Marco Scandella at Morrie’s Brooklyn Park
Sep 16th
This past weekend there was a lot of excitement buzzing around here at Morrie’s Brooklyn Park. Why, you ask? Well it’s not everyday we have an NHL player stop by our store.
Minnesota Wild Defenseman, Marco Scandella, gave us a call last week to express his interest in the 2014 GT-R that was on our showroom floor. We were very excited to bring him in for a test drive to check out the vehicle in person.
He arrived on Saturday, smiling ear to ear, and after a short while, decided he was going to go ahead and seal the deal on the GT-R. If you’ve ever seen Marco, you know he’s hard to miss. We even had a few customers in for service that got very excited when they realized who was in the dealership on the same day as they were.
We were thrilled to be able to work with Marco to help him find the vehicle that best fit his needs. Give us a call or visit our website here for more information on our vehicles or to take a test drive today.
Man’s Best Friend Get’s a Subaru
Sep 16th
This past weekend I bought the new, redesigned 2014 Subaru Forester. My purchase was fueled by a need to find a vehicle that could fit my enormous Great Dane puppy, Bucky, comfortably and safely in my car. Yes, I bought a car for my dog, but I also bought a spacious, comfortable, fuel-efficient, AWD vehicle for myself.
Subaru’s popular marketing campaign “Dog tested. Dog approved.” holds true for my Great Dane. Bucky loves his new Subaru. With a spacious rear cargo/dog space, Bucky gets to sprawl out in the back, instead on riding in a dog crate. He enjoys the large windows, with nearly no blind spots, for bird watching and safety during his car-rides. Bucky also likes that I don’t tell him to duck down as I try to back up the car due to the standard rear backup camera on all trim levels except the base. He loves listening to his favorite tunes whether through the HD radio or through the Bluetooth on my phone. Bucky enjoys the smooth ride. There aren’t too many bumps to disturb his afternoon nap.
Bucky loves the car, but I do too. The massive panoramic sunroof makes the small SUV feel even more spacious and open. The raised passenger and rear seats in the redesign create a more comfortable ride for all passengers. Also, the new CVT transmission gives the Forester, an SUV, the cost saving MPG of a much smaller sedan. This is nice for saving some money to put towards dog food.
Overall, both human and K9 alike are enjoying the new purchase!
Guest Blog post written by Brooke.
Brooke is a recent College Graduate of UW Madison and has just moved to the Twin Cities to start her career.
We are so glad we were able to help her find the vehicle that best fits her (and Bucky’s) needs.
The 2014 Subaru Forester will provide Brooke with all she needs for her and Bucky to get around town and to and from work conveniently and comfortably.
Stop into any Morrie’s location today and one of our friendly Sales Associates would be happy to help you find the vehicle that best fits your needs!
2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport AWD 2.0T | 24 Hour Test Drive
Sep 16th
I realize it’s not quite winter yet and personally I’m not hauling kids to soccer practice or anything, but having an SUV for the evening was certainly a welcomed change. Something about jumping up into this SUV rather than fall down to the ground into my old car, gives you a feeling of comfort and security. I was able to borrow a 2013 Santa Fe Sport 2.0T AWD (with the Leather & Premium Package) for the evening and I soon realized just how great it was. There were a couple things I noticed that I really enjoyed right away that I haven’t really given much thought to until I was actually using some of these features.
The available back-up camera that comes in the Leather & Premium Package is a 4.3” touchscreen color display and really makes life a whole lot easier. I feel like that, paired with the standard Bluetooth system is something once you have it, it would be tough to give up. Low and behold, I took the Santa Fe on Friday the 13th and was just waiting for something bad to arise and it never happened. Like I mentioned, it has the hidden sense of security until you actually realize how safe this Santa Fe Sport is. Vehicle Stability Management, Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control all on top of Anti-lock brakes, these things are the platform from what safety is built on. I just felt like the more and more I drove around, the more I didn’t want to bring it back.
Not to mention Hyundai’s reliability factor and America’s best warranty a 10-year, 100,000 miles power train warranty (trumped by our Morrie’s Lifetime Power Train Warranty) and a 5-year, 60,000 miles bumper-to-bumper warranty.
