RSSLimo Rental Tips | San Francisco Travel Blog - Part 9
Man Steals and Crashes Limousine With Passengers Inside
Some limousine guests in upstate New York received a more thrilling limousine experience than expected when their limo was stolen and driven by a car thief while they were still inside. Police in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., say that 22-year-old Tyler S. Bellick faces a variety of charges in connection with the incident, including felony counts of grand larceny, driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
Paul McCartney’s Vintage Car Sells for More Than $551,000
A vintage Aston Martin that once belonged to Sir Paul McCartney recently sold for an astonishing £344,400, or around $551,000. The 1964 roadster was sold at an auction conducted by RM Auction London and was expected to fetch at least $450,000. Sir Paul bought the Aston Martin DB5 in the summer of 1964 after completing filming for A Hard Day’s Night and before beginning the Beatles’ 1964 World Tour that heralded the British Invasion in pop music. McCartney owned it until 1970, when he sold it after having put around 40,000 miles on the odometer.
This vintage Aston still has its original Sierra blue paint job and features many luxury options including chrome wire wheels, an equally vintage Phillips Auto-Morgan record player, black leather seating and interior and many other creature comforts. McCartney originally ordered a custom leather interior patterned with musical notes. Sadly, one of the owners replaced that interior with plain black leather.
Peter Wallman, who was one of the auctioneers monitoring the bidding on the Aston for RM Auctions, thought that Beatlemania might drive buyers to extraordinary lengths to own this beautiful car.
“I’m not going to predict that happening here but if somebody collects Beatles memorabilia and just really wanted to have Paul McCartney’s Aston Martin then it could go crazy.”
There is no doubt that $551,000 is a crazy price, even for a bona fide piece of automotive and musical history. If you love the look and feel of vintage automobiles but don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars to indulge that craving, you’re in luck! We offer several different San Francisco vintage car rentals that you can rent for a few hours, a day or even a weekend cruise down the Beautiful California coast. Each antique car in our collection is immaculately clean, lovingly restored and in top running condition to give our guests a chance to experience automotive history without having to pay historically high rates.
Our Bay Area antique car rentals are popular for weddings, wine tours, film shoots, anniversaries, birthdays and many other special occasions, like getting out of the city for an afternoon. If renting a San Francisco vintage car sounds like your idea of a great time or a great gift idea, just give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936 to make your reservation today! Baby, you can drive my car…
Porsche Announces Smaller Version of Limousine
Legendary sports car manufacturer Porsche recently announced that it will be producing and marketing a smaller version of its Panamera limousine in the very near future. Porsche has been slow to release specifics about the smaller, more nimble version of the Panamera, but early reports suggest that it will be a five-door fastback design like the larger model and is poised to compete with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5-Series luxury sedans. Porsche says that the new Panamera limo is going to be a big part of the automaker’s plans to improve market share and sell 200,000 vehicles a year by 2018.
Porsche president Matthias Mueller told reporters that the new Panamera limo has been in development for several years and that prices will begin around $80,000. Mueller described this price point as “the magic limit,” meaning the lower limit that Porsche would consider selling one of its models so as not to undermine its reputation as a luxury automaker. Mueller also leaked news about another new model, a sleek roadster code-named the Porsche 960, which will be positioned to erode Ferrari’s share of the performance market.
In other news, Mueller also hinted at the resurrection of a classic Porsche, the Targa Drophead, a semi-convertible coupe with a removable roof section for open air on the open road.
"We could see ourselves reviving the Targa 964 just like we did 20 years ago," Mueller said.
If things proceed as planned, these new models, in addition to yet another new model, the compact Macan SUV, would add to Porsche’s current lineup of the classic 911, the Cayenne crossover SUV, the full-size Panamera and the Boxster/Cayman. Porsche is owned by Volkswagen and set a new sales record in November, with 128,978 units sold, a marked improvement of 8.5 percent over 2011’s sales.
We look forward to seeing the new Panamera limo, but we wonder if or how it will fit into its proposed niche of smaller performance limousines or if it will create an entirely new niche. Either way, color us intrigued, as any new limousine model from an automaker like Porsche is a reason for celebration! Speaking of celebrations, if you’re looking for a San Francisco limousine rental to help you celebrate an important event in your life, call us at NLS Limo today at 800-339-8936. No other Bay Area limousine service offers a better selection of limos and other luxury vehicles at affordable rates. Add in our legendary customer service, and you and your friends are guaranteed to have a wonderful time! Please browse the pages of our site to view your limo rental options and if you have any questions, we would love to hear from you!
