Mercedes-Benz has been arranging European delivery of cars since 1964, and has sold well over 100,000 to North Americans this way.
The company offers a generous 7 percent off MSRP, a variety of leasing and financing options, and 15-day zero-deductible insurance.
For buyers Mercedes often can arrange discounts of up to 30 percent off international flights, although not during peak summer travel season.
European delivery includes pick-up in Stuttgart, transportation to the factory, and an overnight at a nearby hotel.
Add time to visit the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart, which traces the history of the automobile from Gottlieb Daimler’s 1888 horseless carriage through years of partnership with Karl Benz, Rudolph Diesel, and, more recently Chrysler, with stops in between for the likes of a 1939 Silver Arrow and a Popemobile.
The most photographed car is the iconic 1950s red 300SL Gullwing. A motorsports section includes Juan Manuel Fangio’s 1956 Grand Prix winner and a Formula One Mercedes-McClaren.
Stuttgart is an all-business city, except in fall, when it is home to Germany’s second largest Oktoberfest. Each brewery has its own tent, and can hold as many as 5,000 thirsty people.
Ludwigsburg, with a beautiful baroque castle that has more than 400 rooms and the world’s first theater with a revolving stage, is just outside town.
Or opt for a Black Forest-Alps Rally Package (fee). Its four-night itinerary weaves through spectacular Alpine scenery and the famous spa at Baden-Baden. You’ll drive over the Arlberg Pass into Austria, including to St. Anton, a mountain resort favored by celebrities.
This package includes a final night in Munich’s Bayerischer Hof, where the keys can be simply dropped off at the reception desk on your way to the airport and home.
