SEATTLE — If you’ve ever dreamed about owning a classic car, a SODO business offers the next-best thing: renting one.
Classic Auto Rentals has a fleet of more than half a dozen options, from a red ’52 MG to a black ’74 Porsche 911.
"You can get the feel for what it's actually like to drive them if you haven't had the chance,” said founder Brooke Stabbert. "You get thumbs up, you get 'what is that, is that real?' and it's a lot of fun. You get a lot of positive reactions from people and generally, it always puts a smile on people's faces."
He operates the business out of The Shop – a private club where car and motorcycle enthusiasts can maintain and store their vehicles.
"There's been a long-term love affair with cars,” he said. "It probably started back before I was even 10."
Stabbert started restoring classics at age 16 and became a professional mechanic. He views Classic Auto Rentals as a way to share the love.
"It's fun to be able to actually get in them, use them, experience them - and that's what Classic Auto Rentals is about,” he said.
Prices range from $135 - $250 a day, and his customers range in age and purpose.
"We've had people rent them to be surprise birthday presents for husbands or fathers or wives… we've had a lot of people want to use these for their weddings,” Stabbert said. "We just had a gentleman take the Jaguar for a 700-mile road trip down the Oregon Coast with his girlfriend."
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