Best of the Beach 2018 Transportation
Manhattan Toyota general manager Ron Vartanian and owner Brad Sperber. Photo
Car dealership
Manhattan Beach Toyota
Last November, the car belonging to the mother of Manhattan Beach Police Department’s soon-to-be chief, Derrick Abell, suffered a transmission meltdown. The chief, a doting son, picked up his mother and drove her to Manhattan Beach Toyota. To her great surprise, as they walked into the dealership, he handed her a set of keys to a new Camry and pointed to the staff. “I’ve got to get back to the station,” he said. “You guys take care of it.” The story in a nutshell gets at what sets Manhattan Beach Toyota apart — it’s a dealership deeply embedded in the community, with a staff truly dedicated to taking care of its customers. “We have great customer service,” says owner Brad Sperber. “Because we have the best employees, as well. We just truly care about the customer and treat each one as if they are family. We really take pride in it.”
Sperber carries on the legacy of his father, Darrell, who passed away in 2015 but whose vision for how a car dealership should run is ongoing. MB Toyota is among the most active local businesses in its charitable endeavors, a priority established by the elder Sperber, who was honored by the MB Chamber of Commerce posthumously with the Bob Meistrell Local Legend award for his deep involvement in the community.
Last year, Brad Sperber and his wife, Andrisa, also fulfilled another of his father’s dreams, unveiling a sparkling new $7.5 million remodel of the 5.5 acre dealership on Sepulveda.
“I think one of the nice things about the whole South Bay area and especially Manhattan Beach is everyone looks out for each other,” Sperber said. “We eat local, we shop locally, and we take care of our own neighbors, really…. I love Manhattan Beach, and I take pride in the fact that I can hold my head up when I run into a customer outside a grocery store. I know they bought a car that can hold up, and I know they they have been taken care of and had a good experience with us.”
Everyone who buys a car at the dealership is welcomed to bring it back once a week for a free car wash. It’s small detail that speaks volumes about how Manhattan Beach Toyota does business.
“The relationship just starts as soon as you buy a car,” Sperber said. “We look forward to customers coming back…It’s all about what you can do to help them out.”
Manhattan Beach Toyota
1500 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Manhattan Beach
(310) 546-4848
Manhattanbeachtoyota.com
Runner-Up: Subaru Pacific
14700 Hindry Ave.
Hawthorne
(424) 634-7766
Subarupacific.com
Del Amo Motosports’ Redondo Beach strikes awe into the most experienced mortocyclist.
Motorcycle dealer
Del Amo MotorSports
Del Amo motorsports started out as a modest 6,000 square foot showroom and mechanic station on Aviation Boulevard in Redondo Beach three decades ago. Today, it is the largest motorcycle dealership on the West Coast, with a 45,000 foot showroom in Redondo Beach, a showroom in Orange County, and a showroom in Long Beach. Del Amo carries a wide variety and the top brands of motorcycles, dirt bikes, scooters, UTVs, side by sides, ATVs and personal watercraft. And the increasingly popular three-wheel bikes like the Can-Am Spyder. There showrooms’ enormous inventories dazzle even the most experienced motorcyclists.
Del Amo Motorsports
2500 Marine Ave.
Redondo Beach
(310) 220-2223
Delamomotorsports.com
Runner-Up: South Bay Customs
115 Penn St.
El Segundo
(310) 982-1300
Southbaycustoms.net
Used car dealer
Jama Auto House
The frequency with which one sees license plate holders in the Beach Cities that read Jama Auto House is evidence of its popularity. Former Porsche racing driver Lars Jacobson has been matching his customers with cars that suit their driving and finances over three decades ago. He specializes in high end cars, but insists they are less expensive to own than new mid priced cars because his full service garage makes certain no car leaves his lot without being in factory condition. In addition, Club Jama members are entitled to service at $85 an hour, a fraction of the rate charged by new car dealers and qualified service garages.
Jama Auto House
700 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Hermosa Beach
(310) 318-1639
Jamaauto.com
Runner-Up: CarMax
18020 Hawthorne Blvd.
Torrance
(310) 896-3810
carmax.com
Dave and Zoie Carney with the crew at Hillside Auto
Domestic Auto Repair:
Hillside Auto Repair
“What sets us apart is our people,” said Dave Carney, who co-owns the shop with his wife Zoie. “We hire people who love doing what they’re doing, and allow them the freedom to go ahead and make magic. We live in the community, and we’ve been doing this for 33 years. We have some amazing people working for us, and very little turnover. We take good care of our customers.” Customers say the Hillside mechanics are honest, thorough, and able to explain their work to the layperson.
Hillside Auto Repair
24467 Hawthorne Blvd.
Torrance
(310) 373-7676
hillsideautorepair.com
Runner-Up: Ocean Tires and Service
1017 Aviation Blvd.
Hermosa Beach
(310) 372-7800
Oceantire.com
Foreign Auto Repair
Toyo-Tech
Owner Jody Romero, a successful businessman with small-town roots, said Toyo-Tech approaches each repair job as if the client was the mechanic’s mother. “Our clients are more like family than customers,” he said. His family owned, independent shop repairs Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, Nissan and Infiniti. Customer Karen Rogers said, “I have trusted Jody completely to maintain my 2002 Lexis for the 14 years I have owned the car. In fact, when I traded in my Toyota Supra, I bought a Lexus so I could continue to have him service my vehicle.”
Toyo-Tech
4607 Manhattan Beach Blvd.
Lawndale
(310) 536-0993
Runner-Up: Lexology Auto Care
1437 Aviation Blvd.
Redondo Beach
(310) 379-0543
Lexologyautocare.com
Tire shop
American Tire Depot
“Customer service combined with price” sets the shop apart, said manager Ro Verme, who has guided American Tire Depot to ‘Best of the Bay’ top honors four of the five years he’s been at the helm. “We have a lot of return customers. We do a lot of work for the Hermosa Beach Police Department,” he said. “We keep it local.” In addition to selling tires and wheels, American Tire Depot offers brake, oil and strut service, and battery installation. Customers buying tires receive free lifetime rotation, free brake inspection and free flat tire repair if needed. Customer testimonials praise the shop for quick, efficient service and “always fair prices.”
American Tire Depot
1414 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Hermosa Beach
(310) 798-7929
For more locations visit: americantiredepot.com
Runner-Up: Globe Tire & Automotive
500 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Manhattan Beach
(310) 376-8866
Globetireandautomotive.net