Auto Stiegler Mercedes-Benz, the family-owned Encino car dealer that has called Ventura Boulevard home for more than 40 years, has been sold. Stephen Smythe, an 11-year president of Mercedes-Benz of Beverly Hills, partnered with investor David L. Peterson, a part-owner of Calabasas Motorcars, to purchase the dealership, which has been re-branded Mercedes-Benz of Encino. Smythe would not disclose the cost, although he said escrow closed Aug. 17. “For me, this is a dream of a lifetime,” said Smythe, who has worked in the industry for most of his life. With his new dealership, Smythe wants to update customer service technology and support systems, especially in sales, he said. “We’re going to take the positive heritage this business has had and build upon that,” he said. Smythe said the dealership will operate independently from Calabasas Motorcars, the only connection being both are funded by Peterson, who also owns dealerships in Kentucky with another partner. Officials from Stiegler did not return calls about the transaction. The sale comes a little more than a year after the death of the dealership’s founder, John Stiegler Sr. An immigrant from Czechoslovakia, Stiegler worked at a series of dealerships before opening his own in the late 1950s. The official company Auto Stiegler Inc. was formed in 1965, according to Secretary of State records. The company made its name in luxury cars and in later years used catchy radios ads to attract droves of customers to the Ventura Boulevard dealership between Balboa Boulevard and Hayvenhurst Avenue. (The Stieglers also operated a collision center in Reseda.) Stiegler’s son, John Stiegler Jr., took over in 2004. After John Stiegler Sr. died in June 2005 at 83, many thought the company would be kept in the family, but Smythe said he heard through the industry that the business was up for sale. He approached the family and a deal was hatched save for two caveats: The family would keep the body shop in Reseda and “they didn’t want to sell the Stiegler name,” Smythe said. The sale is a surprise in the neighborhood. “Stiegler has been with the community for years,” said Kirsten Y. Chong, CEO of the Encino Chamber of Commerce, a 400-member organization of Encino businesses, including Auto Stiegler. (John Stiegler Jr. served as its president.) “They’re very active members,” she said, adding that she hopes the family will continue to participate in chamber events.