The Beverly Hills Car Club isn’t exactly in the 90210 zip code.  In fact, they’re about 30 minutes east… without L.A. traffic.  But old is gold at this specialized classic car dealership, and we recently had the chance to sit down with their Sales Manager, Sean Porrazzo.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF…

PSM:  When and how did you get started in this industry?
SP:  I’ve always had a fascination with classic cars.  Alex Manos, the owner and founder of Beverly Hills Car Club and a long-time friend, contacted me and felt that I would be the right person to head the sales department.  I jumped at the chance.  How could I not seize such an amazing opportunity to not only work with a good friend, but also be enamored with the incredible array of cars that were in the company’s inventory?

PSM:  What’s the best part of your job?
SP:  The cars!  This is a toy store for any classic car enthusiast.  Every day is exciting and unique, with cars being delivered daily to our showroom.  We are constantly impressed because we get to see firsthand some of the best cars in the world on display right here, in our showroom.  Over the last few years, the Beverly Hills Car Club has grown into one the largest dealerships of classic European cars in the nation.  And I am always so proud to announce that to our clients.  By mid-day, every day, I will have spoken to at least 10 people, in as many countries, which gives me a unique perspective when it comes to understanding what the buyer is looking for both on a cultural and personal level. 

PSM:  If you weren’t working for Beverly Hills Car Club, what would you be doing?
SP:  I can’t imagine working anywhere else.  I love what I do and who I work for.  It is more than a job here, it’s family.

PSM:  Have you always been interested in classic cars?
SP:  Yes, classic cars have always been of huge interest to me.  When I was a young boy my next door neighbor, Mr. Brown, owned a 1957 Chevy Bel Air.  It was yellow with white, and completely restored.  He always had it parked outside.  I would imagine racing Mr. Brown’s car and I even had a Hot Wheels identical to his car.  That is unequivocally where my interest started, and it has grown enormously since then.  I know, a completely original Bel Air is not exactly a sports car, but I was also a fan of Richard Petty of NASCAR and Mario Andretti of Indy Car at the time! 

PSM:  If you won the lottery tonight, what’s the first classic car you would buy?
SP:  This is truly a tough question to answer, because there are so many classic cars I would like to own.  Seriously, how can I choose just one when I’m surrounded by some of the most extraordinary cars in the world.  I would probably start with a 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback and a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SL.  But there is one jewel which is a must have… a 1956 BMW 507 with a hard top, in black, is definitely at the top of my list of ultimate dream cars to own.  It was among one of the most desirable European sports cars of the 1950s and only 252 were ever built.  It’s a car that is highly sought after.  The 507 has such attractive, elegant sleek lines, a sporty body and it has unique solid wheels, which look stunning in my opinion.  I can totally see myself driving one in the future.

PSM:  Any favorite memories of the Pomona Swap Meet that you could share with us?
SP:  One of the best things about Pomona is that we get a chance to meet with people who are also classic car fans.  We have taken some rare cars to the swap meet and it’s fantastic to see the look on people’s faces when they walk by and see these rare finds staring right back at them.  Like the 1954 Kaiser Darrin with sliding doors.  It had hundreds of people stop by to comment on the uniqueness of the car.  The 1967 Jaguar E-Type in red was also a showstopper because people didn’t realize that you have to pull back the entire hood to get to the engine.  We have such a passion for these cars and can talk endlessly about why we love them.  At Pomona, it’s more of a community and that’s what resonates with the attendees, who also have that drive and passion for these cars.  We strive to be at each meet.  With everyone we come into contact with we realize time and time again that it’s important to understand your clients and their needs, and this is exactly what happens at each Pomona Swap Meet.

DEC-2014-BHCC4

Sean, hustling at a recent Pomona Swap Meet.

PSM:  Ford or Chevy?
SP:  Porsche!  Performance wise, this particular car manufacturer has been getting it right since the 1950s.  The German automaker specializes in high-performance sports cars and the cars are designed to be driven daily.  It doesn’t get better than this.

NOW TELL US ABOUT YOUR COMPANY…

PSM:  How can customers contact you?
SP:  You can contact us through our website www.beverlyhillscarclub.com, where you can sign up for our emails and newsletters.  You can also email us at:  [email protected]; or call us at +1 310-975-0272.  It’s great to see people at our showroom too, which is located at 4576 Worth St. Los Angeles CA 90063.  We’re also on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram:

Twitter @bhcarclub

Facebook www.facebook.com/beverlyhillscarclub

Instagram www.instagram.com/beverlyhillscarclub

PSM:  Can you tell us about your company’s founder, Alex Manos?  How did he get started in this business?
SP:  Alex has always been a lover of classic cars.  His parents owned several classic cars so he was surrounded by it.  His love of classics grew from there.

