Rolls-Royce stores typically pitch opulence. Now, Beverly Hills, Calif., dealer Thomas O'Gara also will tout protection and defensive driving skills.
This past fall, O'Gara, vice chairman of vehicle armorer Kroll-O'Gara Co., bought Rolls-Royce of Beverly Hills. It is one of the top three Rolls-Royce dealerships in the United States, according to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Inc.
O'Gara will use his ties with Kroll-O'Gara, based in Fairfield, Ohio, to sell the stately cars with security options, such as bullet-resistant windows and car doom. He also will offer lessons to teach drivers how to steer out of trouble.
The store is the first to take advantage of an agreement Rolls-Royce Motor Cars made to use Kroll-O'Gara as its "preferred" vehicle armorer worldwide.
Under the 15-year accord, signed in September, Kroll-O'Gara will do all of Rolls-Royce's major armoring projects. The companies will jointly test, develop and market the cars, which cost about $60,000 above the $200,000 to $350,000 vehicle prices.
Some armoring also will be available to customers as a factory option and be done at the Rolls-Royce factory in Crewe, England.
NO SCARE TACTICS
Thomas O'Gara does not want to scare anyone, however. So he will pitch the cars as "protected" or "safety" rather than "armored" vehicles. Some customers may be turned off by images of James Bond-like bullet dodging, said Dan Heimbrock, Kroll-O'Gara spokesman.
Thomas O'Gara opened another Beverly Hills store this fall, called O'Gara Coach Co., which sells Aston Martin, Lotus and Lamborghini. It also showcases a range of Kroll-O'Gara's armored vehicles, which include Chevrolet Suburbans, Jeep Grand Cherokees and Mercedes-Benz E-class sedans.
Graham Hawksworth, formerly managing director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in Paramus, N.J., will serve as president of both stores.
Thomas O'Gara said he expects protected vehicles to trickle into the mainstream car market. He likens them to antilock brakes, which started as options on luxury cars and are now standard on many models. Also, as with antilock brakes, he said, drivers need to know how they work.
Sometime this year O'Gara will offer a driving school for customers with and without armored cars. O'Gara said students will become familiar with their cars' technology and learn defensive driving skills, such as how to avoid an oncoming semi truck or how to react to a random act of violence.
Armoring alone, he said, "will provide you with 10 to 15 seconds to make a good decision. If you don't make it, you're still dead."
SUMPTUOUS PERKS
O'Gara plans to provide a sumptuous buying experience. He will spend $5 million, part of which will go toward renovations at both stores and an initiative called the "Buying Difference," slated for completion by March. Customer perks will include refreshments, special events, hand-crafted decor and a chauffeur service.
He will promote the dealerships primarily through direct marketing and will cater to an international crowd of corporate executives, heads of state, entrepreneurs and celebrities.
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