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Beverly Hills Car Club

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Sarastro

Sarastro

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You've seen the ads--often for cars with hair-raising amounts of rust. My favorite was a Porsche 912 that consisted only of a pile of rusted panels. I couldn't see anything salvageable except for a couple low-value parts.

Anyway, there was a good article about it in the LA Times today:

www.latimes.com

Beverly Hills Car Club and its ‘Real Housewives’ owner sell dream cars. Some spark legal battles

Beverly Hills Car Club and co-owner Alex Manos have built a following, but lawsuits accuse the dealership of selling vehicles with undisclosed damage, defective parts or other issues.
www.latimes.com www.latimes.com

I think non-subscribers can read an article or two per month.

I happened upon the place once by accident. It is on the edge of Lincoln Heights, on the east side of LA. Doesn't exactly have the cachet of Beverly Hills, but neither do most of the cars, I guess.
 
I wonder how many people who buy cars from BHCC actually see them in person first?

Another example of internet lust.
 
wouldn't let me past the paywall but, yes, them and I think Gullwing in New York.
 
Buying without actually seeing it is the way the auto industry, new and vintage, is changing for the younger generations. They're ok with it as being more convenient. But when I bought the 2020 Corolla and with all the vintage stuff, if I can't sit in it, take a test drive and generally look it over, not going to buy.
 
I can't believe people would be stupid enough to pay anything
for most of that rusty stuff.Maybe it's a front for money laundering/-
drug money.
It's the same thing on Bring a Trailer - people are paying insane
prices for vehicles that they've never seen or driven.I wonder how many
of them find a lot of "Surprises" when they finally get it delivered.
 
We have a local used car lot here that sells cars that are even worse than what BHCC sells. He has a TR3 on the lot now for $14,500. If you add another $35,000 you could drive it home and start restoring it. He has been in business forever and recently added another location. At that lot he is featuring the burned out hulk of a mid 80's Porsche. I don't know who is buying his cars, but he is still in business.
 
I'd bet that folks buy those things, then tart them up and put them on ebay or other internet sites.
Many of the cars I follow on BAT are back on BAT within a few months - with a reserve price.

The appropriate description: "There's a sucker born every minute."

And that was before the Internet and social media!
 
I went to see a car that had been in a side yard, parked for 20+??? years. It was a 61 3000. Very rusty, but complete, with hardtop. Moldy inside from sitting with a tarp over the car. I offered them $15K, but suggested they call BHCC and see what they would offer. BHCC offered them $21K sight unseen. I told them to take the offer. I watched the BHCC website to see if the car showed up but never saw it. It needed a lot of work.
 
For fun money, I do inspections for out of town buyers on cars in the greater Chicagoland area. For classics, collector cars, etc. each inspection is 150-175 pictures, a 6 page report, test drive, etc. I get to see and drive some pretty cool stuff and it's a good way for remote buyers to save head and heart ache and money before committing to a purchase that may not be all that it seems to be. I've run the gamut from a late 70's Trans Am needing a full restoration - the buyer was looking for a project - to a $500,000 Rolls Royce Cullinan. My latest was a 1936 Packard Victoria Convertible. I wanted to bring that one home!! :D
 
Peter - have you ever inspected a "scam" car? Overpriced, disaster mechanical and body, advertised as "cream puff" - and the potential buyer had no idea of the real condition?
 
NutmegCT said:
Peter - have you ever inspected a "scam" car? Overpriced, disaster mechanical and body, advertised as "cream puff" - and the potential buyer had no idea of the real condition?
Click to expand...
Not any "scam cars" but a few that may have looked better online than in person. A Mercedes convertible comes to mind and a Corvette both looked better in the internet posting than in real life. They weren't advertised as cream puffs but needed more than was seen at first blush. I have had buyers that were looking for a particular car, knew it needed work, etc. and just wanted to know how much work was in store.
 
I bought one car without driving it first, a 72 Opel GT. I saw it on ebay listed after it and because I was in college and couldn't go to Michigan my mom sweetly offered (by that point my dad couldn't drive long distances any longer). She flew out picked the car up and drove it home. I was in love for about a month. When I went to change the shocks I started learning that cars rust up north. That car didn't pan out but it indirectly led to me buying my first lbc and joining this place.
 
Triumphs Only was a vendor out Cal way when I was doing my car. Sold me a rear spring that, when received, had an arc drop well in excess of the spec and a distance between the eyes well in excess of that spec. He insisted it was right, just sagged, (after receiving my return) and refused refund. Goniffs are everywhere there is money.
Bob
 
Made this one myself.

beverly-hillbillies.jpg
 
NutmegCT said:
goniff - a good old Yiddish word!
Click to expand...
Bob's post made me giggle. Grew up in an Italian family, Italian and Jewish neighbors and pals. We were all second or third gen American but the cross-pollination of language and FOOD... wonderful.

Really miss those days sometimes.
 
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