Dealer offers extravagant automotive tour through Europe for top customers

Editor's note: The Spitfire is a World War II British fighter plane with a propeller. The type of plane was incorrect in an earlier version of this story, which also appeared on Page 18 of the May 7 print edition.

Some creative car dealers might spend a few weeks planning a special event, say a free pet adoption party at their dealership.

Then there's dealer Brian Miller, who has spent nearly a year planning an extravagant tour through Europe for his ultraluxury-vehicle customers.

The tentative itinerary includes private jets, hot-air balloon rides, visits to European castles and chateaux, Royal Air Force Spitfire fighter plane shows, clay-pigeon shooting, falconer demonstrations and truffle hunting.

"You have customers spending $1 million and $2 million on a regular basis, so you're dealing with people who are used to different things," said Miller, owner of Manhattan Motorcars in New York.

Miller's "supercar adventure," called Cars & Castles, is by invitation only for 16 of his best customers. He has persuaded several European superluxury carmakers to give those customers private tours, meals with car designers and executives and the chance to drive some of the world's most expensive cars on test tracks and exotic routes across Europe.

The seven-day trip might seem extravagant, but that's life as a dealer to the rich and famous.

"I'm sure a lot of people would love to go to the factories, too, but it took a lot of hand-holding and arm-twisting to make that happen," said Miller. "The premise to the manufacturer is, we're bringing them people who can afford to buy their cars."

The travelers will pay $85,000 each. That covers all meals, hotel stays, activities and the private jet that shuttles the group from England to France, on to Germany, then to Italy and back to London. The round-trip airfare between the U.S. and the U.K. is not included.

Manhattan Motorcars sells Porsche, Lotus, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Lamborghini, Bugatti and Koenigsegg brands. Miller owns two other Porsche dealerships and an Audi store in the New York market. The group sells about 4,000 new and used cars a year, Miller said.

Despite the hefty cost to customers for this trip, Miller is not making much profit, he said. "The idea wasn't to get rich as a tour director. It was something special to do for the customer," he said.

"It's the service and the brand's lifestyle, and this is a way of furthering that and letting people know we're the best place to buy a car from."

The idea for Cars & Castles was born about a year ago when Miller met New York luxury marketing professional Jon Cropper. Cropper told Miller he had tried to organize this trip in the past, but he was stymied by the manufacturers, Miller recalled. Miller loved the idea and used his factory relationships to bring the automakers on board. The participating manufacturers are Aston Martin, Bugatti, Porsche, Lamborghini and Koenigsegg. The trip also will include Bentley or Rolls-Royce.

Miller initially planned to do the trip in April, but he moved it to the fall as he stumbled upon some possible pitfalls. For example, he planned to take the group up in hot-air balloons over France. Now, he's rethinking that because there are not enough balloons to take everyone at the same time. He doesn't want those left on the ground to be bored.

"We were thinking of doing something with Holland & Holland guns so some of the guests can go shooting while others go up in the balloons," Miller said. "As long as they don't shoot the balloons, we should be fine."

Miller has to consider every detail because he feels tremendous pressure to make the trip flawless. He nixed a plan to transport the group from one venue to another by bus.

"My clients are used to doing everything private and first class," Miller said. "I don't want to burn my best customers. ... One stupid little thing can ruin 20 years of hard work."

The tentative agenda includes a peek at a Rimac concept car, privileged factory access at the participating brands and meeting top designers and executives.

Miller's clients will enjoy five-star cuisine and stay in Europe's grandest hotels and castles, including the moated Hever Castle in Kent, England. Hever, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, is surrounded by gardens, a boating lake and a yew maze.

That's where falconers and their birds will give demonstrations. Holland & Holland sporting guns will be on hand for clay-pigeon shooting and, at dusk, British Royal Air Force Spitfire jets will perform overhead.

In France, the group will visit Bugatti for a lunch with its head designer. The brochure states: "Following a riveting lunch, experience the new Chiron with a highspeed drive through the French countryside, alongside one of Bugatti's celebrated test drivers." That evening, the guests will stay at Chateau de l'Ile and Spa.

Next is Porsche in Stuttgart, with more elegant meals and meetings with top auto professionals, before the group flies to Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy, the home of Lamborghini.

There, following a gourmet lunch with senior designers and engineers, there will be an extreme ride-and-drive experience in the Urus SUV and the two-door Aventador supercar through the Italian countryside.

"I might tweak the Bologna trip to take people to Milan for a day of shopping or make it a spa day," Miller said. "I'd also like to work in a truffle hunt ... in Croatia or Italy."

He is taking three videographers to document the trip. Miller plans to offer some version of such a trip at least twice a year, possibly opening it up beyond invite only. But only to Manhattan Motorcars' customers.

"I don't feel the need to do this at my Audi store," said Miller. "And I don't think my Audi customers would be able to afford something like this. For Audi, we do events at the dealership. It's a different kind of culture."

But superluxury vehicle buyers, he said, have a high "level of expectation."