North Bay residents with the need for speed have numerous options when it’s time to settle into a new ride, and it’s this level of competition that makes Marin Luxury Cars’ (MLC) distinction as Best Luxury Car Dealer especially gratifying for Executive Manager Fred Cziska. “There are numerous award programs out there,” he says, “but when [an award] comes from those who have a choice when doing business, that’s an award we’re proud to receive.”
A mainstay in the auto industry since 1963, Cziska joined MLC in 2000—two years after he decided to retire. “I received a call from my partner, who asked me to help out with two stores he had in San Rafael,” he explains. “I committed to six months of service, and that was 10 years ago. I found the employees so interesting that when the thought of retirement came up, I always found excuses to go one more six-month period.”
This staff camaraderie has translated to the auto room floor, where some of the most lavish brands in the world make their home. MLC’s new vehicle fleet includes top versions of Aston Martin (the all-new Rapid sedan, V12 Vantage and the DB9), Infiniti (M37 luxury sedan, EX35, G37 sedan), Jaguar (XF sedan, XK convertible), Land Rover (Range Rover Sport Supercharged, LR4) and Volvo (XC70 wagon, S40 luxury sedan). “We’re very fortunate to represent Volvo, a brand known for safety features and some of the best styles in the market. The Aston Martin line isn’t for everyone, but it still gets me excited—one test ride and you’ll be hooked. Infiniti is our high-tech high-line product. We have some clients who are on their fourth Infiniti purchase; it’s a highly technical vehicle, with modern styling and very few mechanical repair incidents.”
Marin Luxury Cars also has approximately 180 pre-owned vehicles available for sale at its Corte Madera location. “Our preowned vehicles must pass a 140-point safety inspection,” says Cziska. “We do sell preowned vehicles over a variety of price ranges, but regardless of the price, the vehicle must meet strict standards of excellence.” The company’s website combines the inventory of its five dealerships for customers’ convenient, one-stop perusal. “The Internet is definitely leading the way in promoting sales,” says Cziska.
Another unique aspect of MLC is its online “Build a Luxury Car” feature, which lets customers customize everything from make and model to interior and carpet colors. “For our products, this is a fantastic feature,” says Cziska. “This feature is one of the most popular options on our website. I’ve used it to build cars for order from the manufacturers. Virtual presentation of selected models will be the next feature added.”
So with the economy still in a fragile state, how has MLC adapted to face people’s financial hardships? “There’s been a decrease in car sales, but not to the point where we’ve had to lay off our valued employees,” says Cziska. “We’re proud of that accomplishment. We’ve increased our preowned sales to make up for the loss of new vehicle sales—which have recently begun increasing at all our facilities. We’ve side-stepped our incentive programs and have focused on being the best we can be for our clients. I believe having respect for our employees has been the key to our success, because it sets the stage for our staff to perform at a high level.”
