Raphmoe Review: Classic Car Club of Manhattan (CCC)

"Raphmoe" (raphmoe)
11/21/2014 at 13:58 • Filed to: reviews, ccc, raphmoe, journalism, classic car club

Have you ever wanted to rent a fast and fun car? Have you ever wanted to pay for friends? If you answered yes to either of these questions than the Classic Car Club fraternity is for you. Located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan near the Holland Tunnel the Classic Car Club is essentially the Enterprise Rental Car for people with more money than brains, or, an expensive way to join the Fraternity of Car Culture. Much like those frat boys we all love to hate paid for their friends in college, you can join the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! if you want to meet, greet, drink, and drive with like minded friends with lots of money. How much money? Well, our friends at Business Insider looked in to it, and the price for rental cars there is staggering:

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There are three levels of annual membership: silver, gold, and platinum, for $4,500, $8,000, and $13,000 , respectively. All members have access to all of the cars, and reservations (the word "rental" is never used) are based on a points system. Platinum members get the most points, and can have the cars delivered to them at home.

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Yes, friends, you read that right. The most affordable car rental policy at Classic Car Club Manhattan is more expensive than a well running Mazda Miata. PER YEAR! After two years of Membership you've spent $9,000 for....some rental cars. It's truly a ridiculous idea that people love, because in general, a fool and his money are easily parted. Thankfully, you get to have parties where free liquor is provided in and around cars. A great way to not promote drinking and driving for sure. Now, you may be thinking to yourself "people sign up for this rental car program because they are car enthusiasts", lol, you would be mistaken. Take for instance Jay-Z, he was a member that never rented a car:

The Classic Car Club has had its share of celebrities join up, including Robert Downey Jr., Tracy Morgan, and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! CEO !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! never used his membership, Bookings Manager and Event Coordinator Jeannette Klein says.

There has to be some pros to this car club, right? Of course there are. Ego. By being around these cars you will think much higher of yourself and start to believe that you actually can buy all of these cars; because you've rented time with them! That's basically the same as ownership if you have no concept of money. Which, on the internet, we don't believe in money. We use bitcoin. Duh. But in the real world of CCC you spend actual money on things you don't actually own. Rental cars have never had it so good. Your Ego will be so inflated that it will help you in the future, which is great for life.

Some other pros: street cred. That's right, street cred. You can post pictures of yourself driving cars on social media outlets and your friends will think "wow, what a cool car you're driving - I wish I were you". Bam, street cred has been upped. You, gangstar, you.

At the end of the day though, CCC is a great place to drive lots of fun cars that rotate in and out and constantly get refreshed and maintained. So, if you're a member for 10 years, you've paid anywhere from $45,000 to $130,000 for fun, friends, and cars, and when you cancel that membership or move away from New York you have nothing to show for it.

Me? I would rather spend my money on a car that I can actually call my own. I'm an old fashioned jalopy.

DISCUSSION (36)

McMike > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 14:06

Kinja'd!!!

SOLD

Alfalfa > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 14:06

This is really something that would only work in a place like New York City. Most people are pretty well off, and car ownership can be a real pain.

Raphmoe > Alfalfa
11/21/2014 at 14:08

Renting a parking garage spot in the suburbs on a train line and actually owning a car is cheaper than renting cars from this friend factory.

Audi-os, Amigos! > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 14:18

But how do you really feel?

William Byrd > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 14:24

Have you been? If not, isn't this sort of like me reviewing the Cobra up there, or the blonde standing next to it, neither of which I've driven!

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 14:27

I agree with most all of your assessments but I can't honestly say 100% I wouldn't join. Not because I want to pay for friends (I don't), and not because I want to be able to say I'm a member (I might), but because it would give me access to cars that I might not have access to otherwise. I'd still have to give it serious thought though.

Mathias Rios > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 14:28

You seem like a rather bitter person.

