Motor Werks 35th Year

The Motor Werks name has been a dominant part of luxury automobile retailing since the early 70s. The company began with the Mercedes-Benz and BMW franchises on Cook St. in downtown Barrington where the Cadillac and Saab franchises are sold.

Motor Werks' indoor mall opened in 1987 as one of the first such concepts of its kind. Today that facility houses Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Infiniti and Honda sales and service.

In October 2003, Mercedes-Benz of Hoffman Estates, a Motor Werks company, opened on Golf Rd., three miles west of Woodfield Mall. The area is renowned as the retail epicenter of Chicago’s northwest suburbs with 31 new car franchises located within Hoffman Estates and neighboring Schaumburg. This separate Mercedes facility specializes in new car sales, service and leasing, as well as pre-owned vehicles from $6K to $60K.

Also in 2003, Motor Werks was named one of a handful of luxury car retailers to sell the Maybach franchise, the ultra-luxury class vehicles from Daimler-Benz.  Motor Werks also achieved Porsche Premier Dealer status, awarded by Porsche Cars North America for outstanding sales and service achievements among the country’s most elite retailers.

Motor Werks Partners Paul Tamraz, who acquired the company in 1980, and Jim Hub, the dealership's General Manager, have grown the business to rank among Crain's Chicago Business Top 100 Privately Owned Companies in the Chicagoland area. 2004 sales were $349-million, with nearly 6,000 new and certified pre-owned vehicles sold. The company employs 341 staff members.

With its nine total franchises, Motor Werks frequently heads the list of Illinois franchised automobile dealers in total number of new car registrations in the State. More than half the company’s clientele are repeat customers.

Additional growth and expansion plans are in the works through 2007.

Mr. Tamraz and Mr. Hub were formally trained in marketing and accounting, respectively, and each have more than 30 years of automotive sales, finance and management experience in the Chicagoland area.

Irv’s Insights

I started in the Automobile Industry about fifteen years ago, with Toyota Motor Corporation. Then decided it was time to try and work at a multiple line Dealer, who would have a broader range of products to choose from. Fortunately, I found a good fit my first time out interviewing. Great Management, great products and a very professional service department with some of the top service technicians in the country! Also, by some luck, there was an opening for me in BMW and I have been there ever since. I do sell all the brands we carry, both new and pre-owned .The franchise brands we carry are BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Infinti, Saab, Cadillac, Honda and the Maybach. In pre-owned, the brands will range from Audi to Zimmer and everything in between. We always have a nice variety of vehicles to choose from!

The first ED order I had written was about six years ago and was fairly uneventful for me, but as time went on, and I started doing more and more, I became more convinced that it was an even better way to buy a car along with some amazing memories of that experience. I was looking for a way to explain this idea to mass markets, when a customer, who became a good friend, offered to help build a web site dedicated to European Delivery ( ed ). I am focusing on BMW but can also offer Mercedes, Porsche and Saab as well.

Most people that I meet at the dealership, don't usually have the correct information about doing a BMW European Delivery and saving money. My goal is to inform as many people as I can, and explain the entire process through some simple pages developed by my customer from Blue Wolf Designs, my web designer. This should help answer most of the common questions related to doing a European delivery with the car of your dreams, visiting some of the most beautiful and oldest cities in Eastern Europe, and driving your dream car on the Autobahn.

Since being mentioned favorably on a few websites including Bimmerfest, my dealership decided to send me to Munich to experience European Delivery (ed) for myself in order to know any and all nuances of the experience. I was very fortunate to pick up a 750 LI Titanium gray, very nicely equipped including 19” wheels. Well, eight days, seven cities, 1103 miles later, I dropped it off in Amsterdam and it arrived at the dealership 6 weeks later. The trip was so amazing, that I will write a story about it.

The week before I went to Munich, I had gone to Spartanburg , SC to pick up my wife’s X3, made in Austria, and drive it one thousand miles to get it back home. That was another great experience that I had been sending other people on, but had never gone before. It works great for people that don’t want to take the time to go to Europe, but are looking for a one day driving experience along with spending some quality time in their new car and, simultaneously seeing some of the most beautiful parts of the country. I’ll be speaking more about Spartanburg along with a few picture of my experience there and the fine people who are employed by BMW, and are all true professionals.

We’re hoping that people will spread the word that edBMW.com is the place to go to for all your questions to be answered to help you decide if an European delivery is for you, your loved ones or just good friends. Referrals are always welcome!

Please feel free to contact me anytime about any questions that you may have. I look forward to earning your business.

Thank you,

Irv Robinson