So you’re probably saying, “What about space and room for all of my stuff?” Yes, I actually do need to haul my kids to hockey and soccer practice. Just behind the front seats alone there is 71.5 cubic feet of cargo space, which in real life terms means, in fact, you will be able to haul the kids around and all their junk no problem (I meant gear and bags…). The rear seats which are heated also with the leather package, conveniently fold almost flat on either side or just the middle can fold flat if you need room for the hockey sticks and still put all the bags in the back. I was starting to think that the more time I spent in the Santa Fe Sport, the more I could really get used to all this space behind me. I ended up at the grocery store and it was almost embarrassing how much more I could have gotten away with buying and fitting in the back.
So, on a final note, if you haven’t checked out the Santa Fe Sport (or the larger 7-passenger Santa Fe) for your next vehicle, I think you owe it to yourself to stop by Morrie’s and give it a test drive. Between the streaming bluetooth music, the perfectly placed buttons on the steering wheel or the quiet and comfort interior, this vehicle really showed it’s a strong competitor for any SUV buyer.
Adam Karon is a Marketing Manager in the Twin Cities and constantly on the move. We were happy to be able to provide him with a Hyundai Santa Fe for the night so he could get a feel for the convenience, safety and comfort this crossover has to offer.
2nd Annual Joshua’s Camp Fundraiser
Sep 12th
On Saturday, September 7, 2013, Morrie’s Chippewa Valley Mazda was the host of the 2nd Annual Joshua’s Camp fundraiser. This year the event was held in a very unique location, on stage at the home of Country and Rock Fest in Cadott, WI. Over 300 guests drove out to this location surrounded by farms, cornfields , and cows grazing. Don’t let that fool you, this 300-acre property has been host to artists such as, Keith Urban, KISS, Miranda Lambert, Korn and many more. Attending guests were able to go on stage, bid on silent and live auction items, catch the best view of the grounds, listen to live acoustic music and enjoy the camaraderie of good friends.
We set our goals high this year, striving to raise $20,000. A big increase from last year’s $8,000. Thanks to a dream team committee, we rocked the fundraiser bringing in over $30,000. Kat Schilling and Nicole Cooksey were the two guest speakers, and both had the opportunity to attend Joshua’s Camp themselves. They shared their experiences about being a family stricken with pediatric cancer and talked about how Joshua’s Camp helped them. Unfortunately Kat’s son Zachary Hartsell passed two months before camp, but she was still able to attend camp and has since grown her support system. She donated a quilt she made in memory of her son, called “2 Pots of Coffee and a Bottle of Wine.”
After dinner all guests were able to make last minute bids on silent auction items. The Joy Photo Booth onsite was a huge hit with fun dress-up props to take goofy photos on stage. The VIP seating area, sound tower, and the vibrant green grass where people set up chairs at the festival, posed as the back drop.
Morrie’s Chippewa Valley Mazda is dedicated to giving back to our community and that is why we work year round finding opportunities to give back. We are happy that we were able to sponsor the Joshua’s Camp fundraiser once again this year. This fall we will be busy organizing the 2nd 90 Days of Giving fundraiser which will start in November. Check out our blog post highlighting a few of last years winners. To keep up to date with our staff and our involvement in the community check back here often or like us on Facebook!
Photo credit: “The Look” Photography.
Morrie’s Buffalo Ford at Classics by the Lake
Sep 11th
This weekend Buffalo community members gathered down at Sturges Park to check out hundreds of cars at Classics By the Lake, an annual car show free to the public. For the 5th consecutive year Morrie’s Buffalo Ford is proud to be a sponsor. Thanks to everyone who came out and helped to make this event a great success! Check out some of our exclusive coverage below. Make sure to mark next years show off on your calendar and head to Buffalo, MN to see hundreds of cars from nearly every era of the Automotive Industry!
