The Collection

At 200 Bird Road in Coral Gables, Florida stands a monument to car enthusiasm and premium service. In a 350,000 square foot, state of the art facility, so beautifully designed that its story is recorded in a coffee table book, resides The Collection. With over 175 cars delivered in 2005, this is the most prolific Maserati dealership in the world.

Customers are known by name, treated with utmost respect, and encouraged to regard The Collection as a club, a place to sit, meet friends, and relax. Everyone who enters the dealership is made to feel welcome by a staff both friendly and knowledgeable, all of whom are quick to offer a complete tour of any car in which a visitor shows interest. Within the capacious building, with its valet parking, enthusiast's boutique, astonishingly large and clean service facility, and interlinked showrooms is an enormous sense of security.

The Collection is unusual in leading its market with every one of the seven premium brands it sells, a fact that, like the unique building, is proof of Dealer-Principal Ken Gorin's profound understanding of his products and his clients. Customer service and product excellence are The Collection's twin foci, perfectly mirroring those of Maserati.

A soft-spoken, forthright, animated veteran of 28 years in the premium automotive business, Gorin is a leader in the local and national automotive retail communities, and active in local philanthropy. He sums up The Collection philosophy as "based on two things: exceeding customer expectations, and relationship selling. That's something I branded about ten years ago here; it's not about selling a car, or a payment, it's about developing a relationship with your customer."

Speaking of Maserati, Gorin notes that the Trident and The Collection fit together perfectly. "The Collection brand is about uniqueness, differentiation, sexiness, provocativeness, exclusivity and approachability. I think above all of those it is special, and unique, and that epitomizes what a Maserati is to me, besides the fact that it's so beautiful, and race-bred, and what it represents as a vehicle."

Gorin is quick to credit Jim Selwa, President of Maserati North America, Selwa's staff, and The Collection's own staff for the success of the marque and his dealership in Miami.

"Maserati resonates with our clientele; no matter what they drive, Maserati has become the car to have. Our success is based on the people, and I mean both the people inside The Collection, and the people in this market. We have painstakingly and specifically exposed these cars through our events, PR and marketing. We've got the car out to the right segment of the market. Fortunately for us, it's become the car to have, and it's been terrific. I'm most proud of the people I have here on the team, because our customers love to spend time with them. Their success is reflected in the number of cars they sell, and also in the very, vry high Customer Satisfaction Index. They do a great job."

The Collection's clients confirm Gorin is correct in saying "What's special about the Maserati owner at The Collection is that they are part of the experience of owning a car from The Collection, which goes far beyond purchase and servicing needs, it's being part of a family, and having friends that you stop by and say hi to, and have friends that you refer business associates, neighbors and friends to, to get cars like yours. When I say that we have to exceed expectations, I mean on every level. We have a mission statement: "Where everyone is committed to exceeding customer expectations". On top of that we have a code of ethics that every employee has to follow. So regardless of the challenges that might exist in the marketplace, as long as the customer is confident in how they are being treated, if they feel that you are doing everything that you can, not only to satisfy their needs but also to throw in some surprises and delights while you're at it, then to me you have the game locked up."

Enthusiasm for Maserati, growing rapidly around North America as the marque moves from success to success, is at fever pitch in Miami. Like The Trident, The Collection seeks people who are truly passionate about the motoring experience, rather than those who buy for investment. Ken Gorin is fond of saying "you can't drive a payment, it just doesn't drive - a car drives."

It's a fair comment in Miami, a cosmopolis where life is lived out loud. "This market is about affluence, diversity, excitement, it's about Europeans, South Americans, beautiful people. If anything it's about beautiful people - Miami's not about your clothes, it's about your body, we might as well be in another state compared to Fort Lauderdale or Palm Beach. It's so different, you can't compare - Miami is the American Riviera, if you will, and everyone wants personal expression, and certainly Maserati does that."

"What sets it apart from other brands is exclusivity. People recognize the exquisiteness of the Quattroporte, for instance, and its part in a beautiful lifestyle. Maserati is a different expression from every other premium brand. I think it hits a certain niche and really fills it, it's no different than the boat you have, the watch you wear, the shoes, the clothes, the restaurant you go to, it's part of your lifestyle, it's a personal expression. If you look at the Quattroporte they've had them all - they've had AMG S-class, 7 series, they've had everything, and they just love the uniqueness, and they love the beauty, they love the way it rides, they love the way it drives, they love the performance aspect of it.." It's all about passion, at Maserati, and at The Collection.