2016 BEST Luxury Car Dealer Smothers European

"Winning this award means we’re not just doing a good job, but we’re making it a fun, unforgettable experience for our customers." —John White

Smothers European doesn’t just sell cars. According to John White, vice president of operations at the Santa Rosa dealership, buying a Mercedes-Benz or Volvo at Smothers makes the buyer a part of the family.

Voted Best Luxury Car Dealership by NorthBay biz readers five years running, Smothers European gained a reputation for excellent cars, outstanding sales personnel and unmatched service for their clients. “Winning this award means we’re not just doing a good job, but we’re making it a fun, unforgettable experience for our customers,” says White. “Our philosophy is, ‘We all live in the community,’ so the people we’re dealing with are our neighbors, our friends, our families—and we do everything we can for them.”

With 30 years of experience, Smothers European is expected to give service equal to the quality of the legendary European cars it sells “We understand the market and price cars at the market value. Even our new cars have pre-discounted prices to make shopping easier. We sell some of the best automobiles in the world, and both the manufacturer and the customer deserve the service to match, whether they’re buying their first car, their children’s first car or bringing their cars in for maintenance.”

Smothers European sells both new and used vehicles, with the latter for sale only if they pass the dealer’s strict standards of excellence. The dealership also included a full-service garage for its customers, with Volvo and Mercedes-Benz certified mechanics versed in every replacement and potential replacement for their cars.

But Smothers European isn’t satisfied with where it is right now. “We’re working on improving our web presence, and we’re launching a new site with more options and information for our customers,” says White. In addition to rising concerns about sustainability, the future line for Smothers European’s Mercedes Benz and Volvo inventory will include more electric and eco-friendly cars; there’s even talk of stocking Mercedes’ new B-class F-CELL cars, which use hydrogen fuel cells instead of electric batteries or petroleum.

“We’ve made a wonderful home in Santa Rosa, and we are grateful for our customers in Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties,” says White. “There’s no place we’d rather be. Our community helped win this award, and we’re going to constantly improve to compete for it again next year.”