January 27, 2007
New Car Club Opens In Dallas Texas
Published January 27th, 2007 Exotic & Luxury Car Clubs

There’s something the salespeople at the Porsche dealer in Dallas and the BMW dealer in Fort Worth don’t want luxury and high-end sports car enthusiasts in the Metroplex to find out about.  It’s called the DFW Elite Car Club.com and it’s a new way to enjoy a fleet of the world’s most distinctive cars for much less than the cost of owning even one of them.   

“What most high-end car owners don’t expect is how little they reach for the keys and how much they reach for their wallets,” reports car collector, real estate developer, and DFW Elite Car Club.com founder Ron Sturgeon.  “We believe that exotic and high-end car lovers in the Metroplex are ready for a better, less costly way to drive elite automobiles.”  That new way is called DFW Elite Car Club.com.

“Timeshares for airplanes and yachts have been around for years,” reports Mr. Sturgeon. “We are just extending the same idea to a fleet of exotic, luxury, and classic automobiles.”  Membership is open to both corporations and individuals.  In exchange for their monthly dues, members receive an allotment of points that work like currency for use of club vehicles at costs far lower than ownership or daily rental rates.

To read the complete story go to http://www.dfweliteautorental.com/PRESSRELEASES/jan07/New-Exotic-Car-Share-Club-Wave.htm

January 12, 2007
Part of a very exclusive club
Imagine having a long list of exotic cars all at your fingertips. Driving like James Bond one weekend and Michael Schumacher the next. A new club is operating in Sydney that lets you do just that, within speed limits of course.

Members of the P1 performance club get the pick of some of the world's hottest and most expensive supercars, including brands such as Ferrari, Aston Martin and Lamborghini. P1 Australia director Peter Dempsey says the club has 12 cars and plans to add one new car for every extra five members.

"With our collection they can take any car out that suits them," he says. The cars are divided into five categories, the top one featuring the most expensive cars, such as a Ferrari F430 Spiderand soon a Scaglietti, an Aston Martin DB9 Volante and Vanquish and a Lamborghini Murcielago.

Other cars in the mix include a Bentley Continental GT, a Ferrari F430, Aston Martin V8 Vantage and various Porsches. The lower categories might not be quite as impressive, but they'll still turn heads. A BMW M5 and Z4 M Coupe, a Range Rover Sport and a Lotus Exige S2, add to the list.

Dempsey says a Hummer H2 will be next to arrive, dressed with a leather package. He is also expecting the arrival of the Audi R8. But getting to drive your dream cars doesn't come cheap.

"There's a joining fee of $5000 and then there are three different levels of membership, $27,000, $32,000 or $36,500," Dempsey says.

Top-end members have a possible 70 driving days a year, with the cheaper membership offering 50 days a year.

The company originated in England six years ago, and was co-founded by former Formula One world champion Damon Hill.

After two months of operation, the Sydney branch has 50 members. "In Sydney, we cap it at 150 members," Dempsey says. "That's a reflection of the size of commercial property that is available to store the cars."

The founding British club has 74 cars, including a Ford GT and an Aerial Atom. But Dempsey says they haven't been able to bring these models, as the Atom isn't road legal in Australia and customs won't allow the GT in as it is a left-hand drive. "(But) we're the only ones doing it with the supercars, brand new cars," he says.

And it seems that it's not just the usual suspects, the wealthy bankers, lawyers and financiers, who are getting on board.

Dempsey says members come from all walks of life and include a greengrocer and a professional golfer. Doctors, dentists, solicitors and barristers are also taking up the chance to get behind the wheel of some amazing cars.

The youngest member is a 22-year-old refrigeration engineer from western Sydney.

The club takes care of all insurance, maintenance and storage fees and Dempsey says one of the main benefits is that members don't have to worry about huge depreciation on the vehicles.

"With high taxation, people understand that they're better off putting half a million dollars in an investment and getting to play the field (with) the cars," he says.

And while the majority of those taking up the membership are male, Dempsey says women are also driving them as a memberships include two names as drivers.

