Already the epicenter for brick-and-mortar purveyors of luxury, Beverly Hills has a new addition to its litany of A-list ateliers, the Mercedes-Benz Studio Los Angeles. Officially opened earlier this week, the marque’s nascent enclave—at 242 North Beverly Drive—is part of what the automaker refers to as its “global studios concept.” One of 13 such customer centers now operating around the world, it’s the first stateside location.
“This year we celebrate 140 years since Carl Benz invented the automobile, and for 138 of those years, America has been part of our journey,” stated Mathias Geisen, a member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group, at the premiere. “Today, the U.S. is one of our most important partners . . . this strong connection is what makes the studio in Los Angeles especially meaningful to us.”
The first floor of the two-story space is currently open to the public and will host various events and exhibitions focused on tapping into both the culture of Southern California and the legacy brand itself. To set the tone, the debut evening featured a performance by actress, singer, and songwriter Suki Waterhouse. Afterward, guests were invited to browse collaborative capsule collections, savor cocktails, and engage in listening experiences presented through the partnership between Mercedes and Dolby Laboratories.
As for the second floor, that’s the exclusive domain of the marque’s Manufaktur Made to Measure atelier, also the first in the U.S. And while attendees were given guided tours, this level will be accessible only to clients looking to customize their cars on order.
One of those cars just may be an example of the new Mercedes-Maybach GLS 680, which also made its global debut at the studio. Making the introduction was Markus Bauer, head of the Mercedes-Maybach division. For Bauer, who once worked as a chauffeur driving others in a Maybach, the new studio, and the fact that it’s home to a Manufaktur outpost for bespoke automotive tailoring, fits Maybach’s client demographic beautifully. He notes that the customer range includes thirtysomethings in China, which are a “big group [of] first-time buyers” and stateside customers in their 50s and 60s.
“You have the world getting more and more regional, yet, if you look at what customers really want . . . the beauty is that a lot of things actually connect these customers,” Bauer tells Robb Report. “I love how Maybach is able to expand within this customer bracket, which is quite vast.”
However, the Manufaktur Made to Measure service is not limited to only Maybach personalization. The standard Mercedes-Benz versions of the S-Class and G-Class, as well as their AMG variants, all can become dynamic statements of personal expression. According to the consultant providing our tour, the Made to Measure program has been around for about two years, offering exterior and interior treatment options that include 30 colors for the wheels, hundreds of color choices for the Nappa leather upholstery, an array of contrast stitching and piping selections, and custom embroidery. Then there’s the up to 20,000 color variations that are claimed for the exteriors, including seemingly endless possibilities from the Match to Sample program.
It all services what Geisen and Bauer observe to be an increased migration toward the highest echelon of the Mercedes model lineup. “If you look at how our top-end sales have developed . . . we were at roughly 11 percent in 2019, have moved that up to 15 percent, and most of those customers are very much into Manufaktur topics—but that’s the world share,” Geisen tells Robb Report. “The U.S. is the biggest market—on top end it’s around 30 percent of share, so I think it’s very logical that we focus on the U.S. market for making sure that we can offer those tailor-made solutions as well.”
Those percentages include the fact that Maybach demand “doubled over the last five years,” according to Geisen. Reflective of this is the fact that a new Maybach Icons of Luxury retail boutique will soon open in close proximity. There, everything from unique eyewear to travel accoutrements will be available as distinctive accessories.
“For nearly 15 years, we have been building Maybach Icons of Luxury into a global brand . . . As a fourth-generation member of the Maybach family, it is deeply meaningful to continue this legacy beyond the automobile through products that reflect the same dedication to excellence,” says its cofounder, Ulrich Schmid-Maybach.
While the doors to the Maybach Legends of Luxury store will open a few months from now, the Mercedes-Benz Studio Los Angeles is very much in business, as are similar locations in Toronto, Stockholm, Budapest, Tokyo, Delhi, Copenhagen, Prague, Seoul, Munich, Warsaw, Bucharest, and Singapore. And Geisen notes that the goal is to have roughly seven more up and running this year. “We want to create more physical touch points with the customers,” he says. “We’re a luxury brand, but we want to be an approachable brand.”
Click here for more photos of the Mercedes-Benz Studio Los Angeles.