A real coupe:
CCCM’s 1977
Aston Martin V8
For Michael Prichinello’s money, there’s no
better ego boost than cruising the streets of New York City behind
the wheel of a 1977 Aston Martin. This month, he and his business
partners are launching the Classic Car Club Manhattan (manhattan.classiccarclub.com). For $7,000 a year,
members get roughly 40 days behind the wheel of a Lamborghini,
Rolls Royce or other high-end vintage vehicle. Prichinello says
his outfit provides auto enthusiasts with a way to drive their
dream cars for far less money than if they owned the cars
themselves.
The CCCM is the first North American venture of the
London-based Classic Car Club (www.classiccarclub.co.uk), which has six branches and
about 2,000 members scattered about the United Kingdom. In addition
to individuals, the company is looking to attract the corporate
incentive buyer: “You could either have a stupid plaque on your
desk or a weekend in a Ferrari,” Prichinello says. “I’ll take the
Ferrari.”
So would George Kiebala, co-owner of the Palatine, Ill.-based
Exotic Car Share (www.exoticcarshare.com), who opened a Bedford Hills,
N.Y., office in May and plans to add a branch in Florida.
“It’s an award that allows you to turn your own life into the
reward itself,” notes Kiebala.
The corporate world has barely scratched the waxed surface of
the car-sharing phenomenon, Kiebala believes. Creative planners
could use cars as incentives to boost attendance at meetings, he
suggests, or companies could lure CEO candidates with the perk of a
fractional ownership of, say, a Bentley Continental GT.