Florian Lemberger

B.I. Collection: Florian, you have built up a unique international circle of car collectors within 8 years. How did it come about?

It all started with my passion for cars, which was inherited by my brother and me from our father. Since early childhood, I was fascinated by this world and “Porsche” was one of my first spoken words. We regularly experienced great moments with our father on the race track and at various other events. Despite this passion, my career developed in other ways: Law at the University of St. Gallen and Finance at the London Business School were on my agenda during my studies, and after completing my MAS in Real Estate at the University of Zurich, I finally landed in the real estate industry. In 2012, an opportunity arose from my professional environment to invest in The Chedi Andermatt Hotel. Together with selected investors we were able to acquire all apartments in this beautiful hotel. To bring the hotel concept and the destination around Andermatt to life and to attract the right people, the region with its wonderful mountain roads and passes offered the best conditions for a car event and thus marked the birth of the SOC.

BIC: I would like to follow up: it is teeming with car clubs: Porsche clubs, Aston Martin clubs, etc. or rallies and events, some with a long tradition. Why has SOC nevertheless managed to attract this number of important collectors to you within a short period of time?

What primarily sets us apart is that we deliberately target only the top segment of car collectors. This particular type of owner lives different values and buys vehicles for different motivations. In 2014, we organized the first event in Switzerland, a unique combination of rally and concours for both modern and historic supercars. We thus combine a fresh spirit, which paired with the luxurious ambience of the 5* hotel as well as a conference approach with interesting guest speakers from the automotive industry brought together completely new elements.

BIC: What is the SOC intake process or qualification criteria?

We have never advertised and have found that evaluating “case-by-case” makes the most sense. From the first event on, our participants recommend us within their circle of acquaintances and so we constantly gain new members. This organic and considered growth fits perfectly with our philosophy. The main criterion for admission is the collection in the foreground, as well as the respective lived car passion and the personality of the collector. We then invite potential members to one of our events and see how they interact in a social context with existing members and consequently what the response is.

BIC: What car or model was your dream car when you were 15 years old?

My absolute dream car is a Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB. It is not only a very beautiful and very iconic car, but also arguably one of the most important GT racers of its time.

BIC: Would you describe yourself as a “collector”?

I am a collector, but within my means. My passion for cars is in the very high range due to the exclusive level of the SOC, which is financially accessible to me only to a limited extent.

BIC: What do you see as the greatest “take home value” for members from your events?

It’s definitely our members and participants. Many may imagine that these are extroverts. But this is not the case. We are a meeting place for like-minded people who live their passion for cars and appreciate the informal get-together in a luxurious and relaxed environment.

BIC: Where do you get your inspiration from?

Originally, SOC was founded as a platform for car collectors, providing various service for our customers. Your feedback and input are virtually the basis and raison d’être for us. Therefore, we could reinvent our company every day and align it according to their needs and ideas.

BIC: What do you expect from the cooperation with B.I. Collection and our magazine?

Your magazine THE COLLECTIVE was conceptually and visually one of the crucial aspects for initiating this partnership. Basically, B.I. Collection and the Supercar Owners Circle complement each other very well. Our clientele and service offerings are complementary and so we can take advantage of many synergies and tackle exciting projects. Your understanding in the luxury environment is very similar and also covers our areas from cars, to art and culture. Thus, a path that we would like to develop further together.

BIC: We would like to launch a new section with SOC called “The -Curated Ones”, where each collector will have their best vehicles staged by a selected top photographer. Which are your “favorites”?

This is an extremely difficult question because there are so many great vehicles out there. Off the top of my head, for example, the Ferrari F40 comes to mind, the dream of my youth, which I now already have the privilege of owning, followed by the Ferrari 250 SWB, which we have already talked about. Other models of my choice would be, for example, the McLaren F1, the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport, Aston Martin Valkyrie or also the Pagani Zonda Cinque.

BIC: Besides the magazine, do you see any other opportunities where the SOC and B.I. Collection could do something very special for SOC members?

Absolutely! A dream would be to develop a special and limited model for our SOC members with the B.I. Collection network/manufacturers Also we already start in the next issue of THE COLLECTIVE with the collaboration “THE CURATED ONES”, which shows special collector cars visually in new artistic expressions. Further projects could follow physically or virtually in the areas of design, fashion, art and with selected events.

