ImperialCars.com

Two great signs!  The sun is shining on this warm, second day of March, a great sign that Spring is almost here and the new Imperial Chevrolet Sign is finally hoisted into position!  Imperial Chevrolet moved from their Milford location to "the little town of Mendon" at the end of 2009 and has been operating without the long awaited American Bow tie signage since.
 
We are excited to welcome you to our beautiful new dealership that rounds out our American Iron showing at the top of the hill in the "Little Town of Mendon".  Imperial Ford, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep & Chevy proudly present our fun and unique dealer experience!  Please stop by and check us out!  You will not be disappointed!

Mendon is the fastest growing community in Massachusetts and Imperial Cars is proud to be part of it. Kevin Meehan, owner of Imperial Cars, was featured on WCVB Channel 5's news magazine show "Chronicle" on Friday, Feb. 12. The show originally aired in October, 2009. Click here to see the segment and learn a little bit about Mendon and what's going on with the town.

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The "Little town of Mendon" opened its latest eatery January 20th, on the grounds of Imperial Cars on Rte. 16. The Miss Mendon Diner opened its doors to a steady, happy, and hungry crowd. Betsey Lapan of Mendon was actually the first customer to have a seat and enjoy a hearty breakfast.
 
On hand was Fox25 morning show with VB. They broadcasted till 9 am and the place was jamming! See some of the video on www.myfoxboston.com.

The diner is located at 16 Uxbridge Rd. (Route 16), Mendon, Mass. and is open 7 days a week from 6:30am to 10:00pm. with plenty free of parking.  Chef Michael O'Donovan has created a menu with classic diner appeal including everything from hearty breakfasts to pizza to prime rib! Everything is home made.

Do yourself a favor and visit www.missmendondiner.com and see everything he has to offer. While you're there, visit the photo page and learn the storied history of this genuine New England treasure. See how it transformed from the Miss Newport in Vermont to its new home and name?the Miss Mendon.

Follow Imperial Cars on Facebook and Twitter. Become a fan!

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Imperial Chevrolet has moved to 18 Uxbridge Rd. (Rte. 16), Mendon MA.next to the Imperial Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Sprinter and Imperial Ford stores. Grand Opening celebration savings are going on all this week! We have a bit more to complete with the building but you will be very impressed with the new car buying experience at Imperial Chevrolet. Be sure to stop by and see for yourself!

Soon to open will be the Miss Mendon Diner, located next to the brand new Imperial Chevrolet store. You're invited to become a fan and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. See you at the table!

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Reprinted from U.S. News.com rankings and reviews.

A heavy duty truck has won Motor Trend's coveted Truck of the Year title -- an award the magazine has rarely given to a heavy duty truck that occupies a small niche of the market.

The award, however, reflects the changing way Americans view trucks. While pickups were common family vehicles before the recent recession, truck makers are increasingly focusing their efforts on industrial and commercial markets.  The AP reports, "Motor Trend said it has refocused the prize this year to reward trucks with greater utility, as leisure truck buyers have largely deserted the market. The magazine said the new focus is reflected in the choice of finalists."

The 2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty beat out the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, a high-performance off-road truck built in limited quantities, as well as two vehicles aimed primarily at commercial buyers -- the Toyota Tundra 4.6-liter work truck and the Ford Transit Connect cargo van.

Motor Trend explains, "Despite the effects of the Great Recession on personal-use truck sales, there is still demand for pickups ready to do hard work. The heavy-duty truck market has gotten smaller, but the guys who buy those pickups are fiercely loyal to the segment-they need the extreme capability these hard-working haulers provide."

With that in mind, they praise the Ram for its 17,500-pound towing capacity, a passenger cabin they called "the best in its class," and how easy the big Ram is to drive even when towing. "What is so impressive about the heavy-duty Ram is not only how easily it does all the tasks it's built for, but also how easy it is on the driver," MT writes.

Still, Autoblog notes, the Ram may have won the award, in part, because the field -- limited to trucks significantly redesigned for the 2010 model year -- was so small. "It arrives to market a full year ahead of substantially new versions of Ford and General Motors' heavy-duty trucks," they note. "As such, it will be the reigning HD truck in nearly every category that matters to heavy-duty pickup buyers, at least for a model year or two."

If you're in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year's best cars as well as this month's best car deals.

To view story on USNews.com click here. To view the story on MotorTrend.com click here.

