Auto Galleries Amp Up The Luxury Factor In Southern California

Posh auto galleries are amping up the luxury factor in car-obsessed Southern California’s luxury and ultra-luxury homes. They are the latest in must-have home amenities to both showcase your cars and entertain friends. Celebrity car collectors Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld will appreciate these gems.

Meir Kroll, both a luxury developer and a director of residential estates at The Agency in Beverly Hills recently built a modern-style glass showplace high above the Sunset Strip. At 6,032 square feet of innovative luxury, Kroll has the property listed at $6.995,000. Its over-the-top auto gallery with space for five cars appeals to a certain buyer.

“Usually, you only find this type of car gallery showroom in homes in the $15 to $20 million range in Los Angeles,” he said. “When I built the house, I decided to add it as a unique amenity for a home in the $6.5 to $7 million range. It really is a showplace with lots of walls that can also be used to display art in addition to your automobiles, adds Kroll.” The glass-fronted auto gallery with room for five cars is located on the home’s lower level and opens to the theater and 11-foot long waterfall bar and lounge. “The gallery speaks to the market who appreciate that you can entertain while your Ferrari is displayed, becoming part of the experience as a showpiece,” Kroll observes.

On one acre of prime Los Angeles, real estate in exclusive Doheny Estates is a $29,975 million (listing price) home, auto enthusiasts will appreciate. Think sleek “glass box” as an arrival statement which describes the air-conditioned auto gallery. The 11,780 square foot home took four years to design and build. The property boasting an expansive motor court with fire and water design elements and has parking for ten with views of the Pacific.

Aston Martin chose the home to debut its DB11 Volante with a price tag of about $200,000 at a VIP gathering. “What I’ve seen in the evolution of these luxury homes are the luxury items being attached to them continue to accommodate the uber-wealthy buyer,” observes Paul Lester, a partner at The Agency. “These galleries are places to display your important car collection as you would with an art gallery curated for your home. They become part of the entertainment space, some have furniture and well-stocked bars,” Lester said.

Head to Rancho Mirage, 10 miles east of Palm Springs, to the exclusive gated community of Mirada that sits above The Ritz-Carlton. Valery Neuman, founding partner of Compass Greater Palm Springs has an exceptional home for sale at $4,295,000 complete with an auto gallery for up to seven cars with a stainless mini-kitchen and lounge area. The centerpiece of the gallery is a turntable to showcase your most prized automobile. “We see a lot of ultra-luxury car owners in the Desert. Having this highly customized amenity in your home appeals to the buyer who loves cars and truly appreciates a special showcase like this,” said Neuman.

An oceanfront property set on a bluff in Laguna Beach listed at $38,900,000 sports an auto gallery also with a turntable to display your show car which happens to be next to your own personal Jiffy-Lube style set-up. The walls are lined with over 100 vintage motorcycles. To top it off, a large window has a view directly from the auto gallery into the theatre and wine room, the perfect venue for memorable entertaining. “The rotating turntable really brings a new spin to garages,” laughs Andrew McDonald, director of luxury properties managing partner, Orange County at The Agency. A special driveway was created to reach the level beneath the home where the auto gallery is. Talk about attention to detail. “A model Ferrari of wood was designed and constructed to test the driveway’s slope so low-slung Europeans sports cars would not bottom out,” McDonald confides.

The market for luxury homes and cars aligns perfectly in these luxe auto galleries.

Ultra Luxury Home Auto Galleries Are The New Must-Have Amenity In Southern California