Hamptons Garage-Spa
Lap of luxury for the motor-oil set.
The Hamptons sea air may do wonders for New Yorkers, but it’s hell on their vintage Mercedeses. And with zoning laws often limiting them to a three-car garage, many auto enthusiasts are faced with the heartbreaking choice of which sedan to stable. Until now. The new Bridgehampton Motoring Club kennels cars at a constant 68 degrees, with 50 percent humidity. They’re started every two weeks, and e-mails go out with data on tire pressure and engine temperature (members can also monitor their vehicles via Webcam). “It’s kind of like a resort for cars,” says a spokesperson, and “you don’t have to have a Ferrari. We have a member with a 1969 Ford Bronco he took really good care of.” There are Ferraris, as well as the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (which is being parked until the show opens on Broadway in April). Jerry Seinfeld inquired if he could store his harem of Porsches, but a source at the club says it couldn’t accommodate them, adding, “When it becomes just a garage, it loses its fun.”
—Kate Pickert