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This brand spankin' new 2010 Ford Escape has Active Park Assist, enabling it to automatically
parallel park without ever touching the steering wheel! You have to see this to believe it.
Stop in to Imperial Ford, Rte. 16, Mendon, Mass. and see for yourself.

Reprinted from Autotropolis.com

When talking about advanced technology in new cars, one vehicle that probably wouldn't be on the tips of most peoples' tongues is the Ford Escape. While most cars using a 9-year-old design would be lucky just to keep up with the competition, the Ford Escape is constantly offering the latest vehicle technologies helping it stand out from other compact sport utility vehicles. For 2010, the Ford Escape is receiving a handful of new technologies to help distinguish it from other vehicles in its class that may be newer to the market, but despite the Escape's age, it continues to be one of the safest, most reliable and most fuel-efficient vehicles in its class. Expected to arrive in dealerships this summer, the technologies available in the 2010 Ford Escape will help improve the luxury, convenience and overall safety of Ford's littlest and oldest SUV.

Ford is calling the improvements to its 2010 Escape a technological makeover, but little, if anything, was changed to the SUV's appearance. The biggest and most surprising new technology added to the Escape's option list is Active Park Assist. Like vehicles triple its own price, the new Escape will use the ultrasonic integrated into the bumper to parallel park itself with little driver interaction. Once the system has determined that a parking spot is the appropriate size, the Escape's electric power assist steering quickly maneuvers the vehicle into place. Unlike cars triple or quadruple the Escape's price that use similar self-parking technologies, this system is much more simple than camera-based systems like what is used on the Lexus LS460. Whereas the Lexus requires the considerable driver input about the intended parking spot (which can take up valuable time when blocking traffic trying to parallel park), the Escape's system focuses on being easy to use and quick to perform maneuvers. Ford also claims that while other self-parking systems are unable to operate in downhill parking situations, the new system used in the Escape is able to perform this task.

Also improving parking and backing up, the new Escape will offer a rear view camera system. Not as revolutionary as the park assist system, the rear view camera will use a camera mounted on the rear of the new Escape to help reduce the chances of backing into something. This option will probably only be available when the vehicle is equipped with Ford's touch-screen navigation system as the camera's video is displayed in the navigation screen.

Helping to make navigation safer and easier, Ford and Microsoft continue to upgrade the SYNC voice-activated infotainment system. The 2010 Escape will be one of the first vehicles to utilize a more advanced SYNC system that adds real-time information features into this system in addition to hands-free music, phone and navigation use. The new SYNC with Traffic, Directions and Information offers hands-free access to updated and personalized traffic reports, accurate turn-by-turn driving directions and the latest information including business, news, sports and weather reports. The new SYNC will also continue to offer Bluetooth connectivity and digital music player integration.

On 2010 Ford Escape models with XLT trim and above, Ford's MyKey system will be standard equipment. The MyKey system is designed to improve the safety and driving habits of younger or inexperienced drivers as well as providing a more responsible environment for all drivers. The heart of Ford's MyKey is the programmable key that can limit the Escape's top speed and audio system volume as well as requiring the use of seat belts for both front passengers in order to listen to the radio. If both front passengers are detected but seatbelts aren't being used, the system automatically mutes the stereo system. In addition to limiting the vehicle's top speed to 80 miles per hour to prevent speeding, the system can also sound chimes at 45, 55 and 65 mph to increase the driver's awareness of his or her current speed.

The last "technology" Ford will incorporate on the 2010 Escape is the simple, but effective, integrated spotter mirror. Although an advanced blind spot detection system such as Volvo's Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) would probably be a bigger selling point than these mirrors, the simplicity of adding the revised mirrors reduces the cost while improving safety.

As the first compact SUV to offer a Hybrid model, the Escape is no stranger to using the latest technologies available. Ford says that the Escape is the only vehicle in its class to offer roll stability control and side curtain air bags, but having the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) name it a Top Safety Pick is truly a testament to the Ford Escape's safety. Standard safety features for the 2010 Ford Escape include AdvanceTrac® with RSC (Roll Stability Control), the Safety Canopy side curtain air bag for both rows of seating and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

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Excerpt from an article on MotorTrend.com about the 2010 Car of the Year, the 2010 Ford Fusion.

