CHARLOTTE, N.C. -

Late last week, Mercedes-Benz USA and Sonic Automotive announced a settlement of all legal disputes between the two companies effective immediately.

Both companies declined to provide details of the settlement, but a report in the Charlotte Business Journal might have shown where the litigation began.

The report indicated Sonic and the automaker ended up in court back in 2008 when the dealer group attempted to purchase Beck Imports, a Mercedes-Benz store in Charlotte, N.C. The transaction would have required OEM approval.

However, the Charlotte business publication reported strife between the companies reached the judicial system in April 2008 when Sonic filed a lawsuit against Mercedes-Benz in Mecklenburg County Superior Court. The report said Mercedes-Benz’s counterclaim in the suit contended Sonic has failed to meet obligations to upgrade other brand dealerships.

Charlotte Business Journal noted the automaker had the case moved to the N.C. Business Court in Raleigh, contending it dealt with antitrust issues and other complicated business-law matters.

In a joint statement revealed last week, Mike Slagter, Mercedes-Benz USA’s vice president of sales, stated, “This agreement allows both companies to wholly focus on their business goals moving forward.

“For MBUSA, that means continuing to elevate the customer experience within the brand as volumes grow and new customers enter the brand,” Slagter continued.

Jeff Dyke, Sonic’s executive vice president of operations, added that he was “pleased with the action and cooperative spirit of both companies as they settled their differences.”

Dyke went on to say this agreement was important to Sonic as it “resets the relationship with Mercedes-Benz and allows Sonic to focus on our own growth and acquisition plans within the Mercedes-Benz network as well as across the industry.”

As far as Beck Imports, the Triad Business Journal of Greensboro reported in 2009 that Hendrick Automotive Group purchased the store under the same terms Sonic had offered, a transaction Mercedes-Benz approved according to court documents.

Sonic currently has nine Mercedes-Benz stores in its stable while Hendrick has just one.