Being approached by several celebrities who were intrigued by his ride is actually how Alex was struck with the idea of starting the Beverly Hills Car Club.  He bought a 1962 Lincoln Continental with suicide doors from a guy who had owned it for 30 years and was the manager of the service department at a Lincoln dealership.  The car was perfect mechanically, and everywhere Alex drove it people would try to stop him to ask him if they could buy it.  Shaquille O’Neal pulled him over.  Hype Williams chased him down.  After a while, Alex decided to sell the Lincoln and get another one.  He sold that car, and it just started escalating from there.  After he sold that first Lincoln, Alex also started restoring cars.  He bought a convertible, had it painted and started getting into the restoration aspect of it.  Alex says that it really gives you a deeper love for the cars because you’re doing so much work on them.  And you get to understand more about what the buyer is looking for and how you can help them.

PSM:  What’s the vision for the future?  Any expected changes at your dealership on the horizon?
SP:  The dealership keeps growing and we currently have over 255 cars in stock.  The cars range from project cars to pristine, well maintained exotic cars.  We’re always looking to find that unique car.

PSM:  What differentiates your dealership from the competition?  What makes you special?
SP:  We have one of the biggest inventories of classic cars in America.  The quantity and variety of classic cars we have on offer separates us and puts us way ahead of the rest.  Additionally, our cars are marked competitively, usually below market value.  We are probably one of the only dealerships to offer such great deals to our clients.  It’s always best to check the inventory on our website to find out what is currently being listed.

PSM:  How do you find the cars that you sell?  Do you have buyers actively seeking out specific cars for your customers?
SP:  The Pomona Swap Meet is a great place for us to find cars, with people expressing interest in selling their car or upgrading to another one.  Most of the people we meet at Pomona are real enthusiasts who want a classic car that they can either work on, or start as a project to restore over a period of time.  Or they’re looking for a showroom quality car.  It all depends on the buyer.

We have an active “wish list” and if a car comes in matching your buying criteria, then you will most likely hear from our sales team almost immediately.  Alex also finds classics in some of the most obscure place.  For instance, he found 3 classic cars high in the mountains of Washington state.  The cars had to be towed out of the mountains because they couldn’t be driven.  They had been sitting in the mountains on blocks with no wheels.

PSM:  What seems to be the most popular make/model right now?  Any trends you’ve seen in So Cal versus other car markets?
SP:  Today’s trends around the world are Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Maserati, and Jaguar.  However, most California buyers are looking for American Muscle cars.

PSM:  I assume most of your clients are here in Southern California.  Is that correct, or do you find that a lot of classics are being sold to out of state buyers, or even out of the country?
SP:  We do have a lot of clients throughout the country, and particularly in southern California.  But with the popularity of classic European and American cars and the power of the internet, we now have clients from all over the world: France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Australia, Spain, Brazil and South Africa to name a few.  We also have people fly in just to see what cars we have on offer in our showroom.  When they arrive they normally can’t believe the feast for their eyes!  For these people, their love for these types of classics has them flying into LAX, arriving at the showroom, spending the entire day in the showroom, make a purchase or two, then drive back to LAX and head home.

PSM:  Any other services that you dealership offers?
SP:  Not at the moment, but we are always coming up with new ideas.  Stay tuned!

PSM:  How long have you been coming to Pomona?
SP:  Almost everyone at the company has been going for years.  Alex started going in 2000.  As a company, 2014 was the first year we went to Pomona.  We have seen great results, with sales developing out of the relationships we build there.

PSM:  Do you offer any special swap meet deals or discounts?
SP:  Yes, our t-shirt collection and signature plates are available at discounted prices in Pomona.

PSM:  Anything else that customers should know about your company?
SP:  We consider ourselves to offer great customer service and can answer questions quickly if you have any interest in buying a car.  We reach out to customers worldwide, and have people asking for a lot of different makes and models.  With these cars, no request is crazy.  The people in the classic car industry have a ‘want’ list.  Almost everyone wants to find that one rare car that nobody else has – there’s just something great about it.  This is precisely what I think makes us successful, that we have so much passion and love for the cars, that we simply want to make sure that everyone gets to own their dream car.  Alex always says that if someone has a job, and they’re not happy with what they’re doing, it shows.  If you go to a restaurant and the chef hates his job, then the food ends up not tasting as good.  However, if you go to a restaurant and they love what they’re doing, the food is delicious.  This is what happens here.  We love what we do, and it shows.  Being positive is contagious.

PSM:  Any tips that you could offer to someone looking to buy a classic car?
SP:  If you have any interest in purchasing a car, one of the first things you need to do is move fast.  We work with thousands of classic car fans, enthusiasts, dealers, collectors, and buyers from all over the world.  Therefore, if you have your heart set on a particular car, call myself, or Oliver or Jarrod in our sales office.  If we have a car you want to buy, don’t hesitate.  Odds are that there are 10-20 other people strongly interested in the same car.  This means it will not be available if you wait to find out if it’s the right car for you.  Contact us as early as possible to secure the car.  We have had people call up in tears when they find out that the car they were looking for got sold within one hour of it being posted on the website.

PSM:  And what about for sellers?  Any words of wisdom?
SP:  If you have a classic car to sell, make sure you call us at (877) 912-0007!