Want an economical midsize sedan that doesn't cost much, yet won't bore you to tears? Need to please your greener side with a high-tech hybrid? Fancy a near-sport sedan with AWD, 18-inch rolling stock, and the latest infotainment and electronics? Depending on which model you choose and how many option boxes you tick, the Fusion can be any of the above. Arthur St. Antoine calls the Fusion "a compelling sweep across one of the market's most hotly contested segments."

The original Ford Fusion came to market for the 2006 model year. The basics were there, but the car wasn't fully baked. For 2010, Ford's product teams gave the lineup a soup-to-nuts redevelopment so thorough, it's as if the first-generation car never existed. Only the passenger-shell sheetmetal and other basic architectural elements escaped being redesigned, upgraded, or replaced. Although a four-door sedan is the only body style offered, powertrain choices expand from two to four, and each is new or substantially revised. There are several trim levels offered as well: base S, upmarket SE, luxurious SEL, a separate Sport model, and a Hybrid. Early in this year's COTY program, there were quiet whispers, while heads nodded, about how the Fusion looked, felt, and drove like an entirely new machine.

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Dear Friends of Millis Wonderland,

As the 2009 holiday season approaches we have had to make the very difficult decision not to open our Millis Wonderland Christmas display this year and instead we are taking a one year hiatus. 

Our decision is the result of a significant infrastructure repair that needs to be made on our road, Causeway Street, to fix a deteriorating culvert.  As a matter of safety the Town of Millis has been forced to close the road to traffic and logistically there is no way for us to safely accommodate the large number of visitors drawn to our display each year.   As a result Millis Wonderland will be taking a hiatus for the 2009 Holiday Season. 

The display and the joy it brings is a passion of our family and the many dedicated friends and neighbors who spend countless hours setting it up so rest assured it will return in 2010 continue for years to come. 

In the past many visitors to our display took the opportunity of their visit to give very generously to charity. This year the need to help others has never been greater.  We would like to encourage the friends of our display to continue their generosity and have provided a link to the Salvation Army for donations. 

Please visit www.milliswonderland.com for more information.

With our sincerest wishes for a Joyous, Safe and Happy Holiday Season,
The Meehan Family

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The David Ortiz jersey, which was won at auction last April by Kevin Meehan, owner of Imperial Cars, for $175,100 is in the news again. This time to pronounce "the curse never set" according to an article in the New York Post by Kevin Kernan. The proceeds for the jersey were donated to the Jimmy Fund and the tattered jersey is proudly on display in the showroom of Imperial Ford in Mendon. Below is the story that ran in the NY Post on Sunday, November 8, 2009.



By Kevin Kernan

I'm in depths of a silent Yankee Stadium, standing by the hole where they dug up that David Ortiz "curse jersey" from out of the cement in April 2008, only 35 steps from the visiting clubhouse. The hole is two feet deep and three feet wide with three pieces of rebar crisscrossing the space.

There is a guard rail set up so visitors can take a peek, making this a miniature Grand Canyon, Yankee Stadium style.

Everyone knows the story: A Red Sox fan who was working construction buried the jersey, thinking it would put a jinx on the new Yankee Stadium.

Mystique and aura were not going to make themselves a home here like they did across the street.

The curse never set. The Yankees found out about it, used jackhammers to dig up the shirt, then auctioned off the tattered jersey to benefit the Jimmy Fund to the tune of $175,100.

The "jinx" officially was negated Wednesday night, when the Yankees won their 27th World Series championship, giving them a slight lead over the Red Sox, who have seven World Series titles.

So, where's the shirt now? It's in the little town of Mendon, Mass., about 30 miles outside of Fenway Park, sitting in a showcase at Imperial Cars.

The shirt was purchased by the dealership's owner, Kevin Meehan.

KERNAN ON TWITTER

"You wouldn't believe the amount of people who come in here to see that shirt," Mike Penner, the dealership's general sales manager, said yesterday.

"The Yankees took that jersey out thinking it was a jinx, so maybe they did the right thing."

How are the Red Sox fans handling all this? "Everybody up here thinks the Red Sox are going to get 'em next year."

That's all the hope the Red Sox fans have these days.

Yankees president Randy Levine points out with a smile that it's never good to be buried under cement in New York, but a lot of good came from this excavation, most notably that $175,100 donated to the Jimmy Fund to fight pediatric cancer.

"Do some good and some good will come back to you, that's always been George Steinbrenner's mantra," Levine said.

Now that the parade is over, work officially begins for next season. Free agents Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui must be re-signed. Baseball is a young man's game, but when it comes to October and November, it's the key veteran player who makes the real difference.