Sam > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 14:37

I will say that $130,000 is much cheaper than buying and maintaining almost every individual car at the club. Especially in Manhattan. Plus, to someone making $100-200k a year, it's practically nothing.

Raphmoe > Mathias Rios
11/21/2014 at 14:38

I have been told by former lovers that I am both sweet and savory, never bitter.

Raphmoe > Audi-os, Amigos!
11/21/2014 at 14:38

Marvelous, my dear.

Raphmoe > William Byrd
11/21/2014 at 14:40

I have never taken a pay-day loan but I know that they are stupid to do.

I have never jumped off a bridge but I know that that would be stupid to do.

I have never drank bleach because it would be bad for my health.

Sometimes you can be presented with facts such as the cost of membership and realize that dollars to dollars buying and owning your own car may be a better value for your time and money. That was my conclusion.

JGrabowMSt > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 14:43

I'm sorry you're a cranky old fart, but you're missing the bigger picture.

What if I can't afford to own a reliable car, or what if I'm looking for weekend thrills once in a while, and need something different to fulfill that? I'm glad you don't like it, but that's fine. I personally love CCC and try to get out there. It's not about the money, it's not about the location, it's about the cars, and being close to cars that you're normally just not able to be around in general.

I don't really care who else has a membership or if they never bothered to use it, because they're still supporting the idea of CCC, whether directly or indirectly. Why should these cars only be owned by people who have the money to buy them?

Don't forget insurance, registration, any payments you have to make, trips to the mechanic, tires, gas, etc. Cars are not cheap, and really nice cars are really not cheap.

I'm glad you have a ton of money that I don't, but hey, if I could take a Cobra out a few times a year for $4500, I'm game! It might be a replica, but between the amount of time it takes to build a kit, or the cost of a complete one, $4500 is a bargain to not have to pay for insurance on it.

Jayhawk Jake > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 14:45

For one year would I rather have a Miata or access to supercars?

I'd probably take the supercars.

Jayhawk Jake > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 14:47

Why do you care how other people spend their money? At least they aren't blowing it on hookers and blow

Raphmoe > Jayhawk Jake
11/21/2014 at 14:50

Why do you care if people spend money on hookers and blow?

Raphmoe > Jayhawk Jake
11/21/2014 at 14:50

To each their own, there are definitely benefits to both.

Jayhawk Jake > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 14:51

I guess I don't....

Mathias Rios > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 14:51

this isn't really a review, more of your judgment call. You can't accurately review something without experiencing it or living it, and from this article it appears you haven't even been to CCC

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 14:54

Kinja'd!!!

I remember looking at the air filter of this car...

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 14:55

Yes, While it does seem kind of expensive (especially for not owning a car) you do get a free club, and where else would you be able to drive all of these cars?

plus most people in manhattan are already well to do, plus you don't have to do maintenece.

I think I would do it for a couple years at least, becuase owning a car in NYC is a PITA.

Raphmoe > Mathias Rios
11/21/2014 at 14:55

You must be new to Jalopnik, judging things on face value is how things operate.

I know old cars are awesome because I read about it online.

I know Group B rallying was awesome because I watched videos.

I know LeMans was awesome in the 60's and wasn't alive.

Everything in life is a judgement call. What did I get wrong about CCC and their rental cars?

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > JGrabowMSt
11/21/2014 at 14:56

I don't know about THAT cobra....

Raphmoe > JGrabowMSt
11/21/2014 at 14:57

I'm sorry you don't agree with my opinion, but that's what makes the internet and this world wonderful: we don't all have to agree. To each their own, my friend.

William Byrd > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 15:16

Correct, as you stated "for YOUR time and money". On your budget, this may not make sense. Obviously for others it does since they haven't gone out of business yet.

Sorry, just feels like a "to each, their own" type of thing. If I were a well-to-do enthusiast, but not quite well-to-do-enough to store car(s) in NYC, I would consider it. As you stated, you CAN buy an NA Miata and store it in Jersey, but that would be more than $4500 and (having owned one) it's not nearly as much fun as the cars pictured above. I lied, I have driven a Cobra, it's amazing. The blonde, hard to tell.

