54.7 F
Laguna Hills
Tuesday, Mar 19, 2024
-Advertisement-

Tesla Finalizes Plan for Dealership on PCH

San Carlos-based Tesla Motors Inc. has signed a lease to move into the former Rolls-Royce building on Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach, according to Don Yahn, the Cushman & Wakefield Inc. broker who represented landowner Leo Gugasian in the deal.

The dealership marks the electric sports automaker’s entry into Orange County. Tesla is set to be next to Ferrari & Maserati of Newport Beach and Phillips Auto, which sells used luxury and exotic auto brands such as Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz.

Tesla competes with Irvine-based luxury automaker Fisker Automotive Inc., which is expected to start selling an $80,000-plus plug-in hybrid in the fall.

Fisker is set to sell its auto through dealerships. Shelly Automotive Group, which sells Mercedes-Benz and BMW autos in Irvine and Buena Park, is Fisker’s OC dealer.

Tesla sells its autos through its own dealerships.

The automaker’s Newport Beach building is in pristine condition, which should allow for a quick move in, Yahn said.

Gugasian is an auto collector and had been keeping his personal collection in the building, awaiting a tenant. The Tesla deal had been in the works for about six months, Yahn said.

Tesla long has been expected to come to OC and has yet to reveal any further details on its new location.

Auto Show Agency

The Newport Beach-based Orange County Automobile Dealers Association is expected to soon choose an advertising agency for its annual Orange County Auto Show, which is set for October at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Various advertising agencies presented proposals to the association’s auto committee. The field was narrowed to two, one local ad company and the other outside OC.

This year, the association wants to do less outdoor advertising and more cable TV and Internet advertising, said John Sackrison, executive director.

Auto Auction

Scottsdale-based Barrett-Jackson Auction Co. will be holding a three-day-long auto auction next month at the Orange County Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.

The auction is set for June 25 to 27 and includes other auto events.

In the days prior to the auction, Barrett-Jackson plans to host a road rally, a “cruise in” at Connell Chevrolet in Costa Mesa, and sponsor a couple of charity events, including a golf tournament and gala.

Barrett-Jackson is one of the largest collectible auto auctioneers. This is its first auction in Southern California.

That Rocks

There aren’t many places where you can buy a rock icon’s hair.

At the Rock and Roll Emporium on Main Street in downtown Huntington Beach, owner Kate Kirby once sold a bit of Elvis Presley’s hair.

“That was crazy,” said Kirby, who runs the shop with her husband, Andrew Kirby.

The Rock and Roll Emporium sells memorabilia, such as rocker autographs, backstage passes, vinyl records, tickets, buttons, limited edition prints, original posters and playbills.

The store, which opened in 2004, gets a lot of its memorabilia from musicians and road managers who have drawers full of backstage passes and other collectibles.

The Kirbys both are musicians with musical connections. They’re in a band called the Ravages of Time.

The two are avid collectors who do whatever it takes to acquire an item, according to Kate Kirby.

The Kirbys also buy items at auctions.

Sometimes customers bring in items. One brought in Beatles photos he had taken and held on to for 44 years. He’s keeping the original negatives and the store is selling a limited number of prints to keep the value high.

The store has become sort of like a museum, Kirby said. The challenge is to get people to buy.

“Summer around here is just amazing,” she said. “One of our goals is to make it summer all year round.”

Surf City Nights, held on Tuesday nights in downtown Huntington Beach, attracts a lot of people. In a closed-off section of Main Street, there is a farmer’s market and entertainment.

Merchants don’t get the same sales boost that restaurants do, but it helps, Kirby said.

Operating a store on Main Street in downtown Huntington Beach is tricky business.

Stores need to woo tourists and locals alike because it’s expensive to do business downtown. Rents are high and businesses pay an extra fee to the Huntington Beach Downtown Business Improvement District, which goes toward marketing for the area.

Many merchants can’t depend on summer profits alone.

Kirby is trying to lure locals with rock musician autograph sessions, performances and special events.

Recently the store hosted Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell” touring guitarist, Bruce Kulick, who has a new CD.

January and February were tough months, Kirby said. But it’s starting to pick up again, she said.

Golf, Tennis Shop

Austin, Texas-based golf and tennis retailer Golfsmith International Inc. has opened a 21,000-square-foot store for golfers at the Brea Marketplace across from the Brea Mall.

The Brea store is the eighth Golfsmith in Southern California. At Brea Marketplace, Golfsmith joins Target, Borders Books, Wal-Mart and Staples, among others.

The store has an indoor driving range for testing clubs, as well as in-store golf professionals who provide swing analysis and other instruction.

Want more from the best local business newspaper in the country?

Sign-up for our FREE Daily eNews update to get the latest Orange County news delivered right to your inbox!

-Advertisement-

Featured Articles

-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-

Related Articles

-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-