The experience of purchasing a car — whether it’s new or used — is not something most people look forward to. Ron Coppaken, owner of Image Motors, characterizes it as downright painful for most people. He’s hoping to change that experience, at least for those looking for premium pre-owned vehicles, now that he’s in the business.
Coppaken specializes in selling high-end cars like Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus and Infinity. While Image Motors is just a few months old, Coppaken is not new to the auto industry. For more than 35 years he owned an auto parts company.
He’s also passionate about cars and has owned and collected antique and classic cars for more than 25 years. He’s personally bought and sold many premium autos for his own personal use and knows how difficult it can be to find top-quality, low-mileage, like-new condition vehicles at very competitive prices.
"I’ve driven a lot of these cars as a car enthusiast and I’m very passionate about this business and my customers and making sure they have a good experience," Coppaken said.
He said he spent a lot of time researching the industry and figuring out ways to make the car-buying experience "an easy, pleasurable, no-hassle situation for the customer."
"So customers are dealing with me and they are getting my years of experience," explained Coppaken, who is an active member of the Jewish community. He is past president of Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy and Congregation Beth Shalom and serves on the boards of the Jewish Community Foundation, Jewish Community Campus and Beth Shalom Foundation.
"I personally handle all transactions, so you can expect first-class treatment," he said.
Coppaken said his customers also receive a lot of hand holding.
"When I search for a car, I act like I’m buying a car for my own mother," he said. "If I don’t think it’s right for somebody then I try to lead him away from it, tell them why and hopefully point him toward a better one."
Image Motors sells cars both locally and on the internet through eBay and AutoTrader.com. Coppaken keeps some cars in stock at a climate-controlled warehouse in Merriam, Kan. He meets customers by appointment only and notes that weather is never an issue when car shopping at Image Motors.
"I think that when someone comes to look at a premium car you want to have it detailed and ready to go. By having the entire inventory kept inside out of the dust and inclement weather, the cars are always clean and ready when someone comes to look at them," he said.
Coppaken only sells cars that are under factory warranty. The cars sold at Image Motors are relatively new with low mileage. For instance early this week Coppaken had in stock a 2-year-old BMW that has 11,000 miles on it.
"And I just sold a Range Rover to a guy that has 15,000 miles on it," he said.
Coppaken said word of mouth has really helped his business and he has sold many cars to friends and friends of friends. Then there are also his internet customers who, while they don’t know him, are quickly discovering his reputation for fairness and quality.
"I’ve sold three cars to people who live less than 3 miles from me. They either saw the car on eBay or AutoTrader.com and called me," Coppaken said.
A large part of his business is searching for cars that customers have requested.
"I’ll go out and find them the particular car that meets their requirements. I’ve got it set up so I can buy just like the franchise dealers," he said. "I also accept trade-ins and I’ll catch something on trade and then I’ll know someone who’s looking for a cheap car for somebody and I’ll put them together."
In this day and age, it’s actually more common for Coppaken to sell a car sight unseen than in person.
"Very, very few people come to my building and look at a car. Of the cars I’ve sold so far, I bet less than five people have physically come to look at the car. People in Kansas City call me and want to see the car prior to making a deal, but only because they are in Kansas City," Coppaken said.
He explained that people today are very comfortable purchasing cars that they haven’t actually seen or driven.
"If you’ve driven a Mercedes E350, they should all drive the same. I represent what the condition is … if there are any scratches or dents. People know what they are looking at," he said.
"I’ve found that most people want to talk to somebody prior to hitting the like or buy it now button on eBay," he continued. "When I talk to the people, they feel comfortable with who I am. They look at my feedback, which is 100 percent good on eBay and I give my spiel. I’ve had some great experiences with people buying cars and wiring the money into my account. Then I Federal Express them the paper work and arrange to have the car transported to them."
Shoppers can contact Coppaken through the website imagemotors.com or e-mail . He can also be reached at (913) 707-8111.