Mercedes-Benz Club of Sri Lanka and sponsored by DIMO.

This initial forum concentrated on owners having models from 170V up to W123 and W126. The forum was organised to facilitate sharing of knowledge and experience, and to provide insightful information to owners of Classics with regards to restoration and maintenance of the more time-honored models of the Mercedes-Benz marque.

Speaking at the event Mr. Sidath Fernando, President of the Mercedes-Benz Club of Sri Lanka said “the Mercedes Benz Club has brought about this initiative which we hope will assist classic enthusiasts to preserve these wonderfully older models of the 3 pointed star and retain the nostalgia of the good old days for future generations to enjoy. Eventually, the Club will be looking at developing a website with a fully searchable technical library and other useful information”.

Mr. Tharanga Gunawardena, General Manager for Mercedes-Benz Service did an interesting presentation on the role DIMO can play in restoration and sourcing of genuine parts as the authorised distributor for Mercedes-Benz in Sri Lanka. He went on to mention the advantages of restoring MB classics through DIMO and why expert care and knowhow is paramount in such restorations. He introduced special full body paint packages, service packages, star polish and nano sealant packages for classics from DIMO.

Mercedes-Benz Club and all present at the event appreciated DIMO’s commitment to the Mercedes-Benz marque since all packages offered were affordably priced. Mr. Gunawardena also described the other benefits available to MB classic car owners such as island wide 24hrs road side assistance, 50% discount on labour, 20% discount on genuine parts, one year warranty on parts and workmanship, free vehicle condition report after each service etc from DIMO. He encouraged the Mercedes-Benz classics to be maintained by the agents to retain the high re-sale value for such cars.

To mark this initial gathering, Mr. Ranjith Pandithage, Chairman of DIMO also approved a special discounted package for panel beating and related repairs for the classic models. “As the authorised distributor for Mercedes-Benz marque, we feel responsible to keep these timeless beauties in shape and to keep them fit – that is why we came up with these great offers to encourage the owners to bring them back to the original shape”.

Several hardcore Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts participated for this initial forum and made maximum use of the opportunity to clarify details. Mr. Deraniyagala made a special note complimenting the Mercedes-Benz Club and DIMO for taking this step to bring MB classic owners together and providing a platform to interact even more.

Mercedes-Benz is the most valuable premium automobile brand in the world, and the most valuable European brand. The Mercedes-Benz Club of Sri Lanka is the only recognised association that looks after the interests of the three-pointed star and is probably the most active luxury automobile fraternity in Sri Lanka.