The Red Sox fell into that trap of getting rid of too many of the old for the new. Economic circumstances dictate some moves, but there is no replacement for the kind of team-oriented toughness both Damon and Matsui provide.

Damon's ninth-inning at-bat in Game 4 and his subsequent double steal of second and third against the Phillies shift remains the signature play of this World Series.

"That's one of the great plays of all-time," Joba Chamberlain said.

Matsui's Game 6 heroics were Reggie-like. Matsui is the perfect Yankee. He's quiet and all he does is produce. He is an easy signing, but he wants a no-trade and the chance to play a little outfield now and then. Godzilla figures to bring in as much money through advertising, Japanese TV, tickets, jersey and T-shirt sales as the Yankees will pay out to him.

"Right now, all of Japan is behind Hideki," one Japanese insider said, which means all of Japan is behind the Yankees. It turned out to be a great story to remove the curse of the Ortiz jersey and watch the subsequent championship develop.

No matter what it takes, though, Damon and Matsui must return, even if the Yankees have to give them the pinstriped shirts off their backs to get it done.

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Imperial Cars hosted a fantastic bash Friday, November 6, 2009 to raise money for the Mendon-Upton Education Foundation. Over 250 people were on hand for the Rock & Roll for Education cocktail party and silent auction which raised over $10,000 for the foundation.
 
The night rocked with live music from the band Low Priority.

Imperial Cars and many local businesses donated goods and services to benefit MUEF. "The evening was a great success, the community really came together in a big way to support the Education Foundation" said Camile Harvey, (MUEF) Vice President.

Some of the auction items donated by local businesses include a party in the King Pin Suite at Pinz in Milford; a gift basket and gift certificate to the Mendon Country Gift Barn; tickets to the Milford Ballet production of The Nutcracker; passes to Red Farm Golf in Upton; and four tickets to the Stadium Theater Performing Arts Center in Woonsocket. Other auction items include passes to the Mewseum in Washington, DC; Berkshire East - Base Area Canopy Tour zipline tickets; Museum of Science exhibition hall and Omni Theater passes; 5 Wits Tomb Experience tickets; Cape Cod Railroad scenic fun train tickets; passes to the New

England Aquarium, Mystic Seaport Aquarium, Storyland, and Santa's Village; A Ghost Tour of Newport, RI; Amazing Grace Harbor Tour tickets; passes to Higgins Armory and the Providence Children's Museum; Pawsox tickets; dinner at the Back Bay Hotel; and much more.

Also, a 50/50 raffle took place and the grand prize winner was Nader Montaheni of Framingham. He won $7,500!

We want to say thanks to all who attended and wish the Mendon-Upton Education Foundation great success this year.

 
 
  

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The DRIVE ONE 4 UR SCHOOL program sponsored by Imperial Ford and the Ford Motor Co. was a huge success Saturday, November 7, 2009. The event was held at the Miscoe School field on North Ave in Mendon and was designed to raise money to support sports and extracurricular activity at the Nipmuc High School. The event raised over $4,000. Imperial Ford had 4 brand spankin' new vehicles on hand for folks to test drive. For each test drive, Ford donated $20 to the school.

Many volunteers from the school were on hand to help. The program ran from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm as about 200 test drives were taken.

Imperial Cars was proud to be part of this. Nearly 300 participating ford dealers nationwide were engaged in the program.

One of the helpers on hand was the Miscoe Hill Skippers. They are having a Jumprope Skills Clinic for kids grade 2 and up at the Memorial School gym, 69 Main Street, Upton, MA on Friday, November 20, 2009 from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The cost is $5 per participant and the money raised will go towards the Skippers Scholarship fund.

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Here are the winners of the raffle held August 7th at our Imperial Cars Cruise Night. Congratulations to all who won and a special thanks to all who attended. See you at the next event!


Rick Cmapanella, winner of a Panasonic Plasma TV.        Cathy Zirilli winner of  a Shop Vac.
 
 
Frank Fontana winner of a set of Camacho cigars.           Frank Pirrello also a winner of Camacho cigars.


Jim Cusick, winner of a box of Habanitos cigars.             Joe Guilbeault, winner of a box of LaAuroa cigars.


Juliana and Jim Babu, won a box of Habanitos cigars.      Lyle Smith, winner of a Fire Pit.

