Located on Santa Rosa’s Auto Row, Smothers European has been a fixture in the North Bay automotive landscape for 30 years, establishing a tradition of excellence that’s endured despite the downsizing or demise of many of its competitors. It helps that Smothers sells Volvo and Mercedes-Benz—two brands synonymous with style, safety and value. But the real key to its success is that it’s built a strong and loyal following that crosses generations of car buyers.
“One of the things that makes us different is our long-term outlook,” says Sales Manager John White. “Making a sale today is great. Creating a client for life by building a relationship and offering exceptional service is even better.”
In 1982, the Smothers family purchased the Volvo franchise. Ten years later, it purchased the Mercedes-Benz franchise, and in 2011, it became a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter commercial van franchise (commercial cargo vans, passenger vans and buses). “Over the years, our strategy has been pretty simple,” White says. “It’s to be fair for the client, the employee and the dealership. When those things happen, everyone benefits. The credit goes to our knowledgeable, empowered staff. Of course, we also have two desirable, fantastic products that people want to buy.
“Winning this award gives our entire staff a pat on the back,” White says. “To be recognized like this in today’s business climate feels pretty good.”
Today, White’s showroom is full of some of the most revered models in the world. Smothers’ fleet of high-end vehicles includes the all new Volvo S60, XC60, XC 70, XC90, C30 hatchback and C70 convertible as well as the new Mercedes-Benz C250, C350 and ML 350, the redesigned SLK 250, and coming soon the new SL550 and GL550 seven-passenger SUV, as well as the redesigned GLK350 and E400 hybrid. The dealership also offers used cars.
Smothers’ clientele cuts across demographic categories. “We have a ton of clients who’ve bought five or more cars from us over the years,” White says. “Mercedes also markets like crazy, which is another advantage for us, and Volvo has dramatically increased its advertising. The reality, however, is that the Internet is where a lot of people find us, so we’ve worked on making our online presence stronger.”
Trends in the auto industry can shift gears as quickly as the luxury cars available in the Smothers showroom. “The outlook for the industry is to pick up by 10 to 15 percent this year, so that’s good news,” White says. “We’ll be leasing and selling a broader range of products with varying fuel options. We expect to sell more four-cylinders. The new Mercedes C class is a four-cylinder engine that gets 30-plus miles per gallon on the freeway with about 250-horsepower, so it’s a really powerful car. We’re also seeing the same thing with Volvo.”
Automakers are also offering the public new choices for sporty midsize vehicles that don’t shirk on fuel economy or style. “In 2013, Mercedes-Benz will be coming out with vehicles in the $20,000 strata, sporting lots of power and gas mileage into the mid- to upper-30 mile-per-gallon range,” White points out. “Volvo also has the new S60T5 with 250-horsepower and 30 mpg, with an all-wheel-drive version coming out this summer.”
