by Megan Natt
posted on June 15, 2017
WHY CAR GUY VINCENT KARTHEISER, AKA PETE CAMPBELL, EMBRACES CAR SHARING
Unsurprisingly, Hollywood actors do their fair share of travel. From whirlwind press tours to long-term location shoots, they’re constantly on the move. But despite the glitz and glamor of the Hollywood lifestyle, they still need cars to get from point A to point B (Stars: They’re just like us!). So why should they pay out the ear for executive class cars from traditional car rental companies like Avis, Hertz, or Enterprise when they could borrow a car perfectly suited for their trip? That’s what Vincent Kartheiser, of Mad Men fame, discovered when he stumbled upon Turo back in early 2015, and he hasn’t looked back.
Vincent as Pete Campbell in AMC’s Mad Men. Image credit: New York Magazine.
An early adopter
Since breaking into Hollywood in 1993’s Untamed Heart alongside Marisa Tomei and Christian Slater, and later exploding onto the scene with his starring role in Mad Men in 2007, the Screen Actors Guild-award-winning actor has been racking up some big-name credits on his CV. Vincent is perhaps most well known for his role as the upper crust, upwardly mobile, and a bit uppity ad exec Pete Campbell in the storied AMC series, Mad Men, which chronicles the well-suited misadventures of advertising agency executives in 1960s Manhattan.
So how did the busy Pete Campbell discover Turo? As an actor, Vincent notes, “I often travel for more than a couple days at a time, so I was looking to find long-term rental options that are dependable and less expensive than going to an Avis or a Hertz. [With Turo], there’s just a bigger selection of cars to choose from,” he recalls. “Plus, I’m a car guy, I love to drive stick, and I travel a lot with my family,” giving him different needs that don’t always fit into the confines of traditional rental models.
“When you travel often, you frequently get stuck in lower-end cars and the experience is a bit shaky — you have to get on the trolley to get to the rental lot, wait in line, and all that,” he laments. With Turo, the experience is not only less of a to-do than with rental car companies, but you can also drive way cooler cars “at a much more reasonable rate.” Traveling to Los Angeles often from his home state of New York, “I appreciate the aesthetic of nice cars, and in a place like LA where you’re sitting in the car for hours, it’s worth the extra $10 for something nicer,” he says.
Family man, working man
Married to Mad Men costar Alexis Bledel (aka Rory Gilmore for all you Gilmore Girls fans out there), Vincent often travels with Bledel and their young son, whether to visit family or get out of town for a weekend. “I recently rented a Lexus ES 300H, which was great for my family,” he notes, citing safety as paramount for transporting his young family. “It’s also nice to rent a car that I actually own at home, so I don’t have to figure out a new layout in a new place when I’m traveling. And if I can rent a Volvo for the same price as a Hyundai, why wouldn’t I?”
When he doesn’t have his family in tow, he likes a car with some giddyup. Traveling frequently to Los Angeles for work, he consistently likes to drive manual cars that can give him a little pep in his step, like Emerson’s BMW M4. “I’m a car guy,” he notes. “It’s hard to know what excites people about cars, but I just like them.” Short trips in safe, reliable, and practical cars with the family, longer trips in something zippy and zesty when he’s traveling for work, Vincent finds whatever fits his needs by using Turo.
A New York rally cry
“I don’t really understand why Turo can’t operate in New York state,” Vincent ruminates. “Have you had issues in other states?” When I told him no, that New York state was the sole holdout, his bewilderment was compounded. I explained to him that the New York state legislature had old-fashioned insurance laws that prohibit Turo’s insurance partners from offering group insurance to our customers in the same way we can in all other states. Plus, traditional rental car companies like Enterprise and Hertz are pressing policymakers in Albany to shut Turo out of the market. Despite claiming to be pro-innovation and aiding other sharing economy companies (Uber) with market entry, New York is proving to be the most myopic state in the Union by stifling competition and supporting traditional behemoths in the car rental landscape.
Yes, not being allowed to operate in New York is a huge bummer for Turo, but it’s an even huger bummer for New Yorkers. Though his alter ego, Pete — a true New York City boy — probably wouldn’t use Turo (“Pete couldn’t drive, and when he learned, he hated it!” Vincent jokes), we’re grateful to loyalists like Vincent who advocate for us, and really believe in car sharing as an innovative approach to car rentals.
Image courtesy of AMC
“I’d like to say,” he interjects, “that I really love the service. I try to spread the word to my friends as much as possible. Sometimes people are a little tentative about using it — they think it might be a hassle… But they just don’t understand how easy it is. I literally love Turo, and you couldn’t have picked a better person to sing your praises,” he waxes. Thanks, Vincent! Your support means the world to us.
Speak up, speak out
Want to help the Turo cause in New York state? Join Turo OpenRoad, our public policy and advocacy website, to stay abreast of our ongoing battle for New York, and if you’re in the Tri-State area, swing by our community party tonight for some Turo talk at a Prohibition-style speakeasy.
Hero image courtesy of Good & Co.
No goods or services were provided in exchange for this endorsement.
