Why can't I pick-up my car?
Capital Connoisseur Cars strives to offer its customers the best value and greatest convenience while also maintaining an excellent selection of choice and rare classic cars available for rent. General liability and vehicle liability insurance costs, on top of refurbishment and routine maintenance costs, are already such that adding facility costs would make the cost of renting such vehicles prohibitive. The best solution we could find that also allowed us to make these amazing cars available as self drive rentals was to deliver the vehicles to your location. We hope that you will appreciate the excellent value, experience and convenience Capital Connoisseur Cars brings to the classic car rental market!

When and where do you deliver cars?
We try to arrange midweek vehicle drop-off and return appointments at the customer's convenience. Weekends we can be more flexible. We can not accommodate all requested times so please confirm your preference with us ASAP. Our current primary delivery focus area is the greater Washington, DC metro region and Gettysburg, PA. One thing to note is that we typically don't deliver and pick up the cars at any of the area airports. We've tried this a couple of times and it just doesn't work well. On top of the fact that these cars aren't very luggage friendly, there really isn't an area well suited for going over the cars and introducing you to their particulars. We'd much rather not be rushed as is the case if we meet you at your house, hotel or a Metro station. We are currently looking into the possibility of delivering our cars to the southern suburbs of Baltimore and hope to have that region available shortly. Other delivery areas are also possible but will likely require additional time, coordination and additional costs to make it happen. These special situations will be discussed on a case by case basis so go ahead and let us know where you would like your special car delivered and hopefully its something we can make happen.

Can I inspect a car before renting it?
Not only are we open to people inspecting the vehicles before they rent them, we strongly encourage you to do so. In fact Capital Connoisseur Cars are commonly stand outs at local and regional classic and sports car shows so look for us at your next event! A second option is a private showing. Setting up a private showing may take a little bit of time and coordination to make happen so please give yourself and us ample time. There is a $25 fee payable via the website or phone to arrange this service. The full $25 can be used as credit toward the rental of any vehicle in our fleet.

What do I need to rent a car?
Its actually quite simple. First you need to provide proof that you meet the 3 basic eligibility requirements: 1) be 25 years old or older at the time of rental with a current driver's license, 2) hold a valid US-based liability and physical damage insurance policy that extends to a rental car with the equivalent of a CSL of $200K or greater and 3) all drivers have completed and submitted the Rental Agreement. To rent a Supreme level car requires the following additional certifications: 1) proof that you will be 30 years old or older at the time of rental with a current driver's license, 2) proof that you have no serious marks on your driving record via the submission of a driving record and 3) hold a valid liability and physical damage insurance policy that extends to a rental car with the equivalent of a CSL of $300K or greater.

After this information is received and verified all you have to do is complete the Rental Reservation transaction via the website or phone and the car will be scheduled for your enjoyment. Within 72 hours of taking possession of the vehicle you are required to pay the balance due on the reservation and the Security Deposit.

How are Security Deposits handled and do I need to pay the Security Deposit at the time of booking?
A Security Deposit is required to take possession of all Capital Connoisseur Cars vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, scooters and bicycles. Because we have had significant problems with credit card authorizations expiring before the rental car is returned the full amount of the rental and the security deposit must be collected before the vehicle is turned over. There are no exceptions to this policy. If you are booking a rental well in advance of the requested delivery date feel free to pay just the rental reservation fee to secure the requested vehicle and dates and then pay the reservation balance due and the security deposit no less than 72 hours before the rental delivery time. Note: Should you choose to split up the rental and security deposit payments but then be unable to pay the security deposit in full prior to the rental delivery that is considered a last minute cancellation and will be subject to the appropriate terms and conditions.

Do I have to complete all steps just to rent a Triumph or MG?
It took so long for Capital Connoisseur Cars to become a reality for the single sole fact that not a single insurance provider would insure a self-drive rental car older than 10 years old, regardless of cost. It took literally 5 years of knocking on doors and knocking down barriers to find an insurance provider willing to not only insure the self-drive high value vehicles available from Capital Connoisseur Cars but that would also insure vehicles over 10 years old, including vehicles that are 20, 30, 40 and even 50 years old! To be able to offer such a wide range of classic cars at an exceptional value required us to set up the unified qualification process detailed above. Standard and Superior level cars require a driver be 25 years old or older, proof of a valid driver's license, a US-based physical damage and liability insurance policy with a $200,000 or more CSL and the Rental Agreement signed by all vehicle drivers. Supreme level cars require a driver be 30 years old or older, proof of a valid driver's license, a US-based physical damage and liability insurance policy with a $300,000 or more CSL, a copy of your driving record and the Rental Agreement signed by all vehicle drivers.