Young Driver Who Damaged Rolls-Royce Faces Severe Financial Hardship
All of us have bad days every once in a while, but a recent day experienced by a young Chinese man puts most peoples’ bad days in perspective. The 21-year-old man was driving along a road near the Lukou International Airport near Nanjing when he swerved off the road slightly. Under normal circumstances, this small incident would be easily forgotten. However, this was not a normal day at all. The young man happened to swerve into a Rolls-Royce Phantom, which was parked along the side of the road and suffered around $158,000 in damage when the driver struck it with his car.
The Rolls had been parked there while the chauffeur waited for VIPs to arrive so it could transport them to their destinations. The police report states that the unfortunate driver struck the front left side of the Phantom, crushing the fender, grill, bumper, hood, headlamp assembly and support structure of the $1.9 million vehicle. If that wasn’t bad enough, the young driver admitted that the accident was his fault, which allowed his insurance company to deny paying for the damage. The driver, a chef by trade, has little in savings, certainly not enough to cover the $158,000 repair tab. He is planning to appeal directly to the Phantom’s owners to see if they can reach an accommodation on how the repair bill will be paid.
Yikes. That was a bad day. Hopefully, the driver and the owner will be able to figure out an arrangement that will work for both parties. On a much brighter note, if you’re looking for San Francisco Rolls-Royce rentals, you have come to the right place! We offer one of the widest selections of Rolls-Royce limousines from which to choose in the Bay Area. From classic Silver Wraiths to vintage Silver Cloud convertibles, no other Bay Area limousine service offers a better selection at affordable rates. Our beautiful Rolls-Royce limousines are perfect for the following:
- Birthdays
- Anniversaries
- Weddings
- Sightseeing tours
- Gift ideas
- Wine tours
- Employee rewards programs
- Many other special occasions
For images and information about the Bay Area Rolls-Royce rentals in our fleet, please browse the pages of our site. For answers to your questions and to reserve one of our Rolls-Royce limos for your special event, just give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936!
World’s Largest Custom Limousine Manufacturer Latest Victim of Economic Downturn
We received some bad news recently that does not affect our San Francisco limousine service directly but affects most limousines services across the country directly or indirectly. Krystal Koach, Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of custom limousines, will halt production and close down in the near future. In a press release, Krystal officers reported that their company “doesn’t have the cash to purchase parts to continue manufacturing vehicles.” Ed Grech, Krystal’s founder and CEO, cited the global economic downturn as the reason that his company was closing its doors and reorganizing.
The company had recently moved into the burgeoning Chinese market and had invested heavily in developing its custom stretch Lincoln MKT limousine specifically for that market and other clients in Asia. The company currently has around 51 vehicles in various stages of completion. Grech has told creditors that if they give him time to finish these projects and sell them, along with liquidating some real estate holdings, he would be able to pay them in full with funds leftover to pay other outstanding debts.
When he recently announced the closure and reorganization of his company, Grech told reporters, “Unfortunately, operators are still hurting and demand has been tepid. During the first quarter of 2012, these projects were halted due to the current economic climate both domestically as well as in Asia. We will not be idle during this time. Rest assured that Krystal is still committed to developing the most innovative and cutting-edge vehicles you can buy for luxury ground transportation, and the excellent customer service you expect from us will never waver.”
Grech founded Krystal in 1982 and grew the company from a small Southern California body shop into a company posting annual revenues of $50 million with clients all over the world.
While we don’t conduct any business with Mr. Grech, as we do all our own customization work, we were certainly sorry to hear this news. We hope that he is able to finish and sell his remaining vehicles in production and reorganize to square his debts with his creditors and begin the long process of rebuilding his company.
The economic downturn has affected us all, but NLS Limo is still here, and we plan to keep on serving the Bay Area with custom limousines, party vans and other luxury vehicles for a long time to come. We believe that a big part of our success is our customer service, attention to detail and offering a superb San Francisco limo experience at an affordable price. If you are looking for Bay Area limousine rentals for an upcoming special event, please give us a call today at 800-339-8936 to find out for yourself why our customer service helps us stand out from the hyper-competitive San Francisco limo rental market.
Limousine Service Suspends Wedding Limo Service to Avoid Serving Same-Sex Couples
A limousine company in Annapolis, Maryland has stopped offering wedding limousine service altogether to avoid serving same-sex couples. Discover Annapolis Tours recently announced that they would discontinue this part of their business as of Jan. 1, 2013, when Maryland’s same-sex marriage law goes into effect. Matt Grubbs, owner of Discover Annapolis Tours, told reporters that he decided to stop offering wedding limousine services and would forego the $50,000 expected revenue from renting wedding limos. He told reporters that he preferred to stop renting wedding limos altogether instead of “compromising his Christian convictions when same-sex marriages become legal in Maryland in less than a week.”
