Lake Forest Sports Cars, Chicago
Automotive Art gets its own gallery

Can cars be considered art? It’s a perennial question, one which shows no sign of being resolved. With the Quattroporte – both original and the 2009 restyled version – and the GranTurismo designed by Pininfarina, here at Maserati we know which side of the argument we favor. It’s a view shared by Rick Mancuso, dealer principal of Lake Forest Sports Cars, in Chicago – in fact, it has been a key factor in laying out the dealership.

“We deliberately set this building up so that it didn’t look like a traditional car dealership – we want it to be more like an art gallery, with beautiful objects on display,” he told us. “We want this to be something different, whether you come here to buy a car, or just stop by to take a look. We aim to provide a true luxury shopping experience; to that end, we pay enormous attention to even the smallest detail. The color of the floor and the walls, the plants, the paintings and posters on the wall, even the music that’s played – each one of those elements has been given a great deal of thought. And it extends beyond the building – we think the atmosphere starts when you view our website, or see one of our print ads.”

Lake Forest Sports Cars is working hard to get the word out to people: Maserati is here, and it’s hip. “Chicago is a pretty fashionable town, Maserati is a very cool brand, and driving a Maserati is a fashion statement,” Rick said. “I think that people know about Maserati, but they don’t know enough; in particular, they often think the cars are much more expensive than they actually are, they think they are priced on a level with a Bentley, or a top-line Mercedes S-class. I think it’s actually a compliment to Maserati North America that we’ve come so far – I cannot think of any other automotive brand which has been successfully reintroduced to such a major market.”

When we visited Lake Forest Sports Cars it was already an impressive destination – it’s the only dealership we’ve seen with its own small putting green, not to mention a pool table. Since then, there have been further developments. “We wanted to give the Maserati brand a dedicated space, giving it pride of place in the center of this U-shaped building,” explained Rick. “We wanted to create a special atmosphere for Maserati, somewhere that people can really get to understand what Maserati is about. With the new products already being delivered, and those which are coming, we’re confident the brand can support that level of investment and commitment.”

Lake Forest Sports Cars is most assuredly a family business; Rick’s son Adam is Vice President, while daughter Cassie Carver is Director of Marketing. Each of them is passionate about the business, and about Maserati. “People love the GranTurismo, it is the perfect complement to the Quattroporte,” Cassie told us. “They are both great cars, they make great everyday cars, that people can use and also have fun. Once they have tried one, people tell their friends, so other people find out about the brand. And we have people come here to try the GranTurismo, then get attracted to the Quattroporte – and vice versa. Once we get people into the cars, they love them.”

They have come up with some excellent ways of getting people into the cars – including ways which benefit the wider community. “We offer a ‘Maserati for a weekend’ package, which charities can offer as an auction lot,” explained Cassie. “They generate a lot of excitement during the auctions, a lot of bidding – we’ve had them go as high as $8,000 for a weekend. Everybody comes out ahead – the charities get some much-needed funds, both us and the winning bidder can feel good knowing we’re contributing, and it helps our business that someone has had a good time for the weekend in one of our cars, and will tell their friends. We are involved in some specific events, too – the Pritzker family is one of the most prominent in the Chicago area, and M.K. Pritzker puts on an annual equestrian event on her private farm, to benefit women’s health charities. We were involved last year, and it raised almost a million dollars. Another event we’ve been involved in is Project RUSH, which is a charity working with homeless youth; they have a golf tournament which raises large sums. It’s another instance where you can feel really good, because you’re supporting a truly worthy cause, so it combines business with pleasure.”

Some of their events are focused on existing and prospective clients – and make us wish we lived in the Chicago area. “We do regular track events – we’re actually members at a local track called Autobahn Country Club, in Joliet,” Cassie told us. “My brother, Adam, runs those – he’s a pretty accomplished race driver, so he can offer tuition to the participants. We can use that as a way to get people into the cars – for example, approaching a successful wealth management firm and suggesting they invite their top ten people along, with a mix of track work and road driving. That kind of event is really worth it, because getting people in the cars is key.”

Rick sets high standards, for both his dealership and himself, and we found his verdict on his own dealership distinctly harsh. “We can do better – we’re not the worst dealership, but we’re not the best,” he said. “I find it very frustrating – we were a Maserati dealership back in the eighties, and we were the No.1 dealer in terms of retail deliveries; I regard anything less than that as a failure. We’re improving, and the Quattroporte is becoming established, it’s starting to reside in a position of prominence in the Chicago market, in terms of its desirability and its reliability. There’s a big business community in Chicago, and four-door cars are business cars, and the Quattroporte is beautifully made and it’s exclusive – it’s almost a fashion accessory, if that’s not demeaning to it.”

“Of course the GranTurismo also fits in, as an every-day car – in fact, we like to have some fun with it,” continued Rick. “Line up a GranTurismo next to a Ferrari 599, and when you look at them there are some subtle similarities – which is a feat in itself. And from a build quality standpoint, it’s a pretty superb automobile. The GranTurismo really does have the highest build quality of any Maserati ever produced, it truly is beautifully assembled.”

“The current economy is a challenge; people are more cautious, taking more time over their decisions,” continued Cassie. “But Maserati is a strong brand, with great products – we have faith in them. Before we moved into this building, we had 28,000 square feet, now we have 70,000 – that shows our confidence. We have people in the cars this year who wouldn’t have been in them a year ago, and next year we’ll have more. The GranTurismo is such a fabulous car, and on top of that it helps get people to consider the Quattroporte, which is the most beautiful sedan on the market – bar none. Now we have the GranTurismo S, and the Quattroporte S is coming, so the future looks better all the time.”

These may be challenging times, but Lake Forest Sports Cars and the Mancuso family are determined to continue spreading the word about Maserati – through events, through supporting worthy causes and through its online presence, the dealership continues to draw people in to see the Quattroporte and GranTurismo in their new setting.