Syed and Erica Ahmed saw an opportunity to enter a new business line to complement their luxury and exotic car dealership, Platinum Motor Cars, in a former plywood storage building in Birmingham’s Rail District.
The Ahmeds had acquired Platinum Motor Cars, located in Birmingham along Woodward Avenue, in 2015. The dealership, which offers 4,000 square feet of space and provides room for 12 vehicles, is operated by five full-time employees.
Four years ago, the couple learned that a 20,000-square-foot building in the nearby Rail District was coming up for sale, and even though finances were tight following COVID-19 and the accompanying government restrictions, they decided to move forward on a concept of developing a private club for owners of luxury vehicles.
“We were offered the building, and when I told Erica, she said we didn’t have a lot of money,” Syed says. “But despite the economy, we went ahead with it.”
Enter the Out of Office Garage, which opened in November 2022 following an extensive renovation. Multiple large bay doors were added to the structure, to quickly move vehicles in and out of the building; today, around 85 cars are stored in 16,000 square feet of space.
Many of the cars sit on lifts to maximize storage. There are Ferraris, Jaguars, Porsches, BMWs, Lamborghinis, Mercedes, and several other nameplates including a DeLorean DMC-12, and they’re rotated based on membership demand on any given day.
Summer weekends tend to be the busiest time of the year for local and statewide activities, including Cars and Coffee events (held twice a year in warmer months). The club also sponsors ski trips to northern Michigan, and a toy drive is held during the holiday season — heralded by the arrival of Santa Claus in a private helicopter (set on wheels, the chopper is rolled into the car storage and detailing space, where a party follows).
Most members store their cars at the Out of Office Garage for the winter, but if they want to drive on a crisp, sunny day in January, the club has three wash bays where trained personnel keep the cars in pristine condition.
“It’s a cool spot,” says Eric Frehsée, president of Tamaroff Motors Inc. and Jeffrey Automotive Group in Southfield, and a founding member of the Out of Office Garage. “Syed and I were neighbors in Birmingham, and I was always bringing home new cars and so did his dad, who was an engineer at Chrysler.
“We remained friends and I joined the club (early on). I haven’t done any road trips other than ride-and-drives on a Sunday morning to the Shinola store (in Detroit’s Midtown district), but I like to bring my daughter and son to the family activities like the Dream Cruise party. They have a blast, and they’ve made new friends.”
In addition to maintaining his car, Frehsée says the club offers plenty of networking opportunities.
The club is open year-round, and members can bring their laptops into its 4,000-square-foot lounge that’s outfitted with work stations, couches, tables, chairs, racing simulators, a coffee bar, and themed artwork and books.
Membership requires a $2,500 initiation fee and dues are $250 per month. There’s often a fee for attending events. To store a car, members must pay an additional $500 per month. The club can be rented by nonmembers for car reveals, reunions, and even weddings.
“About 90 percent of our members have families, so there’s always kids running around having fun,” Erica says. “We also accommodate dogs. Some of our members live out of town, and when they fly in, one of their first stops is to come and get their car and drive it around.”
Among the range of services, club personnel — there are eight fulltime employees — often act as a concierge, delivering and picking up vehicles to be serviced at area dealerships.
“It’s a popular service,” Syed says. “Many of our members are very busy, and if they want a nice loaner car for the day, we’ll provide that to them while their car is at the dealership.”
Other offerings at the Out of Office Garage include apparel and merchandise that’s sold exclusively to members, as well as an online private chat group.
In some cases, Syed can act as a member representative. In January 2025, for example, he attended the annual Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction in Arizona on behalf of a private client.
The goal was to acquire an orange 2023 Hennessy Venom F5 Roadster that’s capable of reaching 260 mph — the V8 engine can pump out 1,800 horsepower.
“I travel quite a bit on behalf of our clients, and it was surreal to be at Barrett-Jackson,” Syed says. “There’s so much noise and energy, and it’s very difficult to carry on a phone conversation, let alone bid on a vehicle.”
As the Hennessy was rolled onto the auction stage, the price quickly went from $0 to $1.7 million. Within minutes, it was up to $1.8 million, then $1.9 million. When Syed’s $2 million offer was accepted, it turned out to be the highest sale at the event.
“We have more than 100 members, and it’s really become one big family of car enthusiasts,” Erica says. “We even did a glamping weekend on the west side of Michigan, which was popular. We’re always looking for new events, to provide our members with lifetime experiences with their cars.”