MN C&C | September 2013
Sep 9th
It was another beautiful Saturday morning at the Automotorplex this weekend for MN C&C! The turnout was great and we saw a lot of great vehicles make it out bright and early for the event. We saw everything from a gorgeous McLaren to a few Lamborghini’s and of course some timeless classics. If you haven’t made it out to this event yet this summer you should definitely mark next month’s date off on your calendar. October is the last event of the season and it is bound to be a busy day at the Automotorplex. Bring out your vehicle or just come as a spectator, either way your sure to have a great time. Stop by the Morrie’s booth to grab your free pair of sunglasses, a cup of coffee, or bottle of water. We have had a great time as usual this summer and look forward to the last event of the season next month. Thanks to all the attendees for helping to make MN C&C a success. For more information on the MN C&C event head over to their website.
Morrie’s Buy Happy Beards
Sep 5th
September is national Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. This has why we’ve decided to go a new direction with Buy Happy Giving this month and have decided to create a team for Septembeard. What is Septembeard you ask? Septembeard is a month long competition where participants grow beards and raise funds for prostate cancer research. We are very excited to be able to help groundbreaking organizations make strides in cancer research and hope that you will join us along the way by donating, or just showing your support by spreading the word.
To donate, simply visit our Team Page here, http://septembeard.org/team/2012/ We are hoping to hit our fundraising goal of $20,000 for this great cause!
Make sure to check our Facebook and Twitter pages often for updated photos on the majestic beards our employee’s are growing. We will also be adding photo’s to the Septembeard site itself.
Morrie’s Brooklyn Park Hosts Customer Appreciation Event & Nissan Z Car Show!
Sep 3rd
The summer is slowly winding down but the fun is not! We still have a few more events for you to add to your calendar. Join us on Wednesday September 18th for another one of our Customer Appreciation Events. Arrive by 6pm to receive dinner for you and a guest. There will also be door prize raffles, a full tour of our Service Department and an overview of our Buy Happy Rewards program! Guests will receive $50 in Buy Happy Rewards Points just for attending! Make sure to RSVP to the following by Sept. 14th:
Call 763-424-4400 or e-mail diana.elander@morries.com.
But the fun does not stop there! Just a few days later, Nissan will host their 13th annual Z-Owners car show on September 21st! The show will take place between 10am-1pm. So if you are the proud owner of a Datsun Z, Nissan Z, or GT-R, it’s time to shake the dust off the cover and get your Z out for the car event of the summer! There will be Zs of all vintages from show queens to works-in-progress. Whether your Z is running or not, we want to see you there! For more information on the event head over to our website.
Nissan delivers Bolt Gold GT-R to Winning Bidder of Last Year’s Auction.
Sep 3rd
You may recognize this shiny gold Nissan GT-R from about a year ago. Nissan finished this GT-R in a “Bolt Gold” paint finish in celebration of Usain Bolt’s success at the 2012 Olympic Games. The vehicle was auctioned off to help raise money for the athlete’s charitable foundation in Jamaica, Bolt’s native land.
During the time of the auction, the vehicle had not yet been produced. This allowed the winning bidder to be specific regarding his preferences for the vehicle. The car was just recently finished and delivered to its owner during a special ceremony in the Melbourne, Australia.
The car is one of only two Bolt Gold GT-R’S ever produced. The original was a gift from Nissan to Usain Bolt after he was named Nissan’s “Director of Excitement.” Bolt’s GT-R is based on the 2013 GT-4 where the winning bidder was lucky enough to receive the GT-R based on the current 2014 model.
The vehicle also features a number of different gold elements inside the vehicle, as well as the gold details on the exterior.
Scott Putnam at the Ojibwe Forest Rally
Aug 29th
The Ojibwe Forest Rally was the 6th stop on the Rally America National Championship Series. This event is our own Scott Putnam’s home rally. This event takes place in Detroit Lakes, MN about 3 hours north of the Twin Cities metro.
Racing the clock to get the 2008 Subaru WRX STI put back together before the rally came down to the wire. Morrie’s Minnetonka Subaru Fleet Sales Associate, Scott Putnam and his rally driver Lauchlin O’Sullivan got the car to the event just in time for inspection. Since rebuilding the STI came down to the wire, they were unable to get any testing done on a freshly built car with less than 6 miles on the motor.
They were able to work out some mechanical kinks on the rebuilt STI, but on the second day of the event the brakes gave out during the race. Because of this untimely mechanical issue, Scott & Lauchlin O’Sullivan did not see the finish line.
For more information visit the Rally America website.