From a legal standpoint, Grubbs is asking for larger problems than simply lost revenue. Limousine services in other markets that have refused wedding limo service to same-sex couples have been the targets of discrimination lawsuits and have lost. However, some legal experts say that Grubbs’ company will be somewhat shielded from discrimination suits, as they are avoiding providing limo services to all weddings.
Same-sex marriage is not yet legal in California, but it is very likely to become legal in the near future. Whether that day comes sooner or later, it won’t change our policy on providing San Francisco wedding limousines to happy couples. It is and always has been our great honor to help all couples celebrate this important milestone in their lives. Mr. Grubbs can elect to offer – or not offer – limousine services to weddings and other types of gatherings as he so chooses. It’s his company and his prerogative. However, we think that he will find that this decision will cost him a great deal more than $50,000 in lost revenue every year. After all, money is a pretty poor unit of measure for most things, particularly most of the things that have real value in life.
If you’re planning an upcoming wedding and you would like to reserve one or more of our San Francisco wedding limousines, party buses, classic cars, luxury coaches or other luxury vehicles, call us today at 800-339-8936. We offer the Bay Area’s best selection of luxury vehicles at the best rates and also offer special money-saving wedding packages! For more information about our wedding limo rental options, rates, availability and all other questions, please give us a call at NLS Limo today, and let one of our reservation specialists make this part of your wedding planning fast and simple!
Great San Francisco Wedding Limousine Ideas
If you’re planning a wedding in the near future and are thinking about renting a San Francisco wedding limousine to make your day extra special, we have some ideas for you to consider. No matter what type of wedding you have planned, from an understated elegant wedding with a few family members and friends to fun theme weddings to destination weddings and all points in-between, we have the perfect San Francisco wedding limousine for the occasion! Some of the great wedding limo ideas that we have helped happy couples experience include these:
- Cable Car Transportation
San Francisco’s iconic cable cars can give your wedding an unmistakable Bay Area feel, but they run on fixed tracks and can’t take you everywhere you want to go. But ours can! Our cable car rentals look and sound just like our city’s famous cable cars, but ours can carry you and your wedding guests to your wedding ceremony, the reception and anywhere else you’d like to go! They are available as closed or open-air models for guest comfort in all weather conditions. - Antique Car Rentals
We have a wide range of San Francisco antique car rentals for you to choose from, including antique Rolls-Royce limos and vintage Plymouths and Oldsmobiles, which are all perfect for theme weddings. - SUV Wedding Limousines
For roomy comfort for you and your wedding party, it’s tough to beat our Bay Area SUV wedding limos. You and your party will enjoy the extra head and legroom and plenty of luxurious amenities on the way to and from the ceremony. - Wedding Limo with Hot Tub
After the hustle and bustle of the ceremony and reception, you and your new spouse will surely want some time to relax and enjoy each other’s company, and there is no better wedding limo for this than our San Francisco hot tub limo. Have us ice down some champagne so that it is perfectly chilled when you are ready for some alone time together while you relax in your hot tub and glide through the city.
It’s not too early to make your San Francisco wedding limo reservation for the best selection for your special day. Just give us a call at 800-339-8936 and let us handle all the details. If you want to customize your wedding limousine experience, we would love to help! Just let us know what you would like, and we will go above and beyond to make it happen! Call us today to find out why so many happy couples rely on NLS Limo for all their wedding transportation needs.
Reserve Your San Francisco Valentine’s Day Limousine Now
Those of you who are planning to rent a Bay Area limousine for Valentine’s Day still have time to make your reservation, but the window of opportunity is closing for the most popular models. The most romantic day of the year will be here before you know it, and, if you’re planning something extra sweet for your sweetheart, like a San Francisco limo experience, for example, there’s no better time to make your reservation. Some of our most popular limousines for couples have already been reserved, but we still have some great options available, such as these:
- Stretch limos available in white or black
- Our famous and very romantic San Francisco hot tub limousine
- Hummer SUV Limos
- Expedition SUV Limos
- Lincoln Navigator Limos
- Limousine buses
- Party buses
- Classic Rolls-Royce limousines
- Other luxurious options!
No matter which luxury vehicle you select for your San Francisco limo experience, they all come with our legendary customer service and many perks that are included in the very affordable rate. Unlike other Bay Area limousine services, we include lots of amenities in the price we quote instead of nickel-and-diming our guests and surprising them with additional charge at the end of the evening.
