After the initial media day at this year’s 2011 New York International Auto Show, I was invited to an informal happy hour hosted by Signature, an up-and-coming exotic car rental firm from New Jersey. The kicker: We would be chauffeured to appetizers through the streets of Manhattan in the coolest way possible – coddled in the seat of one of six exotic supercars in Signature’s fresh fleet. Ride in a hand-built chariot to drinks and food? Ah, YES PLEASE. (Sure, a drive of the cars would have been best, but considering the mix of light libations, hellish NYC potholes/construction zones, and low-slung carbon-fiber bodies, being chauffeured seemed the better choice.)
I have visited New York’s bustling urbanscape a few times. I’ve seen the city’s innumerable monuments and picturesque, movie-set-like panoramas. But never have I experienced some of these sites while strapped into a deeply recessed bucket bolted into a snarling Lamborghini.
For this event, Signature blocked off its top rides: A Ferrari California, Aston Martin DB9 Volante, Maserati GranCabrio Sport, Ferrari F430 Spider, Bentley GTC, and Mercedes-Benz S550 all joined the party. Despite the hordes of taxis and pedestrians passing within inches of our expensive metal, the group stayed close and in line during our 30-minute tourist drive. You can only imagine how much the Lamborghini Effect was compounded. (A few NYPD officers flashed their emergency lights just to get beside us to look closer at the six-figure sports cars.)
From the Javits Center, our exotic lineup ventured along the Hudson River’s shore on 11th street to West Street. We passed Ground Zero, then slowly cruised further south to State Street past the Charging Bull onto Water Street. After cutting further south to East River Drive, we headed north to the South Street Seaport where our destination — a homey New Zealander restaurant called Nelson Blue — awaited. Everything outside became more appealing when looked at from inside a supercar. Then again, maybe it was the extremely low perspective, which gave even the lowest of passing curbs extra clout.
When the angry bull was subdued at a stoplight, I spoke to my driver, Hamed Zolghadr. Though only 25 years old, the slick-haired, smiling driver was an industry veteran who gained experience and made valuable friends while working at a local Lamborghini dealership.
“I started off washing cars,” he explained. “Then after a few years, I worked my way into the service department and became a technician. During my time there, I met Marcello and the rest of the guys, and now I’m here helping our business grow. We have some big plans in the works and we can’t wait to see what happens.”
He said Signature’s business is still going strong despite the economic downturn.
“Thankfully, we are doing very well. We’re constantly adding new cars, and we’re going to open a new 5,000 sq-ft. showroom near Newark Airport soon. Now we’re pursuing new outlets for exposure. Our customers are happy, and we love to make them that way.”
As for the folks filling their cars, the gamut is wide.
“We get all types of people renting cars from us. From ones just wanting to experience a supercar for the first time in their life, to the wedding couple wanting a cool ride, to the one person who just wants a fast car to flaunt for a night. The variety is huge. There are also the well-off ones that want to test drive new cars. For them, we offer our membership program.”
With the Murcielago parked, our group headed inside Nelson Blue for delicious Kiwi grub. If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by this restaurant. Like the food and drink, the ambiance is superb and laidback. I got to meet Marcello Bommarito, Signature’s CEO. He used to run the Lamborghini dealership Hamed worked at, but he grew up loving and respecting Ferrari.
“My father has worked for Ferrari for decades, and I used to do logistics for them, too. So you could say I have a thing for the brand,” said the Tifoso in his distinct New Jersey accent.
Nowadays, he loves all exotics. They are the bread and butter of the business he started with good friends only a year ago. I asked him what separates Signature Car Collection from its many competitors.
Unlike other exotic car rental firms, Marcello said Signature handles everything it can in-house, in order to pass appropriate prices on to their customers.
“We have a body shop in-house. We do all maintenance on our vehicles at our headquarters, too. We are a one-stop shop.”
Everyone on payroll is also a real car guy or girl. Lastly, Signature is family owned and operated, meaning Marcello’s team is tight-knit, knowledgeable, and dedicated to making the customer experience the best it can be.
“We love seeing that smile on their faces,” Marcello said. “One wedding story in particular was a fun one. The bride-to-be rented our LP640 for the wedding, but the groom didn’t know. Yep, he was a diehard Lamborghini fan.
“So while the couple was taking wedding pictures outside of their hotel, my team drove by, as if to tease the groom. During the photoshoot, he stopped the photographer and pointed the car out to his fiancee. We drove by a second time, but this time we stopped, jumped out, and handed him the keys nonchalantly. He was ecstatic!”
After only a year, Signature has grown from a one car-operation (starting with the Ferrari F430) to one of the busiest rental firms of its kind in the Northeast. Luckily for the team from Lodi, their next decisions deal with what colors their future Italian cars will be painted, not how they’ll struggle to stay afloat. (Expansion plans include opening offices in Miami and Chicago.)
Food in belly, it was time to head back to Midtown. I was the last to leave.
“We saved the California for you,” Marcello said smiling. “The open top gives the city another flavor.”
How fitting — the born-and-bred Californian entering the New York City night in Ferrari’s most advanced topless grand tourer to date. Another car, another of the city’s many tasty flavors. Yes, this was my happiest happy hour ever.
For more information, visit http://www.sccexotics.com
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