 
Richard Chiasson, winner of a Lawn Mower.                    Richard Lacroix, winner of a digital camera.

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Here are sights of the biggest and best ever Imperial Cars Cruise Night held Aug. 7. The little town of Mendon is little no more, after our huge best-ever event with special guest Jack Roush of Roush Fenway Racing.


 
Click here for more about the event on RoushPerformance.com
Also here's a story on RaceDriven.com about the show

Here's a very interesting interview Jack Roush recently gave AutoWeek Magazine where he mentions his visit to Imperial Ford.

Our "Cruise Night" car shows are gaining attention across the nation!










 

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A few clouds could not dampen this show as over 60 beautiful cars entered the 3rd Annual Great American Sports Car Challenge "Show & Shine" competition right here at Imperial Cars in Mendon, MA. Lots of people came out to see these dazzling show cars and it was clear their owners put a ton of "elbow-grease" into each presentation. Some elected to shine up inside the service bays at Imperial Ford and some out in the fresh air, either way the cars were something to behold.

"You do it for the love of the cars" says Ron Hebert of Clinton, MA. Ron and other members of Corvettes United put on this great show. There was plenty of food, fun and great music all day.

Here's the list of Gold winners:
Wayne Reynolds 1969 Mach 1 Mustang Blue
Steve Seuss 1967 Mustang
Larry Paolilli 2008 Corvette
Ed Scacco 1990 Corvette
Anthony Palmeri 1970 Mustang
Joe Federieo 2008 Corvette
Domenic Mazzola 1966 Mustang
Ed Johnson 2002 Corvette
George Picotte 2008 Corvette
Bill Balcom 1965 Corvette
*Charlie Adams 1967 Shelby Mustang Super Snake - Also, Best in Show - Mustangs
Albert Lagarto Jr. 1973 Mustang
John & Carol Baldi 1993 Corvette
Duarti David 2000 Corvette
Ryan & Brenda Meads 1965 Mustang
Kieth Mutter 2003 Corvette
Steven Calicchia 2007 Corvette - Also, Best in Show - Corvettes

The proceeds from the show will go to their Corvettes Conquer Cancer and Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Imperial Cars is proud to host this event and help out in great cause.

Thanks to everyone who came by. We look forward to seeing you at our next event.

For more information visit www.corvettesunited.com or contact them at carshows@corvettesunited.com



 

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Imperial Cars on Rte. 16 in Mendon, MA hosted the first car wash of the summer season to benefit the Blackstone Valley Tech, High School Varsity Track and Field team on Saturday, May 16. The team washed over 70 vehicles.  40 team members took turns washing everything from an antique car to a riding lawn mower driven to the dealership by Dick Ferrucci who lives nearby.

The car wash was to raise money to outfit 90 team members with warm up suits for the freshman through senior boys and girls teams. They earned $5 for each car and $7 for trucks and sport utility vehicles.

Find out more about the Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School athletics by visiting www.valleytech.k12.ma.us/athletics.html.

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Imperial Chevrolet on Rte. 16 in Milford, MA hosted a Camaro Launch Party on May 6 sponsored by the New England Chevy Dealers. It was a fun-filled evening for everyone who participated in the free drawing for a brand new 2010 Chevy Camaro. The grand prize winner was Stephen Belcher form Springfield, MA. 120 Chevy dealers took entries for the giveaway and the drawing was held live on NESN during the RedSox pregame show.

Everyone is welcome to stop by Imperial Chevrolet to take a look at the all new Camaro. This car is something to behold!

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A  fantastic evening of gaming to benefit the Milford Catholic Elementary School was held at Imperial Cars on Rte. 16 in Mendon, MA on Saturday, March 14th. The Monte Carlo Night was attended by approximately 200 people and they raised nearly $8,000 to benefit educational programs at Milford Catholic Elementary School.

"Imperial was great" said Therese Reilly, Development Director of the school. A few employees even were guest dealers at the poker and blackjack tables "They were a lot of fun", she said.

The next fundraiser for the Milford Catholic Elementary School will be a June 8th golf tournament. Anyone interested in more information is welcome to email to info@milfordcahtolic.org.

Thanks for all who attended and helped with this terrific Monte Carlo Night!

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Imperial Cars in Mendon, MA, hosted the Milford Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event Dec. 9 and one of the largest crowds of over 300 turned out for this spectacular evening.  People were all smiles this night as they shared ideas to help develop a robust local business climate. MACC President Barry Feingold presided over the event and many prizes were raffled off from the area businesses. Awesome food was provided by Oliva's Catering and beer and wine was provided by Mendon Wine & Spirits.