BIC: Our magazine combines exclusive cars with art, design, fashion, high-quality photography and, above all, stories experienced by the readers themselves. Which of these elements specifically appealed to you?

All of them fascinate me. As a child I already had the flair for the beautiful and unique. Art and design are important sources of inspiration in my daily, private environment. I even worked in the fashion industry for a short time after graduating. For the famous Parisian fashion brand LANVIN I was allowed to write a book about their label, characteristics and values.

BIC: With its light-flooded architecture designed by David Chipperfield, the Kunsthaus Zürich has found a purist, elegant form of high charisma. Is there anything that connects you with the Kunsthaus Zürich?

What connects me to the Kunsthaus is first and foremost the architecture, as I also lived in a building designed by David Chipperfield during my time in London. In my circle of acquaintances, too, there have been close relationships with the Kunsthaus Presidium for a long time, and of course I also enjoy going to see the exhibitions privately.

Do you see parallels between the art collectors and the car collectors?

Art collectors and car collectors certainly have a lot in common. Although they collect different things, they share a passion for beauty, attention to detail, and a deep respect for craftsmanship. In particular, vehicles in the top segment, on which our customers focus, are regarded by enthusiasts as works of art on four wheels. The actual purpose as a means of transport is no longer in the foreground, but much more aspects such as design, technology, and for some collectors also the investment thought.

BIC: Is there an art movement or artist that touches you the most?

Photography and especially the artworks of Thomas Struth, who has been one of the world’s most important and influential photographic artists at least since the success of his “Museum Pictures” in the early nineties, appeal to me very much.

BIC: For you personally, what was the experience with SOC that most impacted or impressed you?

In 2015, during our third event – it was the first event in London, for the first time outside of Switzerland and with McLaren as a new partner – when the SOC was still absolutely in its infancy. At that time, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II registered for our event and we were confronted with the ceremonial of the English royal family for the first time. Finally, after all the excitement and various clarifications, the royal cousin was the most relaxed guest of the evening. By now we have a bit more routine, as several royal houses are among our customers and feel comfortable with and at us.

BIC: Which famous car designer would you like to spend a dinner evening with?

I have already had the pleasure of meeting many of the well-known car designers in person. SOC works very closely with many manufacturers such as. Aston Martin, Zagato, Pagani, Mercedes or Koenigsegg together. But I would especially like to get to know Gordon Murray, the former Formula 1 race car designer at McLaren, better. We have only exchanged information virtually so far.

BIC: Regarding SOC, what is the best advice you have ever received?

I also received a really formative piece of advice during our third event in England. Until then our events were called Supercar Weekend and we organized ourselves from event to event. One participant’s question about why we didn’t make a club to encourage members to interact with each other was valuable input. That same evening, the community idea was implemented and the name was changed to Supercar Owners Circle.

What talent would you like to have?

I don’t like to be in the spotlight that much, nevertheless, I keep hearing that it would be important if I were to step into the foreground more for our clients and at events. I can certainly work on that. I prefer to pull the strings in the background.

BIC: Do you have plans to conquer the metaverse with the SOC?

SOC was one of the first NFT pioneers in the automotive world. We gave away a piece of digital art – a poster designed specifically for SOC by a well-known car designer – to our members at Christmas. It was an experiment. Personally, I don’t like it when people withdraw more and more and express themselves more in the virtual world. I like face-to-face meetings and interaction with people much more. But we observe, for example, that on Instagram our SOC events are created and lived by our fans in the virtual world, a movement we naturally follow with interest.

BIC: Florian, is there a dream you would like to fulfill regarding the further development of SOC?

My vision of the Supercar Owners Circle has remained unchanged since its inception. SOC is intended to establish itself as the world’s most exclusive network of car collectors, thereby offering our members a unique opportunity to live out their passion for special automobiles among like-minded people. Together with our partners, we want to create unforgettable super sports car experiences and continuously set a new benchmark. Our goal is to be able to hold at least one SOC event per year on each continent. As a company, we must constantly reinvent and evolve to best meet the changing needs of our members.

A personal highlight are current talks with NETFLIX and other providers about a series called “The Perfect Supercar”, which is about reporting about the world’s most spectacular automobiles from different aspects, like for example “The Perfect Supercar”. Performance, exclusivity, design, etc. The SOC and its members play the central role in this. Of course, it would be a dream to be able to realize such a series.