As one of the most valuable markets in the UK, the car rental market doubled in 2021 to £15bn and is predicted to grow over the next five years. According to the data company, Ibis World, the rise in renting cars short-term is driven by a combination of factors including an increase in tourism, a rise in environmental awareness and wanting a flexible option when it comes to vehicles.
Like many other industries benefitting from digitalization, the automotive is one that has seen significant growth online, with consumers conducting more research than ever before online before renting or buying a car. With a drastic increase in leasing cars and a move to digitalize the industry, one entrepreneur has combined the popularity of car rentals with the instant-booking ease of the online holiday site, Airbnb.
Offering a range of services from chauffeur-driven, self-drive car rental and luxury transfer services, Founder Ikenna Ordor has created an Airbnb-style service for clients looking for reliable transport options at short notice.
The key focus is on providing the best possible service from the moment a user visits Starr Luxury’s website, empowering users with a quick online booking process that connects them to the largest supercar fleet in the UK, including names such as Ferrari, Aston Martin and Bentley.
Since launching, Starr Luxury Cars has proved the demand for luxury car hire in the UK is very much alive and kicking, having doubled their online growth by 100% year on year. The easy-to-use online journey allows users to pick a car by brand or type, delivering it to an address the next day.
Growing up in Nigeria, Ordor was inspired by his tenacious, hard-working mother and describes how he fell into entrepreneurship whilst studying at Birmingham University. Speaking to Forbes Magazine, Ordor shared “I ended up in entrepreneurship almost mistakenly when I decided to host an event one night with just a few friends. I liked the idea that we’d be able to create so much profit in one night from doing something we loved.” Shortly after graduating, Ordor had set up his own entertainment company and quickly started to spot demand for car hire amongst clients as more people asked him to organize luxury transport options. Boasting a seamless end-to-end service for premium clients, Ordor wanted to create an experience where someone could book a supercar at 9 pm and have it delivered the next morning.
Having identified a gap in the market almost by accident, Ordor has demonstrated a clear understanding of what makes a reliable and trustworthy service. As a direct result of this, Ordor has also seen his company grow to new heights online.
Clients using Starr Luxury Cars include corporate professionals, families on holiday in the UK, film industry professionals and couples on their wedding day. The rapid success Starr Luxury Cars has enjoyed so far is an indication that more people are choosing to adapt to the changing fiscal landscape, ditching the traditional ideas of ownership for one high-end asset for the choice of many instead.
Offering a wide choice of electric luxury car hire options too, the prestigious car hire company also recognise the need to respond to climate change as an industry. Starr Luxury Cars respond by actively encouraging their fleet partners to promote electric vehicles, stocking only the best-performing electric cars available on the market such as Tesla, Jaguar and Audi.
Although the business has focused on car hire and chauffeur experiences so far, the sky’s quite literally the limit for Starr Luxury Car which has plans to expand into offering private helicopter flights as well as an app which would propel the business into international territory. Ordor has visions of being able to supply users with their favourite car in other cities around the world and has already hinted at expanding his premium car hire service in Nigeria.
For now, ensuring every customer who engages with Starr Luxury Cars has the best possible experience is Ordor’s number one focus and one that has kept his ever-expanding business from enjoying success at every point. With Starr Luxury Cars' presence now in LA, Atlanta and Miami to name a few new spots, it’s impossible not to see continued growth for this enthusiastic entrepreneur.
