Luxury vacation lovers often face an unusual challenge. There's only so much of the standard tropical poolside drinks and pampering spa treatments routine, after all, before even the most upscale travel begins to feel, well, pedestrian. Those luxury travelers looking for the next uber-deluxe, elite vacation experience would do well to learn about Type-41, based in Monaco and the Cote d'Azure.
Type-41 is an elite, invitation-only supercar rental club, founded by Juergen Obermann. I spoke with Juergen recently about this incredibly deluxe club.
How does Type-41 procure new cars for its collection of high-end automobiles?
Type-41 was created because of our own personal passion for supercars. Having been fans of supercars for so many years, we’ve been able to make and sustain relationships with other fans and collectors over the years. Prior to making a purchase, each Type-41 car is carefully researched to ensure it meets the stringent rarity and exceptional performance standards of the club. Once it has been determined that a particular supercar meets these standards, we are able to use our vast network of connections to be able to find and purchase these cars as they are not generally available on the open market. These cars are so special and rare that they are only sold to other collectors to ensure the purity of the brand and the car is preserved and protected. So, it’s a very singular and time consuming process to procure each car. Type-41 is not about quantity but about quality which is why our membership is by invitation only and kept limited to a total of 111 members.
What sort of liability issues do you face, and what sort of steps do you do to protect both your clients and your company?
The typical liability issues faced by a typical car rental company are also faced by Type-41. To handle these issues, membership includes the cost of liability insurance so members don’t have to worry about that detail. However, members do have to be at least 30 years old to meet insurance requirements. In addition, a €10,000 security deposit is put into an escrow account from each member to cover any unusual costs such as insurance excess charges, late returns, speeding tickets, or other items like that.
What cars in the collection are you most proud to have? How many and what types of autos are in the current collection?
The car that is the rarest is the special edition Aston Martin DBS UB-2010 Volante which was built to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of Dr Ulrich Bez as CEO of the company. With a specification personally developed by Dr Bez himself, only 20 Volantes were ever built. The body is finished in Azurite Black with 20” Spoke Diamond Turned wheels and carbon-fiber trim. A combination of innovative manufacturing processes, race-derived materials and components and Aston Martin’s unrivalled hand-built expertise makes the DBS one of the most exclusive models ever made by Aston Martin, resulting in a luxury sports car without equal.
Some of the other cars in the club include the Ferrari 599 GTO. The fastest ever road-going Ferrari with a V12 Berlinetta, only 599 of these cars were ever made! Delivering a lap time of just 1 minute and 24 seconds at the Fiorano Ferrari racetrack, this Ferrari was manufactured with technologies more akin to racing specifications to provide the maximum expression in high performance driving. The club also features an Audi R8 GT, Audi’s fastest ever road car.
A special edition limited to a total of 333 units, the R8 is lighter and more powerful than previous versions, delivering a Lamborghini and Porsche level of performance for a street car with serious track intentions. Also offered is a Porsche 911 GT2, the most powerful street-legal, factory-built Porsche of all time considered to be the crown jewel of the 997 Porsche portfolio. Porsche says this car will lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7 minutes and 18 seconds, which is skull-poppingly quick. For reference, that’s four seconds quicker than the Dodge Viper ACR and only 20 seconds behind the wicked Ferrari 599XX race car. Only 500 models were built and were sold out before they left the factory floor. The Mercedes CLK DTM is the most successful car in the German Touring Car Masters (DTM) race series. With only 100 models ever built, this supercar features a stunning design that evokes the spirit of a stock car with the power of a revised AMG supercharged eight-cylinder engine, giving visual expression to the transfer of high-end motorsport technology to the road. Other cars include a Lamborghini LP570-4 Spyder Performante, a Porsche Speedster, a Ferrari F430 F1 Spider 16M and a Land Rover Defender Engage.
Juergen Obermann founded Type-41 with the most upscale visitor to Monaco and the Cote d'Azure in mind. And what a Monaco travel activity it is: It's easy to daydream about jetting to Monaco in a private G-6, gambling recklessly at the Monte Carlo Casino, and then driving off in a Type-41 supercar. I know I won't be getting an invitation to join this incredibly elite club, but like I said, it's nice to dream! Thank you, Juergen, for explaining this club so well.
Jennifer W. Miner - Jennifer has years of travel writing experience, spoken at several national conferences, and more. See Jendeavor.com for more details.
