The Rolls Royce Spirit of Ecstasy vehicle hood mascot was designed by Charles Robinson Sykes and is one of the world's most recognizable corporate images. [Photo: the_guitar_mann/istockphoto]
“I didn’t know people bought $250,000 cars. That was news to me.”
Chris Barta
Co-Founder
Tactical Fleet
.…on how he first got into the supercar sales business before co-founding Tactical Fleet in Farmers Branch, via the Dallas Morning News.
Tucked away among blocks of warehouses in Farmers Branch, an address without a sign offers no clues of the treasures within, which would make any supercar fan salivate—if they don’t pass out from sheer overwhelmption. It’s the 75,000-SF HQ home of Tactical Fleet, America’s largest pre-owned supercar dealership, where hundreds of Lambos and stacked-to-the-ceiling Porsches and Ferraris glitter with the promise of speed.
“Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, and Rolls-Royce are our bread and butter,” Barta, who launched Tactical Fleet in 2018 with co-founder Jason Putnam, told the Morning News’ Cheryl Hall.
The partners sold their company to North Carolina-based Sonic Automotive in 2020, but still hold sway in their massive, minimalist, all-about-the-cars dealership. Prices inside range from $100K for swift steals to uber-super $900K-plus models.
The duo met back in 2010 while working at Park Place Motors in Dallas, the DMN notes, a time when Barta was surprised to learn how much people will drop on a car. Now, he’s more blasé about it.
“When I started at Park Place, I was like, ‘Who am I ever gonna sell a Rolls-Royce to?’ We sold four Rolls-Royces here last weekend,” he told the DMN.
Putman admits that the sheer volume of supercars racing out of Tactical Fleet can raise eyebrows. “Our average price point is almost 300 grand, and we’ll probably sell a hundred of them this month,” he told the DMN. “Pretty crazy.”
For more of who said what about all things North Texas, check out Every Last Word.
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