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California Classic Car Dealer Is Our Kind of Guy
Keith McCormick is the owner of McCormick’s Palm Springs Exotic Car Auctions and as serious about classic automobiles as we are. Each time we think about adding a new model to our selection of San Francisco classic car rentals, we check his inventory first. The Englishman started his business four years after arriving here in the U.S. in 1981, but his love affair with classic cars started years before that. His got his first job as a mechanic in 1966 when he was 18. It wasn’t long before he realized that a life fixing, restoring and selling classic cars of all kinds was going to become a career. Today, he exports more than 1,000 cars each year to at least 15 counties around the world. His cars sell for between $2,000 and $250,000 each, and he says the famously sunny Southern California weather is a big part of his success.
“The big news about California is they don’t rust,” McCormick said. “That’s why the old cars are so pristine. We have sunshine every day and there’s not the rain or salt that gets put on the roads.”
Even after four decades in the business, he says that he still gets a thrill working on and around cars.
“Can you remember your father’s first car?” he asked. “Maybe in 20 years time, when you get this pang of nostalgia, you might want to go buy what your father took you to school in as a kid. It’s an exciting kind of adrenaline pumper.”
He said that while he loves modern cars as well, he much prefers to work on classic cars, which he claims are less expensive to maintain and keep running. A big part of this bias has to do with computers and other modern developments, which can be pricey to replace.
“We just had to put a computer brain in a Lincoln limo that we got in — $2,200,” he said.
“There is no computer brain in the old classic cars. You’re looking at $2,000 for a late model Lincoln against a couple of hundred bucks under the hood of a classic car.”
He says that a very important part of the appeal of classic cars is that they are timeless works of art and that his business will remain successful in the future because people love the look and feel of these automotive artworks.
“It’s like saying the art industry is going to fall apart, Picasso is going to be worth half the money,” he said. “It’s never gonna happen.”
We couldn’t agree more. If you’re thinking about reserving a San Francisco classic car rental for an upcoming event, we have several that are worthy of your consideration. They are all lovingly maintained to retain their great looks and timeless beauty and are available at very affordable rates. For more information about your options and to reserve your Bay Area classic car rental, just give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936!
Classic Car Once Owned By Al Capone Slated for Auction
A classic 1928 Cadillac V8 Town Sedan that once transported legendary Chicago gangster Al Capone is going on the auction block this July. The annual RM Auctions St. John’s event on July 28 will feature this and other classic cars. This Cadillac is expected to sell for between $300,000 and $500,000. Capone sold this custom Caddy shortly before he was imprisoned on tax evasion charges in 1932, and, since then, it has traveled widely in classic car shows and been a fixture in museums. This one-of-a-kind classic is definitely not just an old car. It features several modifications befitting a man of Capone’s stature in his line of work.
First off, the car was painted green to resemble Chicago Police cars, complete with siren and a searchlight mounted next to the windshield on the driver’s side. It has been restored several times over the years, but it originally had 3,000 pounds of bulletproof asbestos-wrapped steel plates reinforced with lead inserts, along with one-inch thick glass. Unlike other Cadillacs of the time, Capone’s Caddy also featured a dropdown rear window that could be used as a gun slit and side windows that rolled up to reveal holes in the bottom that fit rifle barrels very nicely.
The son of the garage owner who initially did the custom work for the gangster recalls the day that Capone arrived to pick up his Cadillac. Richard Capistran, now 93 years old, said that Capone was so pleased with the work that he paid his father double the agreed-upon price for the Cadillac and tipped young Richard $10, a princely sum at the time, for helping his father work on the car.
We love classic cars. Every one of them tells a unique story, and there simply is no experience quite like riding in one of these classics. Step into the spacious interior and you are transported back to another time. If you’re thinking about renting a classic car for an upcoming special event and need a Bay Area classic car rental service, you have come to the right place! We have several San Francisco classic car rentals, and we are adding more all the time. For information about rates and availability, please call us at NLS Limo today at 800-339-8936!
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5Great 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.