Startup Offers Joys of Driving Classic Cars Without Actual Ownership
Garage 77 claims to be the world’s first social classic car garage. The business is now open in Redondo Beach, south of Los Angeles. The company offers members on-demand, flexible use of a fleet of eight classic cars and access to a vintage shared recreational space.
The startup provides all the perks of owning a rotating fleet of rare classic cars, without any of the upkeep, know-how or hassle, at a fraction of the cost of traditional ownership, according to the company.
“We wanted to create a space where our members can experience the exhilaration and nostalgia of driving the most popular vehicles of decades past as if it were their own garage, without the huge cost of ownership or mechanical know-how,” said Brian Waldman, co-founder of Garage 77. “We’re not your typical ‘car guys’ or gearheads that have the time or knowledge to work on these classic cars, but for a date night, important business meeting, picking your kids up from school or a weekend road trip, we realized our unique shared model made the most sense for others with similarly busy and exciting lifestyles.”
Currently, the Garage 77 fleet includes a 1959 Chevrolet Corvette C1, 1975 Ford Bronco, 1987 Ferrari 328 GTS, 1956 Porsche 356 Speedster Tribute, 1981 DMC DeLorean, 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, 1961 Lincoln Continental and a 1977 Jeep CJ-5. Garage 77 plans to continuously expand, searching for the most exciting and rare classic cars to keep its car lineup fresh. Several mechanics on staff maintain the fleet.
“Beyond the thrill of the cars themselves we realized there were many others like us who wanted a fun, comfortable place to get away, hang out with friends and develop a larger network whether for fun or business throughout Los Angeles,” said Stephanie Murg, Garage 77 co-founder. “We set out to build a space worthy of housing these pieces of automotive history and The Garage is a distinctly casual atmosphere that will transport you back several decades with pinball machines, a guitar parlor, televisions, music and great times.”
Garage 77 hosts regular meetups, mechanic demonstrations, social events and networking opportunities for members. Members pay monthly fees equal to the cost of taking an average classic car out for a single day, but can choose from the entire fleet at any time, in addition to enjoying enjoy access to the space and other additional benefits, according to the company. Membership is capped to ensure a high car-to-member ratio and strong community.
Founders Brian and Cameron were South Bay neighbors who always had an interest in classic cars, but neither had ever been to a car show or knew much about auto maintenance. One weekend a friend lent them a 1971 Dodge Charger, which they kept in a shared spot and over beers in their driveway they discussed their dream of a larger shared garage, ideal for hanging out, with a fleet of cars to choose from and mechanic experts to handle the upkeep. Garage 77 was born from that moment.
In the coming year, The Garage plans to expand to the Santa Monica/Venice market and potentially into the San Diego market, allowing members to connect across major metro regions in Southern California.