But if you hate CCC, that's why the internet is here (well that and porn), preach on! We'll keep reading.

Raphmoe > William Byrd
11/21/2014 at 15:17

Cheers, brother man! Money choices are always pesky.

JGrabowMSt > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 15:19

I'm not saying you have to agree, and I'm glad you don't. I just see no reason to take away the opportunity of something like this to the people that do support it.

What if it's the best someone can afford, and they just barely scrape ends meet to make it happen, but every couple of months they can take something like this out for a weekend, and it changes your entire perspective of life. You don't have to go deep into debt just to experience these cars, and that's what CCC is about.

Besides, how many owners of exotics go into debt and have their cars impounded? I'd rather see them get used and abused like they were built to do than sit in a police impound lot.

If you have the money to own half the cars CCC has, more power to you, and I'm glad you're successful enough to get there. I'm still trying to get there, and if all I can do is go to CCC once in a while and stare at them, don't take that away from me.

Jonathan Harper > Raphmoe
11/21/2014 at 15:49

Nice bit of satire, glad no one is taking it at face value.

waymoe > Jonathan Harper
11/21/2014 at 16:12

Lol theres no satire there he just ripped your spot a new asshole

Raphmoe > Jonathan Harper
11/21/2014 at 16:13

Kinja'd!!!

What did I say that was not accurate?

Raphmoe > Jonathan Harper
11/22/2014 at 10:43

Your silence is golden.

Jonathan Harper > Raphmoe
11/22/2014 at 12:23

not worth responding to.

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > Raphmoe
11/23/2014 at 04:13

Here's where your assessment falls apart:

Classic and exotic cars tend to be expensive. New York City is an expensive place to park and maintain a car. Time is money. Yes, you can get one Miata for $4500 a year, or you can have access to a Mercedes SLS, Mclaren 12C, BMW i8, and countless other cars whenever the hell you feel like it, without having to to deal with insurance or repair shops, not to mention they deliver the cars to and from your freaking house. It's not a stretch to say that CCC is fulfilling a need. CCC isn't a rental car service, as it's not a necessity for your day-to-day activities and they brand themselves as a tight-knit community of members, hence the parties. Nobody is borrowing a Shelby Cobra because they need to get to work - it's a lifestyle decision and a luxury service. If you think of it as hiring a driver or using a high-end taxi service everywhere versus using CCC, then the numbers will start to make sense.

Also, many of the very expensive cars they lend are brand new. By chance, do you know what the depreciation costs are on any new $250,000 exotic, per year? A bit more than a yearly Platinum membership. And you get access to that, plus a garage full of insanely cool cars. For fuck's sake, the Gold membership is $667 a month. You wouldn't be able to rent a Ferrari for a day for that amount. Some NYC parking spaces are more than that by themselves.

But you're right, there shouldn't be a service that brings car culture and awesome classic and exotic machines to people that want them. Why would we ever want that to happen?

Jonathan Harper > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
11/23/2014 at 13:39

Kinja'd!!!

Well said Tavarish.

Raphmoe > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
11/24/2014 at 08:42

Whoa, whoa, nobody said that this service should not exist. The review clearly says that for some people it makes more sense to own their own car.

The Car Club is a rental car service. A bad ass, awesome, get to drive fun ass cars - rental service. To call it anything else is disingenuous; because when you are not a member you have nothing.

Raphmoe > Jonathan Harper
11/24/2014 at 08:43

What's satirical about calling a rental car service a rental car service? I'll hang up and listen.

thebigbossyboss > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz)
11/24/2014 at 09:43

You'd also have much much more variety. I mean sure, you can get some pretty cool cars for $5K but you're only going to get one. If you enter CCC you could drive a wide variety of vehicles.