Mercedes-Benz Club of America MBCA Los Angeles Section

Prior to 1952, only 34 Mercedes-Benz automobiles were registered in the United States, but enthusiasts were hard at work to form a club. Dr. Milton J. Allen of Summit, New Jersey, petitioned Daimler-Benz in Stuttgart for permission to use the name and trademark for this purpose in 1955. Concurrently, a group of Chicago members of the British Mercedes-Benz Club formed their own organization. Both groups established clubs and were chartered in 1956. The Easterners were joined by a newly formed Western group, received factory sanction, adopted the name Mercedes-Benz Club of America, Inc., and grew to 500 members in 19 states by 1957. In 1959, they merged with the Midwestern group, forming a truly national club.