Why this father and son share a trio of classic muscle cars

posted on January 18, 2022

Don’s excellent collection of movie-quality cars

Don had always planned on building a car collection when he retired. He’s a big car enthusiast and businessman who’s built relationships in the LA car community, and he has a deep passion for classics. “It was going to be something I did 20 years from now. But after a year of sitting at home, I decided to not wait anymore,” he said.

At first, Don started purchasing cars simply for him and his son to enjoy. “My son Maor and I, we are car guys. And we were a little bit bored to be honest,” he said. So the pandemic spurred this father-and-son collection, leading to the trio of American muscle cars they have now. Only after acquiring the cars did Don discover Turo and decide to list them.

They started with a 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme SX. It’s a four-speed manual with a 455 big block V8 that makes 320 horsepower — a truly gorgeous example of one of Oldsmobile’s most successful models, and one of just 300 sold in the US, according to Don. “This is a car I’ve wanted since I was seven. It’s a true muscle car, though they used to call it the ‘Gentleman’s car’ in ‘71. It’s a great car to drive, it’s so fun,” Don said. “And it’s in mint condition — just below concourse condition, I’d say.”

Don’s 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme SX (Los Angeles, CA)

After the Oldsmobile gave them a taste, they bought a red ‘67 Pontiac GTO, then a classy ‘74 Cadillac Eldorado. “All convertibles, since we are in Southern California.” Each of Don’s cars is in stellar condition, and have been used in a number of TV shows and video shoots. The GTO, for example, was used in the HBO series The White House Plumbers. “Woody Harrelson was driving my car for about two weeks,” said Don.

Don’s no stranger to classic muscle cars. He used to restore old Mustangs years ago, but found it was cheaper and easier to buy restored cars. “I went through that experience already,” he said. “Been there, done that.”

But Don notes he actually likes the process of buying cars even more than having them. “That’s the fun part for me. I’d get a car, enjoy it for a few weeks, then almost forget about it,” he laughs. So instead of letting them sit, Don is sharing his cars and passion with others, and sharing this experience with his son, who is just reaching driving age. “So that’s why I got into Turo,” he said. “We have a partnership. He helps with a lot of the hosting work, and I’m trying to teach him the value of money.”

Though they offer fairly specialized vehicles, Don says their car sharing business, 555 Classic Cars, is going great. “We’ve done really well already in just a few months as hosts,” he said. “And whenever somebody books one of our cars, it’s exciting for us. Preparing the car, cleaning it… all this helps us activate our hobby. It’s a lot of fun for us.”

“So for me, Turo is not about the money,” he said. Discussing which models to buy with his son, the thrill of shopping for just the right car, weighing the investment and costs — these are delights that car people live for.

As for future plans for his collection, Don already has his eye on a number of cars. “For now we’ll stick with convertibles, of course.”

If you’ve got a video shoot or creative project coming up, or simply want to enjoy one of these beauties from the heyday of American muscle, hit up Don in Los Angeles to sample his very special machines.

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