Elite Auto Rental Blog

A Plano luxury car dealer has a unique approach to marketing. Eric Mass, president of Classic BMW in Plano, TX came up with the idea for Cars and Coffee.

The show takes place on the final Saturday of every month. Classic BMW provides owners a place to show off a variety of exotic vehicles, including Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Porsches. Classic cars are also welcome, and in September, the dealership hosted 520 vehicles.

Photo by Charles Williams. See more of his excellent photos in his Flickr photostream

“Our specialty is BMW, but we have an affinity for everything automotive, and we want people to know that,” Maas told the Dallas Morning News.

Hosting a show is a creative marketing ploy, to say the least. The majority of show participants are unlikely to buy a new exotic car from Classic BMW. In fact, the Cars and Coffee show doesn’t even provide advertising for Classic BMW, since the dealer isn’t mentioned in ads.

However, as the Cars and Coffee show gains a following, potential customers may trickle into the dealership on their own.

“It’s a challenging economy for everyone right now,” says Ron Sturgeon, owner of a Dallas car storage facility, “but for people in the auto business, it’s even more difficult. This is some great creative marketing.”

For Maas, it’s also about something even bigger. He coordinates donations for each show, often for causes like leukemia and Alzheimer’s research. He’s hoping that more participants will mean even larger donations.

“I think we could have shows where if we have 2,500 or 3,000 people showing up, we could raise $2,000,” he says. “That’s kind of an informal goal.”

With the way attendance numbers have been increasing, it’s likely that Maas will meet his donation goal. Dallas area residents are excited about exotic vehicles, and they are turning out in droves for the Cars and Coffee event.

For exotic car fans, events like Cars and Coffee are a great way to get a close look at exciting vehicles. If you want an even closer look without the expense of owning an exotic car, you can try exotic car rental.

Owing exotic cars can be costly. On top of the high purchase price, you have basic upkeep of your vehicle to consider. You also need to find a great deal on car insurance, which isn’t always easy for exotic vehicle owners.

Another great ownership alternative is joining an exotic car sharing club. Car club members have access to an entire garage of exotic cars and can use points to drive those cars whenever they like.

When it comes to exotic vehicles, Maas wants the public to know that his dealership is excited about everything.

“Our specialty is BMW,” he says, “but we have an affinity for everything automotive, and we want people to know that.”

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance writer, specializing in cars, crafts, genealogy, and parenting.