Although your thoughts may be focused on the upcoming holidays and get-togethers with friends and family, make your Valentine’s Day limo reservations now for the best selection at the best rates. For more information about your limousine options, our affordable rates and ways that we can help you customize your limousine experience, just give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936. If you’re planning on going out for New Year’s Eve, ask us about renting a San Francisco limo for the second-biggest date night of the year, too!
State Regulators Issue Fines for Ride-Sharing Services in San Francisco
We have written extensively about legal and regulatory problems for Uber, a smartphone application that helps people arrange San Francisco limousine and taxicab rides, but they and other services that arrange ride-sharing are facing new troubles with state regulators. One ride-sharing service called Sidecar, along with new a new arrival called Lyft, have received $20,000 fines from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the agency that regulates all for-hire ground transportation services in our state.
Not surprisingly, the founders of the ride-share services are crying foul about the fines, saying that they are facilitating a valuable service for their clients and the Bay Area.
"This is about community members who have extra seats in their car, sharing those with people who need a ride," Lyft co-founder John Zimmer said. "It helps drivers cut the cost of owning an automobile."
Lyft and Sidecar help car owners earn a bit of money by arranging rides for people who need them. However, state regulators see this for-hire arrangement in a different way entirely.
"We regard these operators as essentially the same as limousine companies, drivers for hire," California Public Utilities Commission Counsel General Frank Lindh said. "We do believe they’re operating outside the law right now; they don’t have proper insurance, their drivers are not properly screened and so we do have concerns about public safety of these operations."
Admittedly, we have a biased opinion on this topic, but we agree with Mr. Lindh on this. Under state regulations, our Bay Area limousine service is a for-hire passenger carrier, and we must adhere to strict regulations about insurance coverage, proper licensing of our luxury vehicles and chauffeurs, safety equipment, regular maintenance for our vehicles and other rules. These are all in place to protect our guests, and, if you have rented a San Francisco limo, party bus or other luxury vehicle from us in the past, you know that we place the safety of our guests above all other considerations. If one of these ride-sharing vehicles is involved in an accident, the person receiving the ride could be put in a very difficult position.
We understand that someone needing a ride to the grocery store or doctor’s office doesn’t need one of our San Francisco limo rentals. However, as a locally owned and operated company and longtime residents of the Bay Area, we are very concerned about how ride-sharing services could have unintended consequences for riders. If you need a ride, call a friend, a cab or call us at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936 to rent one of our vehicles for as long as you need it. When you do business with a CPUC-compliant business like ours, you’re purchasing a lot more than just a limo ride.
Centenarian Celebrates Birthday on Party Bus With 26 Friends
Harriet Bump of Eldridge, Iowa, celebrated a very special milestone recently and did so in grand style. Twenty-six of her closest friends celebrated her 100th birthday by renting a party bus for a tour of holiday lights and a stop at a local ice cream parlor and confectionary. The resident of Grand Haven Retirement Village did not know about the special excursion or its destination until friends told her to dress extra warmly for her birthday party. When the appointed time arrived, she was escorted out to her waiting party bus for an hour-long tour of the Quad Cities, which straddles the Mississippi River in Iowa and Illinois.
When the tour was complete, she and her friends enjoyed ice cream treats at Lagomarcino’s, a local ice cream parlor and confectionary that has been owned and operated by the Lagomarcino family since 1908. When they arrived, the birthday girl and her guests were greeted by “Happy 100th Harriet” on the parlor’s marquee. Harriet wasted no time on deciding what type of ice cream treat she would enjoy on this momentous occasion.
“I know just what I want,” she said. “I want a strawberry sundae!”
“She didn’t say it, she exclaimed it,” says Tom Lagomarcino, one of the owners.
After ordering her sundae and settling into one of the parlor’s wooden booths, she sat with a wide smile on her face while the staff and her friends sang “Happy Birthday.”
Self-effacing and modest even on this extraordinary occasion, Harriet coyly mentioned that she wasn’t sure what all the hoopla was all about.
“Such a fuss,” she said. “I’m only 100.”
Birthdays are some of the most popular reasons why our guests rent our San Francisco party buses, which can comfortably and affordably accommodate groups of 26 family and friends and many more! If you know someone who is celebrating an important milestone and you would like to make it extra special, rent a Bay Area party bus from us, and let us take care of all the details! They are roomy, comfortable, loaded with luxury amenities and more affordable than you may think! For more information about rates, availability and the wide range of different party bus options available, call us today at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936. Cheers, Harriet!
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Great customer service, great prices, and always a lot of fun.
I've used Nationwide 3 or 4 times now and have not once been disappointed. Great customer service, great prices, and always a lot of fun. Staff always helps me pick the best option for my group and our budget.