"Often guys show the interest and then bring their wives on board as the second name driver," he says.

The cars can be taken out for as little as a day, or it can run into months -- depending on members' wants and needs.

Dempsey says the weather often forecasts what vehicles will be popular, with the convertibles a hit on the sunny weekends.

A second British branch of the club opened in 2004 in Manchester.

The Australian section will expand in March, when a Melbourne club is opened, with Formula One driver Mark Weber in attendance again. And Dempsey says that P1 International is also looking towards expanding into Dubai and Hong Kong.


P1 International Limited
Imperial Park, Randalls Way
Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 7TA
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0) 1372 374400
www.p1international.com
info@p1international.com
P1, pioneered the concept of shared access to supercars when it was launched in October 2000. Now in its seventh year, the club offers its members the ultimate way to drive an unrivalled garage of the world's finest and fastest cars without the drawbacks and costs of ownership.

The Daily Telegraph
Source: http://carsguide.news.com.au
Part of a very exclusive club
Ashlee Pleffer
12 January 2007

 

December 17, 2006
"With Members Like Them, Who Needs Porsches"
It looks like this is working out pretty nicely. Since our official launch last week we have setup two new members. No it's not Richard Gere and Robin Williams, but read on...

One is headed down to Saint-Petersburg Florida today with the Cayman S doing five overnight stops at friends homes along the way. He has been working non-stop for about 6 months on Eagles Nest and is taking the proverbial well-deserved break. As Caymans do, the car fits him like a glove. Among other more important things his grey hair and fashion style match perfectly the arctic silver and cocoa color scheme. Where are those Vogue photographers when you need them. I wished I looked as good slippin into the Turbo. CP + Cayman S = Cool.

I also received a call yesterday from a man who lives an hour from here in Virginia. He was enquiring about membership, the points system and the ability to roll-over points to the next year if they were unused. Obviously a very smart guy who knows how to do homework. I explained that while unused points did not extend the time period of membership, members who renewed their memberships, were credited half their unused points to carry over into the next membership period.

It took all of 3 minutes into the conversation however, which ended up lasting an hour, for me to realize that I had on the other end of the phone one of the most educated, world-traveled, savvy, wittiest, most downright hilarious persons I have ever spoken to anywhere, ever. Within a few minutes he had me rolling on the floor with some of the most creative and insightful humor this side of the Mason-Dixon line or is that the Robin-Williams line. He knew more about Porsche cars and history than we did, and has owned over 30 Porsches, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Aston-Martins, and other high-end luxury and performance cars over the years. Some of his current cars include a Ford GT, Aston-Martin, and Cayman S he said his wife uses a lot. I am guessing she is the better half because, among other things, she chooses the good stuff :-) I particularly enjoyed discussing with him his European and Asian business adventures because he is obviously a seasoned and highly successful business pro. While I did cherish comparing European notes, it is his unique sense of humor and insightful world view that had me in the most disheveled condition by the time we were finished. The man is a 500 hp hoot. Believe me this is a person that would have made it big in anything he attempted including giving our current crop of wise-funny-men a serious run for their money. I wish he wrote because we need more of that in this world.

We spoke for a moment about the somewhat "unorthodox" approach we took to the "Frequently Asked Questions" and "News" pages on this site. He loved them. I explained as how we had decided "small is beautiful" and "simple human" is better, we would be taking a very laid-back yet direct open communication style to our website. I told him that since I had noticed how many people failed to raise issues because of wanting to be polite, and as a result failed to ask some tough questions, I figured I would answer the "frequently unasked questions" in the "frequently asked questions" page.

It seems highly likely he join the Club hitting three for the week and all I can say is "With Members Like Them, Who Needs Cars", and if that is the type of membership we attract then this is "gonna be a whole lotta fun" and we are gonna look good too. After our conversation I even envisaged adding a special allowance category to our special allowances policy. I guess it would be called the "Dust-on-Back Policy" in honor of the dust which accumulates on one's new Columbia sweatshirt when rolling around on the un-pledged wooden floor laughing. "The Gentlemen's Grey Policy" would assure we look very "Richard Gere" while doing so. So I guess Club Ferdinand is gonna be a lot like Richard Gere rolling around on the wood floor laughing in a sweatshirt on Saturday mornings.

