A luxury vacation destination is nothing without, well, luxury travel activities. I recently interviewed Juergen Oberman about Monaco, his home and home base of Type-41, the luxury automobile “supercar” rental company. Type-41 is an exclusive, invitation-only luxury car club in Top Marques, Monaco, that appeals to luxury travel and automobile lovers alike. Juergen founded this company, which operates in both Monaco and the Cote d’Azur.
Why base Type-41 in Monaco, and any plans for expansion?
Monaco is a country (and a microstate) located in southwest Europe, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea surrounded on three sides by France, and about 10 miles away from Italy. It’s the second smallest country (by size) in the world; only the Vatican City is smaller. Monaco is also the world’s second smallest monarchy, and one of the most densely populated countries in the world even though its population is only 35,000. Monaco became famous in the United States when on April 19, 1956, Prince Rainier married the American actress Grace Kelly. The event was widely televised and covered in the popular press, focusing the world’s attention on the tiny Principality.
One of Monaco’s main sources of income is tourism as many are attracted to its casino and pleasant climate. Interestingly enough though, Monaco’s own citizens are not allowed to gamble in the casino. Monaco has no personal income tax and as such, has attracted a considerable number of wealthy residents which includes a large population of Formula One drivers and other less well-known business people.
It is also a very car-centered area as the Monaco Grand Prix, the second-most prestigious automobile race in the world behind only the Indianapolis 500, is held annually in the streets of Monaco. The Monte Carlo Car Rally has also been held since 1911 and is considered to be one of the toughest and most prestigious events in rallying. Since 2009, the rally has served as the opening round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, having most recently been run on the 19th-22 January 2011 in celebration of the event’s centenary.
At this time, Type-41 is focused on the Monaco and Cote de Azur (French Riviera) area although future plans of expansion are not out of the question.
When did you first launch Type-41 (and what does the name mean)?
Type-41 was launched on Thursday, April 14th, 2011 at the Top Marques supercar show in Monaco. The company is named for the Bugatti Royale which despite it being built in the 1930s, is still considered to be one of the rarest cars in the modern world. Completely handmade, the Royale is a massive vehicle with the largest engine ever made for an automobile. For comparison purposes, the Bugatti is 20 percent longer and 25 percent heavier than the modern Rolls-Royce Phantom. Only six of these cars were ever built, and all are in existence today. The latest valuation of a Bugatti was set at $10 million. The Bugatti Royale is also known as the Bugatti Royale Type-41 as that was its official designation in the Bugatti nomenclature. The club was named Type-41 to reflect that same level of exclusiveness since membership is limited to only 111 people.
This is invitation only. What methods are used to determine who gets invited to be members? Are tourists included?
This is a club for “those in the know” and friends of “those in the know.” Many of the members live in Europe and have a second home in the south of France, but just as many are visiting dignitaries, celebrities and people of affluent means. The one constant is that all members are passionate about their cars and their driving experiences, and enjoy not only the ability to drive these rare supercars, but also enjoy the novelty of a community of like-minded individuals sharing the same enthusiasm and singled-minded focus on enjoying the thrill of the open road in a meticulously handcrafted vehicle built to the highest standards of the modern day world.
Thank you, Juergen. While some of us have to “settle” for the occasional NASCAR driving experience, it’s fun to think about the epitome of luxury travel with the Type-41 supercar club in Monaco.
it is nice to dream!