Legends Motor Club Puts Princeton Car Enthusiasts in the Driver's Seat of the Hottest Cars

Princeton Garage and Sports & Specialists Cars of Princeton have teamed up to form Legends Motor Club, an organization that puts its members behind the wheel of some of the finest exotic cars ever made while taking away the worry of insuring them, storing them and maintaining them.

For an annual membership fee, members receive a predetermined number of points, which can be exchanged for driving any of the cars owned by the club over the course of a year. The club’s current stable includes an Aston Martin DB-7 convertible, a Porsche 911 convertible, a Lotus Elise, a Ferrari F355 spider convertible, a Lexus SC 430, an Acura NSX, in what the club’s founders refer to as “Princeton orange,” among others.

The clubs’ cars are assigned different points using a tier system. A Ferrari, for instance, requires more points than a Mini Cooper. The number of points required to use a specific car is also impacted by the month and day of the week the car is driven and the number of days for which the car is reserved.

The fleet rotates frequently with new cars added to ensure members have the opportunity to drive a wide range of sports cars. The club currently has 16 members and will limit total membership to 50 to ensure maximum driving days and car access.

While it’s possible to rent high-end cars in the area, rates typically run in the hundreds of dollars per day. Depending on the cars driven, when they’re driven and for how long, the membership fee for Legends Motor Club buys approximately 25 to 30 driving days a year, making it much cheaper than day rentals.

It’s also more convenient as club members have exclusive access to a web site showing all the cars available and can make their own reservations whenever they choose. Members can use a different car every day, or keep one for a three-day weekend. All that's needed is a reservation. (To ensure all members have access to various cars, they’re asked to limit keeping any one car to two weeks at a time.) For those car enthusiasts afraid they can’t get enough of the various cars available through the club, additional points are available for purchase.

Another distinctive advantage over day rentals is that Legends Motor Club insures all of the club’s cars. No personal insurance is required as long as members meet membership criteria and abide by the club’s rules.

The benefits of becoming a member of Legends Motor Club go beyond just taking cool cars for a spin. The club plans to frequently hold social gatherings revolving around art, food, music and wine. The club is headquartered at 49 East Broad Street in Hopewell, NJ. in a beautifully restored building shared by the Hopewell Lotus dealership and Steel Wings, a business that repairs and restores Aston Martins. Members are free to congregate there to socialize and share their passion for fine cars. An exclusive clubhouse is in the works next door.

In addition, the club has a detailing service, so members’ personal cars get a little loving care while they’re out cruising in the club’s cars. All cars in the club’s stable are also available for purchase by members at special pricing.

“I can’t underestimate the financial benefits of this club,” says Wade Martin, one of the club’s founders. “Because Legends Motor Club purchases, ensures, maintains and stores its cars, members don’t have the typical hassles of owning a luxury sports car.

“They don’t have to worry about depreciation, storage fees, maintenance or insurance. Plus, it’s a great way to get a chance to try out a variety of sports cars without committing to any one. Drive a Porsche one day. Take the Aston Martin out the following week. Cruise the back roads of Bucks County in a Lotus Elise the next weekend.”

Martin cites the example of one of Legends Motor Club’s new members who saw the club as a much more fiscally viable way to drive fun cars.

“He had purchased a Mercedes two years ago for abut $92,000. He just sold it for $25,000 less. In addition to the depreciation on the car, he was paying out for insurance and maintenance over the last two years. He probably drove the car about 20 times over the two years. All told the cost of owning that car was probably close to $40,000.

“He saw Legends Motor Club as a great way to continue driving great cars, different great cars, at far less expense and for a lot less hassle. There’s no depreciation to worry about. No insurance. No storage. No maintenance. Just pure driving enjoyment.”

To be considered for membership, prospective members must be at least 30 years old and have had no more than 4 points on their driving records within the previous 10 years. Prospective members also cannot have had any DUI or DWI charges.