Among other things he told me he has a lot of friends who visit regularly, they like to go on weekend tours, and asked if the club cars were available for non-member use so his friends could also enjoy them. I told him that even if we loved to have fun and joke around our business and policies were obligatorily very serious, strict and firm, but that since our insurance policy allowed us to do daily rentals by the nature of its design we could develop a special program where friends of members would be able to rent cars to accompany members on driving trips, providing adequate lead time be assured for the requisite and very thorough background and driving record checks which members undergo.

I guess that all reminds me why we choose "small". As seasoned business people we have done "big". Big is nice, small is nicer. In "small" members help design the clubhouse and help build the clubhouse.

"If those are the types of members we attract this is going to be a whole lot of fun"

I am thinking that one of the reasons Porsche drivers are so much fun is because the cars produce "glee".

I guess we do need the cars... how else would we meet such delightful people.

Club Ferdinand


December 17, 2006
The "I" Word
If anyone out there has tried to put a fleet-sharing club together they will cringe when you say the "I" word. "I" as in "Insurance". Yes folks that huge monster called "Insurance" kept us awake many sleepless nights. And the insurance rates could easily double or triple the price of membership if you fall in with the wrong insurer. Not to speak of the fact that the right type of comprehensive and liability coverage is key for everyone's protection and the insurance companies are by definition based on finding the common denominators. So, when this type of new breed of business emerges, few if any, are ready, willing or able.

It took us almost 10 months from start to finish to obtain the right insurance for Club Ferdinand and it required an insurance company that delivers on its promises. You will find below a letter of thanks sent to BB&T for their outstanding dedication to our cause. They had 4 or more people on this for months until they "got'er done" right. It is one fine outfit and I can attest first-hand to their world-class service, not to speak of their willingness to read the hundreds of pages of documentation we provided. Besides which they did it North Carolina style which means human, friendly, helpful, personal, personable, determined and persistent (I guess persistent is normal for the Moonshine and NASCAR state).

So if you plan on putting a club like this together let me save you a lot of time, money and heartache. Call BB&T in Morganton North Carolina and ask to speak to Walter Bell and Wanda Rose.

Below is a letter I sent to BB&T a few days ago and believe me they deserve the praise and more. They custom designed a product that makes perfect sense for this type of business. It is no surprise to me now that BB&T is one of the 6 largest insurance companies in America. North Carolina sure knows what they are doing in banking and insurance. 3 of the top 10 banks in America are based out of North Carolina and BB&T is one of them. Well duh! The insurance division is captained by one fine young Carolinian named Wade Reece. Just a simple local fella from down the street here. Just like the ASU Mountaineers are a small hometown football team. Right! He is effectively from just down the street though (born and raised less than 6 miles from here). Wade, like the Mountaineers, obviously knows what he is doing because under his stewardship in 20 short years BB&T went from "nothin much" in insurance to becoming a major institution in American Insurance. Quite frankly friends, in how many insurance companies do you get to talk to the CEO. At BB&T if you need something special they will walk you right up. It truly is a formidable outfit with outstanding people at every level in both the banking and insurance divisions.

Hi Walter and Wanda,

I just wanted you to know I signed on my first member today and he vows he is bringing 3 more in the next few weeks. That should put us at 10 members by the end of the year, and it seems about 25 shortly.

I cannot thank you, Wade and Steve enough for "gettin er done" and hope you will forward them the expression of my profound gratitude for your and their extraordinary efforts.

You can rest assured all our insurance and banking business will be headed to BB&T in very short order.

Thank you again. When I walked into BB&T originally I thought I was creating a normal business relationship and have discovered we made true friends who go way out of their way to do things at the highest level of excellence combined with the friendliest banking and service I have ever seen.

