KNAUZ AUTOMOTIVE: TURNING CUSTOMERS INTO FRIENDS SINCE 1934 It was over 80 years ago when, Karl Knauz, the father of the curr ... ent chairman, Bill Knauz, created the dealership that would bear his name for generations to come. Karl Knauz opened a gas station in Lake Forest after years of being a chauffeur. Did he imagine that this modest beginning would come to be one of the most recognized dealerships in the country? Mercedes-Benz and Sprinter have put their trust in the Knauz family, with Mercedes-Benz going all the way back to 1959. They have weathered the good times and the bad, and done so by taking care of customers using "The Golden Rule". read more