The Milford Area Chamber is represented by local businesses from Bellingham, Holliston, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millis, Upton, and Franklin.

Included are photos of this memorable evening!





Imperial Cars was very pleased to host this festive Business After Hours Event.
(Photo provided by Ann Winchester Photography)

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Meet Kim Vincent (second from left) of North Attleboro. She is the Grand Prize Winner of this fully installed garage from Guaranteed Builders of Douglas MA. The garage was raffled off as part of the Imperial Cars Grand Opening Celebration now going on. Kim sent in the official ballot from our direct mail flyer and Kevin Meehan (left), owner of Imperial Cars, pulled her winning entry. To the left of Kim is Tracy Sharkey and Fred LaRock of Guaranteed Builders. Other winner are below. See, it pays to shop Imperial Cars!


(left) Yvette Remillard from Blackstone is presented a laptop compute by Jason Maille, parts manager. (right) Tara Ferrante of Milford won a $100 Ameican Express gift card.


(left) Steve Sinko of Uxbridge won a $100 Walmart gift card and (right) Robert Gebelein of Mendon won a laptop computer.


(left) Richard Malo of Millis won a 32" Plasma TV as did Raymond and Karol Moreau (right) of Harrisville, RI.


(left) Pricilla Koopman of Northbridge won a $100 American Express Gift Card as did Mike Boyd (right) of Walpole.


(left) Mike Aicardi of Mendon won a 32" LDC TV and (right) Maria & Robert Roy of Bellingham won a $100 Visa gift card.


(left) John Mespelli of Whitinsville won a laptop computer and (right) Herbert Wood of Mendon won a $100 Visa gift card.


(left) Guy Hemond of Milford won a GPS navigation system and (right) Elizabeth Bailey of Millville won a $100 Walmart gift card.


(left) Darlene MacDonald  of Uxbridge won a GPS navigation system and (right) Bettyann Bernard of Uxbridge won a 32" Plasma TV.


(left) Audie Quick of Upton won a GPS navigation system and (right) Alfred Lanzetta of Milford won a $100 Visa gift card.


Clair Laplante of Woonsocket, RI won a $100 Target gift card.

Other Winner: Linda Kennedy of Uxbridge won a $100 Target gift card (no photo available).

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The little towns of Mendon and Upton rocked hard and dug deep for their education foundation, raising over $10,000 at the Oct. 17 Rock and Roll for Education fundraiser. The money will be used to fund innovative educational programs in the towns' four schools.
 
The fundraiser for the Mendon Upton Education Foundation (MUEF) was held at the Imperial Ford showroom at 8 Uxbridge Rd, (Rte. 16) in Mendon, against a backdrop of rock and roll memorabilia and 50's style neon signs.

Imperial Cars owner Kevin Meehan donated the use of the showroom for the event and supplied the 2008 Dodge Caliber at cost for the raffle. MUEF President Anna Morin said she was pleased beyond all expectations by the turnout and the generosity of the community.
 
"It was overwhelming to see so many people come out in support of education, particularly with times being difficult now," said Morin. "We feel very fortunate that MUEF will have the resources it needs to inspire and reward our teachers with grants, especially now when budgets are so tight."
 
Early signs were that the fundraiser would be another casualty of the economy. Ticket sales for both the car raffle and the cocktail party lagged during the weeks leading up to the event. But interest grew in the days before the fundraiser. Some 150 people turned out for the event. Then, as the clock ticked toward the moment of the drawing, Kevin Meehan spurred a last-minute rush toward the raffle ticket table by offering to match all ticket sales. MUEF sold 160 raffle tickets in three hours.
 
"All night, people were digging deep into their pockets to support the education foundation, but when Kevin made his announcement, he really kicked sales into high gear," said Camille Harvey, MUEF trustee and chair of the Rock and Roll for Education fundraiser. The winner of the drawing was Leslie Morgan of Franklin.
 
Some familiar faces stopped by including State Senator Richard Moore from Uxbridge and State Rep George Peterson from Grafton. The MC for the evening was Dick Ferrucci, from Mendon, who works for WMRC radio.

For more information about the Mendon Upton Education Foundation and to view a list of this year's and past grant recipients, please visit www.mu-regional.k12.ma.us. Click on Education Foundation.