Walter, I sure understand now how BB&T got where it is... people power, and people like you, Wanda, Jonathan, Steve and Wade. You guys are absolutely unreal and hold a well deserved place in NC banking and Insurance. Take my word for it I will be singing your praises to one and all.

Best Regards,

Club Ferdinand

ABOUT BB&T
Facts and Figures
BB&T Philosophy
Management Team
Awards and Recognition
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December 4, 2006
"Club Ferdinand attends Porsche Club of America Drivers Education at VIR"
As you can see throughout our site we are vigorous advocates of The Porsche Club of America Driver's Education Program.

We also express this in the "money where our mouth is" department in the following ways:

a) we provide special pricing for members who have taken PCA Driver's Education; they receive significant benefits and advantages.
b) we actively encourage our members and other Porsche Owners to do so on this site, in all our printed documentation, at our events and meetings.
c) we attend Driver's Ed ourselves, in this particular instance below "en masse".

Case in point
Between December 1-3, 2006, 4 of the Club Ferdinand owners spent the weekend at Virginia International Raceway learning proper skills and the in-depth behavioral profiles of 4 of the club's vehicles from instructors James Stanislaw, Paula Kendrick, Nadine Saville, Marcus Lesseur, Harvey Yancey. The 4 vehicles were the 996 Turbo S, the 997 Carrera 4, the Cayman S and The Boxster S. Until you have taken Driver's Ed with a PCA Instructor you will not understand the level of skill, professionalism, goodwill, personal customized care and attention you will receive. It's about as good as having Paul Newman as a helpful uncle who a) is mighty serious and firm, b) as funny as Ferguson, c) does not freak out like Mom teaching you to drive, d) gently eases you into a new skill set and level you had no idea you could acquire (Afterthought: James and Harvey, we may as well have placed a little of "Newmans's Own" salad dressing in the trunk... because we definitely stirred things up plenty)

The event was organized by The Carolinas Region Porsche Club of America (www.carolinas-pca.com). This is one fine region.

Words cannot adequately convey how the whole team putting together the event, and the participants, made everyone feel at home. Brian Powell, Bob Saville, Nadine Saville, Harvey Yancey, Marty Barrett... In fact everyone went out of their way to make us green newcomers feel like family; let's quickly add... family minus the quibbling and sibling rivalry. Porsche fans know that every Porsche is a star so a GT3 or Turbo does not outrank a 914 in bragging or other rights, in the paddock or on the track. Of the 350 or so persons there the oldest may have been in his eighties and the youngest about three. Of the cars there the oldest may have been forty and the youngest hot off the Porsche Synergy Racing press.

Porsche Driver's Ed is like a family reunion where each person can be who they are. Very rare indeed. While Porsche Owners are not all necessarily wealthy, they are highly educated... and they understand very clearly the reasons they appreciate the cars and company - The company Porsche, and the company it keeps - and that common denominator makes for a very educational mix in its own right. The wit and humor at every corner of the paddock alone is well worth the trip, even if you never touch the wheel. So if the Porsche Club of America has such passionate fans it goes beyond to the adage that "birds of a feather flock together"... families have no choice, some do it well, PCA does it well.

If the car has so many passionate fans, and you do not yet know why, attend one PCA Driver's Ed event in any car of your choice, and unlike "Led Zeppelin", you will no longer be "Dazed and Confused". When Porsche says "There is no substitute" they are not slinging the bull, red or otherwise, or relying on the schnapps factor. They mean it... and it shows.

As you can see from our site, the same group which manages The Mast Farm Inn, and The Mast Farm Touring Club, in Valle Crucis, also manages Club Ferdinand. So we distributed 150 Gift Certificates at the event good for lodging at The Mast Farm Inn to Porsche participants. We are sorry other brand owners could not get them too. As it is our accountant was beating us alternately with both red and black flags, for what he considered "4 wheels off the track" on the "bean-counter raceway". Furthermore we had established as policy a while back that all Porsche Club of America Members receive a 7.5% discount on all lodging at The Mast Farm Inn; weekdays, weekends, holidays included, with no black-out dates, so let's pray for sunny weather and a warm track, lest accounting take away our gas card.

