A two-handed Katana sword with a wood lacquered case will be presented to Manhattan Beach Toyota owners Andrisa and Bradley Sperber by a representative from the Japanese auto maker Monday evening.
The occasion will be the grand unveiling of the 5.5 acre, dealership’s $7.5 million remodel. The two-year project added a second story, doubling the showroom, service and office space to 25,000 square feet.
The Sperbers plan to exhibit the traditional Samurai sword in a display case on the showroom floor, celebrating the life of Bradley’s father Darrell, who passed away from leukemia in January, 2015, at age 68.
Darrell Sperber acquired sole ownership of the dealership in 2013, after having become partners in the business with former football great John Elway in 2007.
After moving to Manhattan Beach from Newport in 2008, Sperber became so involved with the community that councilman Richard Montgomery took to calling him the “Mayor of Manhattan.” Last month, at the Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Best of Manhattan Awards, Sperber was honored posthumously with the 2016 Bob Meistrell Local Legend Award.
Darrell initiated his dealership’s remodel and continued working on it until his final hospitalization days.
“One of his goals was simply to help beautify Sepulveda Boulevard,” Bradley Sperber said.
The new showroom entryway is framed by a translucent, two story cladding of backlit rice paper. The construction complied with Silver LEED (Leadership, Energy and Environmental Design) guidelines. The old dealership, built for Volkswagen in the 1960s, was recycled after being torn down. A subsurface irrigation system waters the drought tolerant plants that have replaced the palm trees that previously bordered the property. LED lighting is used both indoors and outdoors. An “air economizer” controls indoor temperatures by exchanging indoor and outdoor air, rather than by the more common, but less efficient system of constantly cooling and heating indoor air.
In keeping with Darrell Sperber’s support for the local community, Monday’s unveiling ceremony will be followed by a check presentation to Walk With Sally, which helps children of parents with cancer. Manhattan Beach’s Simmzy’s and Basha Wines and Spirits will cater the event.
The Sperbers said the remodel will improve the customer experience and make their dealership more competitive with the 85 other Los Angeles area Toyota dealerships.
Andrisa Sperber, who serves as Manhattan Toyota’s marketing manager, said her customers, particularly Manhattan Beach residents, frequently research what they want on the internet before visiting a dealership. In California new cars can only be sold through dealerships.
As a result, she said, she conducts photo shoots of her 600 car inventory three times a week to make sure the photos on the website accurately represent the cars she has available.
To assure customers of competitive prices, she said, the dealership sets prices at the Minimum Allowable Advertising Price (MAAP) issued by Toyota.
