Top 10: Luxury Car Clubs - Part I
Thomas Bey
The Otto Club, Massachusetts
If we awarded Most Clever Name honors in this feature, they would go to The Otto Club. As the new kid on the block (the club started business in May 2006), The Otto Club seems to have hit the ground running with eight delectable rides available. Among them are an Aston Martin DB9 Volante, Ferrari 360 Modena, Maserati Quattroporte, and Porsche Boxster S. Many more are scheduled to be added, including some not found in other clubs, like a BMW Z8 and a Noble M12, for example. Nevertheless, a 5-to-1 member-to-car ratio is expected to be maintained. What's more, members have a say in which cars should stay, go or be added.
Annual membership is offered in three levels: Silver ($9,500), Red ($18,000) and Black ($28,000). With each membership level, a points system is included. Each car represents a certain number of points, as do days and months. The great thing about this system is that all members have access to all cars in the collection. If you're on the fence over whether to join, you can sample four- or seven-day "test drives" for $3,500 to $8,000, depending on the vehicle. These clever policies are only logical from a cleverly named club.
Most prized ride: Aston Martin Vanquish
Van Horssen Group, Arizona
Given the growth and affluence of suburban Phoenix, it's logical that one of our up-and-coming luxury car clubs is headquartered in Scottsdale. Though Van Horssen Group only opened in 2005, they anticipate growth to over 20 locations within three years. Even still, members can have cars delivered to them wherever they may roam. As a member, you have access to all the club's vehicles and you're expected to fulfill an annual usage commitment of four weeks, whether or not the one-week increments are consecutive. When it comes to finding time to take control of cars like an Aston Martin DB9, Ferrari 575 Maranello, Porsche 911 GT3, and Rolls-Royce Phantom, we suspect you won't have any difficulty shuffling things around to make this happen.
Whereas some car clubs serve both those who can't afford the cars and those who can but appreciate the convenience, Van Horssen Group is geared toward the latter group: three-year memberships are $28,000 a year. In any case, it's still much more reasonable than making payments and trying to keep up with the care and feeding demands of these cars.
Most prized ride: Maybach
Whether you wish to indulge your lifelong dreams or simply enjoy great cars without the negatives of ownership, the luxury car club is a concept whose time has come. Go to Top 10: Luxury Car Clubs - Part II for the No 1 club on our list.
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