Want to drive a Ferrari? Now you can, for a fee
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 12:54 PM
ThisWeek Staff Writer Adam Cairns/ThisWeek
Dublin entrepreneur and software developer John McGinley sits inside his 2005 Lotus Elise at Wedgewoode Sports and Imports. McGinley provides a time-share service for people to keep exotic cars for extended periods of time. McGinley also has a 1990 Ferrari 348, as well as 1965 and 1997 Corvettes.
Car enthusiasts who can’t afford the vehicle of their dreams might have a new option to do a little joyriding.Dublin resident John McGinley has founded The Sports Car Club for people who would like to drive exotic and classic cars, in exchange for a fee.
“This gives people who can’t justify buying a $40,000 to $50,000 car that sits in their garage an option,” said the 42-year-old software developer. “It gives everyone access.”
The car club’s fleet includes a C5 Corvette, 1965 Chevy Corvette convertible, Lotus Elise and Ferrari 384. The cars, all purchased by McGinley, are stored at Wedgewoode Sports and Imports in Powell.
“It’s just like any other car rental, except they are cool cars,” McGinley said. “I think it’s kind of fun.”
McGinley considered starting the club about three years ago, but the concept was new to the market and he wanted to see how it evolved. At that time, he visited one of only four companies that provided the service in the U.S.
Today, there are dozens of similar clubs around the country, but The Sports Car Club is the first in Ohio, said Cheryl Lyman, who runs exoticcarclubs.com, an Internet directory devoted to exotic car clubs.
“These clubs cater to a couple of types of people: those that can afford to have (a classic car) but don’t want to tie up their capital and want to be able to drive different cars, and people who want to drive the cars for special events but cannot afford one,” she said.
The club is relatively easy to join for anyone who is at least 26 years old and has insurance, said McGinley, who must verify insurance and check a person’s driving record to complete the registration.
The club’s annual membership rate is $250. Additional charges apply depending on the car that’s rented and for what length of time. For example, renting the 1997 Corvette for three days costs $250, and renting the Ferrari for three days costs $850.
Membership includes supplemental insurance coverage on the club’s cars, a tank of gas, 24-hour roadside assistance and credits toward the member’s next usage for referring a new member.
For Westerville resident Vinh Nguyen, the club made sense economically.
“I spend about $4,500 every year to maintain my (classic) car,” he said. “I thought, ‘Why not take that $4,500 and try this for a year and let someone else take care of all the maintenance?’ ”
Nguyen, who used one of the cars recently for a wedding, said he’s pleased with the club.
“You can still love cars, but do you really want to shell out $40,000 on the low end for one then pay $4,500 a year for maintenance?” Nguyen said. “This is something that allows people to drive a sports car, but relieves them from the financial burden.”
Profits from the club are used to maintain each car, McGinley said. “Each car costs several thousand dollars a year to maintain,” he said.
The club has four members, he said, and has been up and running since the beginning of May.
Despite a tough economy, Lyman said the club has potential for growth.
“It’s hard to predict what is going to happen in our economy, but we’re not in a place where people are giving up all their luxuries,” she said.
For every five new members, the club will purchase a car.
“You should never be in a situation where a car isn’t available,” McGinley said. “We may not have your first choice, but we should have something available.”
For more information, go to www.justdriveme.com or call (614) 843-3602.