Canadians can rent cool classic cars to drive in United States
It’s an affliction befalling most gearheads: the desire to drive as many cool cars as possible.
Given the opportunity, most of us would have a fleet of machinery rivalling the collections of Jay Leno or Jerry Seinfeld. But this can get expensive.
Hagerty recognized this as an opportunity to expand the type of products it offers to gearhead car collectors. Best known for its insurance, the company brought Driveshare to market to help like-minded car nuts sate their appetite for getting behind the wheel of a neat machine.
Think of Driveshare as airbnb for cool cars. The service allows owners of collector vehicles to rent them out, not unlike picking up a mainstream car as a vacation rental from a service such as Turo. Hagerty doesn’t own any of the cars, instead it maintains a website that connects renters with customers looking for an interesting set of wheels. Uses range from weddings or photo shoots to serving as a test bed for a curious buyer who is trying to determine if they can live with the quirks of a classic car.
It’s the latter group they’re hoping will become long-term customers of the Hagerty brand.
“If a person just getting into the collector car hobby is exposed to the Hagerty brand during a short-term rental, the name may stick and be top of mind when they’re shopping for insurance after they buy a cool car of their own,” explained Steve Haas, senior manager of Driveshare operations at Hagerty.
“We currently have customers booking cars six months in advance for weddings, but also people who are looking to rent something in the next three hours.”
Up until July of this year, only American residents age 30 and over could use the service. A change in insurance details now allows Hagerty to permit rentals to those aged 25 and up, and to international drivers, meaning Canadians who travel south of the border can now rent a car from Driveshare. The cars still have to be registered in the United States.
This is great news for the gearhead couple who find themselves in California for a couple of days. Calling up the Driveshare website reveals a variety of cool machines for rent in that state, most of which would be a blast to drive up Highway 1 or in and around the canyons.
“Driveshare facilitates a great deal of communication between the renter and car owner,” Haas said. “Most cars of this nature have their quirks, and who better to explain them to you than the owners themselves?”
Some renters provide delivery service, so with enough notice one could arrange for the car of their choice to be waiting for them when they land at LAX. Others choose to allow their vehicles to be rented
Most cars of this nature have their quirks
as a chauffeured ride, or as a static display for fundraisers. Owners are free to set different fees for these purposes.
Haas told us convertibles and fun colours are quite popular on the site, as are Porsche 911s and Mustangs of all vintages. A car doesn’t have to be an antique to be listed on Driveshare; newer exotic or hi-po machinery are also welcome.
Hagerty helps with legalities on both sides of the rental agreement, with mechanisms in place to prevent renters without a valid driver’s licence from getting behind the wheel, while also providing roadside assistance and liability insurance to the renter as part of the deal. Like an auction house, Hagerty charges a fee for its services; in this case, it keeps 35 per cent of the rental rate.
Variety is the spice of life, and any service that gives gearheads the chance to sample a roster of cool cars ranks pretty high on our list. If you’re planning a trip to the United States, see what Driveshare has available to make your trip a whole lot better.