Business & Tech

New Lines, New Dealership For Mercedes-Benz in Smithtown

Competition Auto Group's new shining star reflects luxurious product line.

In 1962, racecar driver Joe Buzzetta started putting together a business that has turned into his automotive conglomerate Competition Auto Group. It’s no wonder that a racecar driver starting a business would name his company “competition” and after making his name racing Porsches, Buzzetta seemed to naturally gravitate toward selling performance vehicles including BMW, Infinity and Audi, according to the Competition Auto Group website

And when one thinks of luxury and performance carmakers, Mercedes-Benz usually shows up at the top most lists.

On April 1, Competition opened its newly designed Mercedes-Benz dealership on Middle Country Road in Smithtown, a gleaming glass box, like a showcase for model cars, except these vehicles are very real. The new look is not just skin deep. Customers shopping for a new Benz can expect service to match, according to Nancy Buzzetta, Vice President of Competition Automotive Group and the founder’s daughter who works for the company along with her brothers, Joe and Jim.

“We spoil them so they can't go anywhere else in the future,” Buzzetta said of her customers.

With a luxurious new building based on a corporate framework that was customized in part by architectural firm H2M along with J.Petrocelli contracting and input by many inside Competition, the dealership screams style. Sure the stock market has hit new highs this quarter and the job outlook is improving if ever so slowly, but is now really the time to introduce a top-of-the-line dealership for luxury cars? Buzzetta says yes and apparently so does Meredes Benz.

“The auto business is pretty good, but we probably would not have invested what we did if it were not for the push from Mercedes-Benz corporate,” she said.

The new facility has more space and is set up for doing business in 2013. The new building also reflects the look of the vehicles' design.

“It provides a perfect backdrop for the clean lines and aggressive styling of today's product lineup, and with such a diverse lineup-which is only growing-our expanded showroom leaves us room to display a good range of our products,” Buzzetta said.

And those products come with some models to salivate over.

An SL-Class roadster sits in a prime spot up front near the window but with a $105,000 price tag, the popular model seems to be more eye candy for most buyers than realty.

“In truth it has more admirers than buyers, as it is one of our more expensive models,” said Buzzetta. “But it is a car that people aspire to, a ‘halo’ car for the brand, and so brings interest and attention, and, I think makes Mercedes drivers that much prouder to be in our products.”

Buzzetta says that the most popular models are the C, the E Class Mercedes but that could change in the upcoming automotive season.

“This fall we are expecting an all-new model, the CLA, which I have a feeling might take over the number one position as it's expected to be released with a starting price of around $30,000 making it a hot contender in the biggest new car segment in the U.S.,” she said.

The one thing that won’t change, no matter how many shiny new dealerships Mercedes-Benz builds is it’s reputation.

“One of the best testaments to our brand styling is probably to take a look at a Mercedes-Benz SL from the 1970's or 1980's - one of the few cars from that era that still has styling that can turn heads,” Buzzetta said.  


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