For anyone looking to enter the world of luxury cars, Scarborough now has one more option to add to Land Rover and Jaguar.

After a long planning process and one change of ownership, Ira Rosenberg has opened his Mercedes dealership on Route 1. The grand opening and ribbon cutting was last Friday, and already town officials and Rosenberg are excited about what the dealership can bring to Scarborough.

“It’s a real attraction for Route 1, and it’s a real upgrade in appearance,” Town Manager Ron Owens said at Wednesday’s Town Council meeting.

Harvey Rosenfeld, director of the Scarborough Economic Development Corp., agreed the dealership is a huge improvement to the end of Route 1.

“That used to be a pretty blighted area,” said Rosenfeld, who added that its careful and lengthy design period helped make it a great first sight when entering Scarborough along Route 1.

Rosenberg is not the original owner of the dealership. He decided to buy it about two years ago while it was still in the planning stages. Rosenberg changed the design, which delayed construction even further. Rosenberg had to go back to the town and Mercedes for approval once again. He also had to apply for a contract zone to get an exception to build a dealership in Scarborough.

The result, said Rosenfeld, is carefully planned architecture and landscaping. Unlike many dealerships, there is no sea of cars in front. Both the look of the dealership and the product it sells, said Rosenfeld, set a good precedent for more development along Route 1.

“I’m pleased,” he said. “And, from an economic development standpoint, I am very pleased. This is an excellent addition to Route 1.”

Rosenberg designed a unique building and also intends to run it differently than any dealership he’s ever seen.

“Unlike any other dealership, people can come in, buy a luxury car and meet the owner,” said Rosenberg. “I am not a backroom dealer. I love meeting people and being out on the floor,” he added.

Rosenberg, who has been selling cars since the 1960s, believes it’s his job as the owner to talk to as many people as possible throughout the day. He said he’s met many dealers who won’t even talk to the sales staff and refuse to greet and help customers.

“Customers can see me, they can put their arm around me, they know I’m here,” said Rosenberg. He added that he likes to make people feel comfortable coming back with problems and sharing their concerns with him.

Rosenberg has a long history of selling cars that has helped him perfect his philosophy on good business. Now 69, Rosenberg began as a car salesman in Massachusetts, eventually buying his first dealership, a used car lot in Salem, Mass.

After the used cars, he bought a Toyota dealership in the 1970s, eventually moving it to Danvers, Mass. He added more car lines and more dealerships as the years went on, and finally decided to retire in 1999, selling everything to a publicly traded company. By the time he felt he was ready to retire his revenues were about $260 million.

Retirement didn’t suit him for long. “After four years of retirement, I was going absolutely crazy,” said Rosenberg. He called the company he sold his dealerships to, and they told him as long as he wasn’t competing with them in Massachusetts he was welcome to get back into business. Rosenberg chose Maine, and with a buffer of New Hampshire between him and the company, bought the Mercedes dealership.

“I found out I love doing business in Maine,” he said. “Maine people are real people. When you shake hands with people in Maine, they mean it.” Rosenberg added that he prefers selling cars in Maine compared to the faster paced Massachusetts.

“It’s a little slower up here, which I relish,” he said.

Though Maine may feel a little more laid back than Massachusetts, Rosenberg said that after four weeks of selling Mercedes he is on his way to averaging about 30 cars per month.

“Business is already unbelievable,” he said. “I think it’s only going to get better over time.”

Ira Rosenberg, owner of the new Mercedes dealership on Route 1, intends to be a familiar face to customers and employees by getting out on the floor as much as possible.