Can I rent a car for somebody else?
Yes, absolutely! How else will you arrange that special surprise gift of a day, weekend or week in a classic car from Capital Connoisseur Cars! We do still require that all drivers (and renters in this situation) be listed on the Rental Agreement and meet the eligibility requirements outlined above. However, final signatures of any Additional Drivers are not needed until the car is delivered. Therefore setting a rental up as a surprise gift is usually fairly easy to do as only the primary renter's signature is required prior to the rental as long as all driver signatures can be obtained when the car is delivered.

Can I rent a car with an international license?
This is tricky. The answer can be yes, possibly or no depending on the circumstances. While we always hope for the best we have to plan for the worst, hence our rental requirements. If you can fulfill the requirements outlined above then the answer is yes. The typical sticking point for visitors to the US is possessing a US-based liability and physical damage insurance policy. We currently do not offer this as an option so you will need to obtain this yourself prior to a rental. Several people have tried to get added to a US-based relative's policy, though this has been met with mixed success. In the past when we have only required that the primary renter meet the requirement to have a US-based insurance policy and an Additional Driver was not on a US-based policy then the US-based driver became personally responsible for the damages of the additional driver because their insurance company wouldn't pick up the cost for damages caused by someone other than the person they insured. This is generally not a good situation but in some instances it may be no big deal. As such, we will agree to this but only if the primary renter agrees to sign a statement in advance that they understand this fact.

How does vehicle pricing and options work?
Each vehicle rented by Capital Connoisseur Cars has a base rental price which is the "Rental Day." A Rental Day is defined as the receipt and return of the Vehicle in not more than 24 hours. You can choose between 1 Rental Day (up to 24 hours), 2 Rental Days (up to 48 hours), 1 Weekend Rental (not longer than Friday 7AM through Monday 8PM) or 1 Week (up to 7 Rental Days). The base price is equal to 1 Rental Day. Longer times are listed in the Rental Term drop down menu. By selecting the appropriate rental term from the drop down menu along with the delivery location the total cost of the rental will be displayed as the Adjusted Price. This does not include the PA rental car tax and PA sales tax, which will be added in the shopping cart just before checkout. Capital Connoisseur Cars also offers the option to have additional authorized drivers or a GPS unit. Both options, as well as gifts, rental vouchers, picnics, etc. can also be selected from the drop down menus or product detail pages.

Why must I pay in full in advance over the internet?
Capital Connoisseur Cars is a PA registered company and all rentals are based on a PA specific Rental Agreement that authorizes delivery of vehicles throughout the mid-Atlantic region, but only after a rental transaction is complete.

Can I pay by cash or check?
We currently do not accept cash or checks. Payment by credit card via the secure website or phone is the only form of payment accepted at this time.

What happens if I beak down?
To minimize the chances of a mechanical mishap, all Capital Connoisseur Cars have undergone extensive reconditioning and testing before they are activated in the rental fleet. Along with their annual PA state mandated safety inspection, all active cars also undergo independent chassis and safety inspections and receive regular tune ups. That said, the cars are all true classics and the unexpected can still happen even to the best prepared vintage automobile. That's why Capital Connoisseur Cars offers a totally free roadside assistance program with each and every rental. In your information packet you will find a toll free number to call should you find yourself in need of roadside assistance.

Why is the tax rate 8.0%?
Capital Connoisseur Cars is based in south central Pennsylvania, about an hour from Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. Capital Connoisseur Cars is a PA registered company and all rentals are based on a PA specific Rental Agreement that authorizes delivery of vehicles to the mid-Atlantic region after a rental transaction is complete. PA has both a 6.0% sales tax and a 2.0% rental car tax that Capital Connoisseur Cars is responsible for collecting and submitting.