We recently noted that rare whisky has been heralded as the ‘most lucrative investment of passion’ for the 10th year in a row. However, car collectors and nerds alike will be happy to hear that #2 on that list is in fact cars. Those who follow the sales on Bring a Trailer in the United States will already be privy to the idea that rare and vintage are seeing big increases in value.
And we’re not talking about cars like the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe that sold for $142,769,250 USD via Sotheby’s either. Think everything from Aussie legends – such as this record-breaking $1.15 Million 1971 Ford Falcon GT-HO – to Nissan Skylines and Silvias. There are no limits to what the market might price the sh*tbox from your childhood next.
Where do collectors store these cars? There’s only so much garage storage at your average McMansion, and the Lamborghini usually takes pride of place. Allow us to introduce STASH. We had a chance to look around the car storage facility in Rouse Hill and can confirm this is THE place you’ll want to keep your collector car.
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One step inside STASH and you can tell the facility means business. If the room was empty, you’d think it was a supervillain’s underground lair with thick concrete pillars, floors, and an eery ambience.
The room is temperature, humidity and carbon monoxide monitored for long-term storage of investment-grade vehicles. Going the extra mile, STASH has installed GPOs at every parking space, offering CTEK battery tenders for every car to keep them ready to go at a moment’s notice. Other general storage maintenance practices are taken care of by the team as well, including tyre pressure management, routine engine starts, tyre and drip tray inspections, and valet services to assist with any additional requests.
“We’re actively engaging with the vehicles to keep them drive ready,” said Josh Climpson, the co-founder of STASH. “These vehicles aren’t driven very often, so it’s important that we undertake routine start-ups to bring them to temperature, that we’re depressing the clutch and brakes, and we routinely inflate tyres to storage pressures and rotate the wheels to prevent flat spotting. All the processes that ensure hoses, lines, seals and gaskets are all kept in use to prolong the life of the componentry.”
“We deal with everything from MX-5s to Aventadors. When we ensure the health of these vehicles through preventative measures it means we keep them from spending unnecessary time in mechanic shops. And our location has some of the best driving roads nearby. We really consider the time spent out here in your special car ‘valuable miles’. It’s not wasted in traffic or on freeways.”
“The cars all have unique battery types and the reconditioning mode has been very important to us. We often get cars that have sat in sheds or storage units for a long time. Batteries come to us that have been in very poor health. It’s great to know that the CTEK MXS5.0 gives us the ability to efficiently restore them to good condition for our customers.”
Beyond these general maintenance services, we’re particularly interested in the car detailing and selling processes available to the general public. They’ve partnered with Leading Edge Car Detailing to bring cleaning processes in-house, literally. While they’re a proud Managed Partner of Collecting Cars, meaning sellers looking for a hands-off, discreet selling experience can get STASH to manage the entire process, with prices starting at $1500 AUD.
With the potential to store up to 500 cars at the current facility, STASH is ready to accept your next investment car. Our GT4 RS was the perfect fit alongside a host of rare Porsches you’d expect as such a world-class facility. However, they’re just as happy to store your average pride and joy for the short term, with a ‘DRIVE’ service offered 24/7. To request a quote for long or short-term storage, check out the link below.
Check out STASH Check out the CTEK MXS5.0
