In an era dominated by electric vehicles and autonomous driving, there is a counterculture of collectors, celebrities and design enthusiasts who believe that the soul of automotive design lives in the past. At the heart of this movement is Alex Manosfounder of the Beverly Hills Car Club (BHCC), one of the largest European classic car dealerships in the United States.
Housed in a 140,000 square foot automotive destination in Beverly Hills, BHCC has become the trusted destination for of Hollywood the most demanding collectors: Justin Bieber, Jason Momoa, Tyler, the Creatorand Snoop Doggamong others. The agency has handled landmark transactions including; by Michael Jordan 1996 Mercedes-Benz S600 Lorinser and By Miles Davis 1980 Ferrari 308 GTS – cars that carry not only mechanical prestige, but also cultural significance.
VISIT THE DSCENE CARS PAGE
With over 2,000 five-star reviews, 60+ employees, and a rapidly growing digital presence that has earned recognition from Old Cars Weekly as “one of the most impressive collector car dealerships in the country” and GQ among the “9 Best Car Accounts to Follow on Instagram,” Manos has changed the way classic cars are discovered, valued and collected in the digital age.
His collection is extensive Porsche, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royceand Bentleywith 80% of the inventory dedicated to European brands. But beyond the numbers and celebrity clientele, Manos he is a curator of design, someone who understands that classic cars represent timeless craftsmanship in an age of mass production.
Editor-in-Chief DSCENE Zarko Davinic talk to me Alex Manos on design philosophy, the intersection of celebrity culture and car collecting, the future of vintage luxury and what separates a car with soul from a mere object.
How important is planning to what you do at the Beverly Hills dealership? – Design is everything. When you enter our dealership, you enter a carefully curated space. The building itself is part of the experience: brick walls we’ve sandblasted, beamed ceilings, concrete floors stripped back to their raw state. It creates that vintage feel. Then, the way we lay out the cars, you go through a small door and it opens up into this huge space filled with vehicles. It’s not just the look of cars. it’s about the design of the car house.
How do you organize the collection aesthetically? – We organize our collection in different exhibition spaces: one for Porscheone for Mercedesa British section. Within each space, we intentionally mix colors so you never see the same palette twice. A Bahama yellow next to an arena red, then a red guard, then a midnight blue. It has a vibe, like a handful of M&Ms or Skittles.
Why are you turning to European car design? – The shape of European cars is just right. I started with American classics, all that power steering, air conditioning, electric windows, that big American statement. But over time, I was drawn to European aesthetics. A Alfa Romeo from the 1950s or 1960s it doesn’t have electric windows, yet the shape is so elegant, so sporty. You can’t deny that the design language has aged beautifully.
How important is celebrity ownership when buying a car? – Celebrity ownership is a bonus. I’m mainly looking for the right car regardless, but if Michael Jordan I owned it, my interest increases significantly. With the Ferrari 308 I acquired, the Miles Davis the connection was a surprise that came during the negotiation. The previous owner casually mentioned it and suddenly the deal was non-negotiable.
Compare one from 1958 Corvette in a Tesla. There is no passion, no emotion. When you sit on it Corvetteyou smell leather. When you turn it on, there is power, emotion, energy. You drive it and experience the smells, the aroma, the liveliness. A Tesla? You don’t even know if it’s on.
How the origin? – Proof of origin is simple with cars. Every vehicle purchased in America comes with a title registered in the state where it is kept. The title shows the owner’s name and the year, make and model of the car. For the Miles Davis car, I have copies of previous documents showing that he was the registered owner. It’s much simpler than art authentication.
What is the difference between a maintenance class car and a fully restored car? – A maintenance class car remains ideally untouched, in its original condition as it left the factory or with minimal wear and tear. A fully restored car is the opposite extreme: you can change almost everything, recreate the car as it came from factory new.
When you do a full restoration, what freedoms do you have as an owner? – When you do a full restoration, you have complete freedom as an owner. Want to paint it pink? You can. Tiger print interior? Go ahead. But I always recommend restoring the car to its original specification, original color, original interior, because that’s the right thing to do. That being said, not everything in life is about money. If an owner wants a cheetah print interior and it makes them happy, there is nothing wrong with that.
What do you think modern luxury cars lack compared to classic cars? – Compare a 1958 Corvette in a Tesla. There is no passion, no emotion. When you sit on it Corvetteyou smell leather. When you turn it on, there is power, emotion, energy. You drive it and experience the smells, the aroma, the liveliness. A Tesla? You don’t even know if it’s on.
Can you give an example of this sensory connection? – A friend recently sat in a 1990 Porsche and said, “Oh my god, it still smells like the 90s.” This smell transported him immediately. It’s like meeting someone who’s been wearing the same cologne for twenty years, two seconds and you’re back there. Modern cars don’t have that flavor. They are just objects.
How much do you think cultural influence shapes what people want to collect? – Everything we experience shapes us. When you see classic cars everywhere, on Instagram, on TV shows, in movies, it influences what people want. The classic car market is hotter than ever because people want to feel cultured. You can’t feel civilization in an EV.
Everything we experience shapes us. When you see classic cars everywhere, on Instagram, on TV shows, in movies, it influences what people want. The classic car market is hotter than ever because people want to feel cultured. You can’t feel civilization in an EV.
Why do you think classic cars continue to appear in the media? – In almost every show now, someone drives a vintage car. People watch what excites them and engage in what makes them feel good. These cars give people good feelings.
Why are you sharing your collection online? – We share our collection online to keep car culture alive. It’s important for people to remember what’s out there, to be able to teach their children, and the culture continues. In bringing this respect back to design, we’re also dealing with something bigger: the furniture industry, the automotive industry, both pushing for constant replacement. But timeless designs never go out of style.
What is the relationship between classic cars and timeless design? – A mid-century home is loved now more than ever. A classic car endures for decades, passes through generations. This is the important thing.
Do you have plans to expand beyond the dealership? – One of my dreams is to curate a traveling exhibition of the collection. A design museum exhibit that could be moved from place to place. The challenge is that cars are big, unlike works of art that you can pack into containers. But at the dealership, we have 650 cars — 500 on the site right now — so if we were to do a show, we’d want it to be big.
The demand for vintage luxury has only grown, even in difficult times. While everyone drives self-driving cars, people are drawn more than ever to stand out. If ten guys drive an EV, the cool kids want to be the eleventh to drive a 1975 Porsche 911. This makes a statement about who you are.
How do you see vintage luxury evolving in the digital age? – The demand for vintage luxury has only grown, even in difficult times. While everyone drives self-driving cars, people are drawn more than ever to stand out. If ten guys drive an EV, the cool kids want to be the eleventh to drive a 1975 Porsche 911. This makes a statement about who you are.
Will future EVs become collectibles? – It’s hard to say. They are like robots, like old phones that end up on a shelf gathering dust before you throw them away. A design needs a soul to survive decades. And this is what separates timeless cars from the rest.
