Buy a Grosser and Robert Stack's 300SL Roadster at Auctions America: First California auction starts with a bevy of Benzes

The star-studded star of the auction, Robert Stack's 300SL Roadster. Photo by Pawel Litwinski.

Our pick for the auction. Whack the peasants with your walking stick. Photo by Hugh Hamilton.

Just 1,100 miles, and still as cool as Need For Speed made it out to be. Photo by Hugh Hamilton.

Comes with a Becker Frankfurt radio and a certificate of authenticity from Porsche! Photo by Pawel Litwinski.

What's a nice gift between friends?

When Robert Stack won an Emmy for Best Actor in 1960 for "The Untouchables," "I Love Lucy" star Desi Arnaz toasted him by giving him a present as a token of success. That present just happened to be a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster, the one pictured above.

We're not saying it's connected, but Arnaz got divorced from Lucille Ball in 1960. That same year, he bought the Benz. Coincidence? There's a popular bumper sticker about boys and said boys' toys, but we won't repeat it here.

This car is not only rare because it's, after all, a freakin' 300SL -- it also has not one, but two examples of celebrity provenance. How much do you think it'll sell for? Two million? Three million? The combined GDP of Benelux? Whoever buys it is going to have a lot of 'splainin' to do, that's for sure.

Auctions America has been around since 2010, but this is its first California auction, happening Aug. 1-3 at the Burbank Marriott located conveniently by the airport. And what a lineup it's prepared for its West Coast debut: there's a 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, an Irish Green 1968 Porsche 911 Targa, a Benz 190SL Roadster. How about a Jaguar XJ220, the wonderful and troubled 1990s supercar, with just 1,100 miles? How about a 1974 Ferrari Dino with Daytona seats, Becker radio, and mouse-fur upholstery? How about a hand for Burbank, Calif.?

And yes, the featured Benz is grand. (You can even bring copies of the "Vitameatavegamin" episode on VHS to help seal the deal at the next California Mille.) But what's even more grand than the 300SL is another fine Mercedes-Benz product, one that was produced a mere 14 years after Arnaz's car: the Grosser, a 1974 Mercedes-Benz 600 LWB Pullman Limousine -- Benz's all-singing, all-hydraulic wunderkind, this one as gray as Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. This one has 48,000 miles and a refrigerator, so you could conceivably live in it on a steady diet of Bitburger and Bierkase. There's the oft-popular divider window too, so you could rent out the front end as an additional bedroom at the rate equal to all those auction fees you'll have to cough up if you win.

Like its owners, the 300SL Roadster is obviously the star of the show, and will command most of NBC Sports Network's coverage when the auction goes live in August. (Car auctions are only classified a "sport" if its bidders check each other into the folding chairs with their elbows while raising their bid signs.) If star-struck provenance is lost on you -- as it is on us -- or if you don't have a bank account comparable to the claims made by email inbox princes, then the 600 Pullman is our bet for the three-starred elite. Boy, do we love ourselves a Grosser.

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US starts trade case against China over auto parts

President Obama talks about his plan to encourage jobs creation in the U.S. to a crowd of supporters in Cincinnati, Ohio.

By NBC News staff and wire reports
Updated 11:35 a.m. EDT: President Barack Obama threw down the gauntlet against China on Monday, accusing the country of unfair trade practices that "harm working men and women."

"And today, my administration is launching new action against China - this one against illegal subsidies that encourage companies to ship auto parts manufacturing jobs overseas," Obama said in advance excerpts of a campaign speech he plans to give in Ohio, the heart of auto parts manufacturing in the United States.

"Those subsidies directly harm working men and women on the assembly line in Ohio and Michigan and across the Midwest. It's not right; it's against the rules; and we will not let it stand," said Obama, who has faced criticism from his Republican rival Mitt Romney over not being tough enough against China on trade.

Earlier Monday, The United States Trade Representative's office annnounced a request for dispute settlement consultations at the World Trade Organization with China about auto parts. The trade representative Ron Kirk said the subsidies give an unfair advantage to Chinese auto parts exporters which compete with producers based in the U.S. and other countries.

"We insist upon having a level playing field on which our world-class manufacturers can compete. Today we are continuing to make it clear to our trading partners that we will fight to support each job here at home that this sector supports,” Ambassador Kirk said.

Fifty days ahead of the presidential elections, Obama's speech also takes a swipe at Romney, accusing him of not supporting actions that the administration has taken against China trade practices.

"You can talk a good game, or you can play one - and my experience has been waking up every single day doing everything I can to give American workers a fair shot in the global economy," Obama said.

Quoting an unnamed administration official, The New York Times reported Monday that the domestic auto parts industry lost about half of its jobs from 2001 to 2010. The official said imports of Chinese auto parts grew by seven-fold over the same time period. The official asked to remain anonymous because of White House policy against discussing a new policy before it is announced officially.

But some of the jobs losses could have been due to a shrinking economy and lower demand for autos (which has since begun to pick up). Some may have been due to automation too.

The U.S. Trade Representative's office said it was also taking the next step in a separate World Trade Organization case it launched in June against Chinese duties on U.S. auto exports.

The USTR's announcement came not long after China filed a complaint at the WTO Monday to challenge a new U.S. law on "countervailing duties," or tariffs intended to combat export-promoting subsidies.

The complaint potentially affects close to 30 products that have previously been targeted by U.S. duties, a trade official familiar with the case said.

The complaint was aimed at a U.S. law passed in March which allowed the United States to apply countervailing measures to Chinese exports retrospectively.

Commerce Ministry spokesman Shen Danyang said China hoped the United States could "correct its mistaken policy and appropriately resolve China's concerns".

In a brief statement on the initial filing by China, the WTO said the products included steel, tires, magnets, chemicals, kitchen appliances, wood flooring and wind towers. China will file a full complaint with more details in the next few days.

Under WTO rules, China's filing of the complaint has set the clock ticking on a 60-day period during which the United States can try to settle the dispute in bilateral talks. After that, China could ask the WTO to adjudicate.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Republican strategist Rich Galen and South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian debate whether or not President Obama's plan to take aim at China's trade policies can really save jobs in the U.S.

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