DANIEL SADEK EXPERIENCES THE AMERICAN DREAM AND NIGHTMARE

Daniel Sadek may not be a household name, but his story is one that is more and more familiar.  Born in Lebanon, Daniel Sadek moved to the United States and began working at a gas station. 

From there, he graduated to 7-Eleven stores.  Eventually, Daniel Sadek began selling cars.  His success quickly moved him up the ladder and from selling Dodges to Mercedes Benz.  So far, so good. 

However, using his finely tuned business sense to determine that the timing was right, Daniel Sadek started Quick Loan Funding.  This operation began issuing subprime mortgages.  The company grew at such a rate, that Daniel Sadek amassed a large fortune from his California mortgage company.  This fortune allowed him to pursue his true passion: collecting exotic cars.  His collection of top tier exotic cars numbered more than twenty over twenty before he caught another bug.  Movies.

Daniel Sadek funded the movie Redline.  In addition to being bankrolled by Sadek to the tune of 26 million, the film about underground street racing starred all of Sadek’s exotic cars.  If you don’t recall the movie Redline, you’re not alone. Not many people saw it.  Its most notable pre-release publicity came as a result of a crash of one of Mr. Sadek’s Enzo Ferraris during filming.

Beyond the poor box officer results for Redline, Sadek is facing lawsuits, regulatory inquiries, and the evaporation of the sub prime mortgage market as banks tighten credit requirements and regulators freeze interest rates.  In formerly hot real estate markets such as California and Florida, mortgage brokers are finding business more scarce.

Ron Sturgeon is another wealthy exotic car aficionado who has managed to use his own personal car collection for different business purposes.  Sturgeon, a Texas-based executive has created several excited ventures by sharing the exotic car collection he amassed during his 35-year career in the automotive industry with car buffs in Dallas Fort Worth and throughout Texas. 

If you have ever had visions of having the keys to a Lenoesque garage, DFW Elite Car Club (www.dfwelitecarclub.com) might be just the answer you need to help you achieve your car driving dreams. This Dallas car sharing club allows members reserve and drive a collection that includes everything from classic BMW Isettas to a pair of Commercial Extreme Trucks? Want a Rolls Royce Phantom for a night out? A shining Hummer H2 to ferry your daughter to prom? Members pay a flat monthly fee to enjoy seat time in the Dallas car club’s collection without the worries that usually come with owning sports cars: depreciation, storage and maintenance.

The club has been especially popular with business owners looking for a way to provide a unique incentive for top salespeople. “Owners and sales managers are always looking for a way to reward top salespeople that is unique, motivating, and memorable,” says Sturgeon. “Not much comes close to a day at the helm of a Lamborghini Gallardo V-12 on the open roads of the North Texas Hill Country,” insists Sturgeon.

For those with a once a year exotic car itch, DFW Elite Auto Rental (www.dfweliteautorental.com) can accommodate with classic car rentals such as a ’65 Corvette Stingray Convertible.  If you have a reunion or special anniversary, why not arrive at the wheel of a stunning Bentley GT drop top? “I’ve driven a fair number of luxury cars,” says DFW Elite Auto Rental General Manager Tom Warren. “I’ve never had more fun in any DFW luxury car rental as I had driving the Bentley GTC.” 

Can’t pick just one fun car rental? Why not make a reservation to try five top cars on a single full day of open road fun! We don’t even have to mention how cool a Christmas gift this would be, do we! It’s called DFW Drive Your Dream (www.dfwdriveyourdream.com), and the staff of Dallas leisure monthly put it on their list of the most fun ways to spend a weekend in Dallas. Good news for car enthusiasts in Houston, San Antonio, and Austin! Full day fantasy car driving tours are available in your city, too! Check out the schedule of tour dates on the Drive Your Dream website.

Tours start at just $539 per person and feature instruction in the finer points of driving each car, at least 30 minutes of drive time, gourmet lunch, and lots of photo opportunities. There are four line-ups, but the high adrenaline 2500 HP Tour features a Lamborghini Gallardo, Ferrari F430 F1, Aston Martin V-8 Vantage, Bentley GTC. To see photos and video from past tours, visit our photo gallery page.

Written by G.D. Gregory.  If you are interested in having me write stories for you or seeing my portfolio, please contact me at ggpsu@yahoo.com.