Although we had as yet to attend a DE event till this recent Driver's Ed event (our family only recently moved to North Carolina from overseas), we had heard much good about it from many knowledgeable people. We were not disappointed... to say the least.

We wrote at the start of this article: "As you can see throughout our site we are vigorous advocates of The Porsche Club of America Driver's Education Program."... Now we know why first hand! And we cannot encourage you enough to discover why, by attending yourself. Like Harvey Yancey, Porsche Club of America Drivers Education under-promises and over-delivers.

Many people there asked us about the genesis for Club Ferdinand, so we thought we would add that here.

It's very simple really: When 8 members of our family (7 Drivers) decided to relocate to North Carolina from overseas we needed cars. Obviously from previous experience we knew those were going to be exclusively Porsches. As a result we decided to purchase a significant number and variety of new Porsches thinking we would all share them rather than each of us having just one car. Our family is tight and trouble free (knock on wood). It was an easy jump from that to why not get a whole bunch more cars and provide that type of opportunity to others who may have the same interest. So we got many more Porsches and designed Club Ferdinand to manage this service. Simple pleasures for simple people. Obviously we thought the idea brilliant and innovative, and developed in our group the major building block concepts. We marveled at our insights and intellectual prowess until we started to do the requisite research and discovered we had not invented anything at all - We had re-invented the wheel. Duh! - It seems Damon Hill of P1 international had invented this wheel. Almost all the wonderful ideas we had someone else, some other place and time, had already developed. Drats. Oh well, there goes our claim to fame. Damon Hill, Club Sportiva, The Classic Car Club, and the great number of fleet-sharing clubs have done a wonderful and courageous job of introducing this pioneering new approach and we owe them a debt of gratitude for having paved the way.

As seasoned business folks, with a veritable compulsion to try to do things properly, when designing Club Ferdinand we struggled a bit with discovering the right character and personality for the club. We could have made it big, fancy and uppity. We could have made it a garage for tinkering. We could have made it very exclusive by pricing it beyond reason, so only the mighty well off could afford it, or so inexpensive and accessible that every prom king and queen would want to sign up for that special night. We could have required overalls or blazers in the club room. It could be all about status and bragging rights, it could be all about mechanics and engineering,.. only jet pilots and mechanics need apply.

We decided to make it "small is beautiful" and to design it to feel like a comfy family gathering serving Sunday Morning Coffee. A good family welcomes and supports all members as they are, and if they do it well they grow, and they design the family events based on the family's profile and needs.

Needless to say it was enlightening for us to discover that the personal experience and attention one gets by attending Driver's Ed is precisely what we were seeking in terms of character for Club Ferdinand. It reminded us that modest, simple, and human is the best policy and that is what we hope to accomplish. Here you will be a person and not a number. No blazers, flight suits or overalls required, come as you are. If more members want Driver's Ed cars we will try to get them, if more members want Vintage Cars we will try to get them, if more members want top-down Blue Ridge Parkway Sunday Boxsters or Cayennes we will try to get them, if more members want Carrera GTs, GT2s, GT3s and Turbos, we will try to get those. The way we will know, and the way we will go, is by you telling us where you would like to go. So welcome home, our house is you house, and we mean it.

Thanks to the whole team at Carolinas Region. Beyond the wordy descriptions here let's just say you also touched our hearts in more ways than we can describe and we will never forget that extraordinary welcome into the fold. Mama Mia!