Top left photo: The crowd really enjoyed themselves. Top right: The MC for the evening, Dick Ferrucci. Bottom left: Kevin Meehan holds the winning ticket for the brand new 2008 Dodge Caliber raffled off. Bottom right: Leslie Morgan holds the winning check with Camille Harvey, MUEF trustee and chair of the Rock and Roll for Education fundraiser on her right and Anna Morin, MUEF President, on her left.

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ImperialCars is hosting the Nipmuc Art Society traveling art exhibit at the Imperial Ford Showroom, 8 Uxbridge Rd., (Rte. 16) "in the little town of Mendon" now through December 31, 2008. Stop by and take a look at some truly original artwork from students at the Nipmuc Regional High School.

Members of the Art Society consisting of parents, professional artists, and art instructors have selected the final collection on display.

ImperialCars.com has proudly donated money to the Nipmuc Art Society with the sole purpose of offering art scholarships to the Nipmuc Regional High School graduating class of 2008. We invite everyone to stop by and take a look at the student's inspired works of art.

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ImperialCars.com hosted the Mendon Lions Club's Cruise Night Friday, September 5. This was the fourth car show of the season and it rocked the house again! Perfect weather greeted the crowd of over 1,000 who stopped by to see everything form antiques to dragsters. The parade of cars started early and kept coming and coming.

Folks were entertained with rockin' music of the 50's and 60's by DJ Kev Tev. Even the Boston Bruins representatives were on hand raffling off an autographed puck by Phil Kessel. They were handing out Bruin buttons, shirts & hats to anyone lucky enough to grab one. A special congratulations goes out to Greg White of Natick, the winner of the Phil Kessel autographed puck.

Guaranteed Builders of Douglas, MA was on hand showing off their line of custom built garages. They are partnering with ImperialCars.com to give away a fabulous 2 car garage with loft on display at ImperialCars on Rte. 16 in Mendon. Look for our flyer in your mailbox for all the details.

A special raffle of a brand new Dodge Caliber was sponsored by the Mendon-Upton Education Foundations "Rock 'n Roll for Education". They were selling only 400 tickets for the car. The raffle will be October 17 at Cocktail party and silent auction at Imperial Ford.

The crowd enjoyed an abundance of food including sausage and burgers cooked up by the Mendon Lions Club. They did a great job.

We look forward to seeing you next season for our series of "Cruise Night Car Shows"

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ImperialCars.com hosted the 2004 and 2007 World Series trophies won by the Boston Red Sox Friday, September 5th. Hundreds of people young and old stopped by to get a glimpse of history and have their pictures taken with the trophies. They were on display in front of the David Ortiz shirt that was pulled from the new Yankee Stadium back in March, which Kevin Meehan, the owner of ImperialCars.com, was the winning bidder and paid $175,100 of which all the money went to the Jimmy Fund to help fight cancer.

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Hundreds of classic car fans gathered in Mendon Friday, July 25th at the Brand New Imperial Ford and Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep stores for the 2nd Cruise Night Car Show of the summer sponsored by Imperialcars.com.

There were antiques, classics, customs, street rods, muscle cars, etc. and it was a great night to relax with family and friends. The weather was perfect and the crowd was buzzing with music by DJ Kev Tev who played lots of old time rock and roll which complements the atmosphere of "Cruizzin' the Night Away".

"It was really great that IMPERIALCARS.com made it possible for so many classic car fans to present their cars. It was a perfect venue to showcase the rapidly fading memories of times gone by," said Richard Speroni, owner of a 1956 Continental Mark II.

Our next Cruise Night Car Show is August 22 from 6 pm to 9 pm right here at Imperial Ford and Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep and no registration is necessary. Just come and show off your car, meet other car enthusiasts like yourself and have fun.  Free raffles take place all night with gifts from Imperial Cars.com.

Admission is free to all entrants and spectators and open to all antique, classic and special interest vehicles.  It's a great event to bring the whole family!

Here's some random quotes from the crowd:

"We just like to come and walk around and look at the cars and dream".
"Lots of interested people just come to view the cars and talk"
"Really enjoyed the friendly atmosphere."
"This is the best and biggest cruise night in the area, and I go to a lot".
"Great classics here tonight".
"Some very unique cars on display".

See you on Friday, August 22 for the next show!

By Francesca Quirk
ImperialCars.com

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