Thank You

Club Ferdinand

November 24, 2006
"Club Ferdinand acquires an exceptional 911 Turbo 993 modified to produce 500HP"
After a great deal of time, research, wishin and hopin,  we were able to acquire a rare example of the iconic 993 Air-Cooled Turbo. This emblematic vehicle is in immaculate condition outside, inside and mechanically, and it is quite the monster from a performance perspective. It has been upgraded to 500HP as well as had major enhancements to clutch, suspension and brakes. Suffice to say that we have never-ever, 12 Cylinder Ferraris and Lamborghinis included, ever driven a car with such overwhelming pick-up and go brute force, in any gear, at any speed, and the handling and braking is nothing short of sublime. The 0-60 time is most likely in the 3.1-3.3 second range, and the car behaves beautifully. Here is what Exclusive Motors in Charlotte had to say about the car:

"The 993 Turbo is probably the most perfect car Porsche has ever built. Stock at 400 hp, this wide-body, all wheel drive, supercharged 993 Turbo is at 500 HP, and includes a Special "PSS9" suspension, "Motorsports" front strut tower brace, "EuroSpec" adjustable sway bars: 25mm front / 22mm rear, Short Shift kit, "Imagine Auto Stage II IA 500HP" kit, which includes a custom air induction system, custom billet blow off valves, "FabSpeed" free flow exhaust system , and "Stage II" custom re-mapping of the ECU." - www.exclusive-motors.com

This places the car in the same league with the racing GT3 RSR which runs in races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Daytona & The 12 Hours of Sebring. This car is a handful to say the least, is not for the un-initiated or faint of heart, the torque in any gear at 4000 rpm and up is off the charts, and will be reserved exclusively for Members having received certifications or racing licenses from high-performance driver's education courses taught at the following schools:

• Porsche Sportfahrschule
• The Porsche Driving Experience
• The Porsche Club of America Driver's Education
• Porsche Sportfahrschule Onroad
• Porsche Sportfahrschule Offroad
• Porsche Sportfahrschule France
• Porsche Sportfahrschule Italy
• Porsche Sportfahrschule Japan
• Porsche Sportfahrschule Great Britain
• Porsche Sportfahrschule Spain/Portugal
• Porsche Sportfahrschule Australia
• Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving
• Ecole de Pilotage Club Automobile de l'Ouest
• Silverstone Motorsport Academy
• Skip Barber Racing School
• The Nürburgring Driving Safety Center

or members who currently own and regularly drive Porsches, Ferraris, Lamborghini or other sports cars which generate over 450 HP.

Many people inquire as to whether Club Ferdinand will have more a mix of Porsche Classics, such as 356s, or more a mix of Porsche High-Performance cars, like the Turbos, GT2, GT3 or Carrera GT, or more a mix of the mode sedate Porsche vehicles, like the Carreras, Cayennes, Boxsters etc... The answer to that question will be determined by the membership profile which emerges as we launch and deploy. We have a launch mix of 8 vehicles in-house which covers the model lines very evenly. If a number of members are more interested in Vintage Porsches, we will move in that direction, if a number are more interested in the ultra-high performance vehicles such as the 993 Turbo, or the Carrera GT, we will move in that direction, if a number are more interested in top-down slow cruises through the mountains to Asheville, we will move in the direction of more Carrera 4 & Boxster Triptronic Cabs. Over time we will no doubt have a deep mix of all three categories, the members interest will direct the priorities.

September 15, 2006
"Club Ferdinand featured in the First Edition of The North Carolina Motorsports Industry News"





“Club Ferdinand in Valle Crucis, North Carolina,
is the first “Fleet-Sharing Club” in the World composed exclusively
of the legendary Porsche Automobiles.
Three surprisingly affordable membership options
enable Members to benefit from the use of the club’s
“Luxury Sports Car Fleet” of new Porsches,
using a reservation and points system which assures equitable-share
usage of the fleet by all club members.
Explore North Carolina behind the wheel of your collection
of new Porsches and discover a whole new level of freedom.”


ClubFerdinand
1644 Broadstone Road
Historic Valle Crucis
Banner Elk, North Carolina 28604
Telephone: 828-963-5857, 828-963-2626
Fax: 828-963-6404, 626-608-3594
Toll Free: 1-888-963-5857
www.clubferdinand.us
info@clubferdinand.us

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