From the outside, it looks like an unassuming St John's Wood garage. Inside, an unrivalled car collection sits in a well-appointed 'clubhouse', a short drive from Lord's cricket ground.
Owning the world's biggest supercar club, there's plenty of risk management for managing director Craig Williams to consider: those allowed in as members, potential car damage and social responsibility.
So much so that all new members have a mandatory day with a police instructor before being allowed to drive one of Auto Vivendi's range of colourful supercars.
For now, I'm keyless and merely sitting in the driving seat of Auto Vivendi's most expensive car, a bronze Lamborghini Revuelto costing £560,000, which members can hire as part of its ever-evolving collection.
The company was originally set up in 2005 under a different model, where members could also put their own cars into the club. Rebranded in 2012, there were around a dozen cars worth £2m. More than 300 supercars have passed through the company's clubhouse over 20 years, and there are now over 30 costing around £9m.
An entry-level, year-one package starts at £15,000 plus VAT, which includes 15 days and 750 miles "to dip your toe into the water", and offers an experiential side with curated road trips, exclusive events and a readymade community. Other memberships extend north of £150,000.
Williams says the company has changed from a male-orientated focus and its black and red masculine branding to become more accessible to all genders.
London-based Auto Vivendi has a collection of over £9m worth of the ultimate supercars.
"There's nothing wrong with being a petrolheads club, but we didn't want it to be about egos or exclusivity," he says. "The world of luxury is changing. People value authenticity, connection and shared experiences more than ever."
The Welsh-born entrepreneur's first car was a black and gold Mini, which had its moments driving in the Valleys, while he later spent 18 years as an oil broker.
Williams admits to having "a few nice cars" back in 2002 and noticed a dearth of track days for supercars. He saw an event that tested cars on runways and looked into renting Bruntingthorpe in Leicestershire.
Williams was featured in the motoring community publication Pistonheads, which then grew his VMax 2000 event into a globally known event, sponsored by the likes of Jaguar and Aston Martin.
He met Auto Vivendi's original owner, Richard Thomas, through his side hustle. And the catalyst for Williams to go full throttle into the venture came after the death of his younger brother. "I realised it was time to take the leap into something I was truly passionate about," he says.
Most current members own or have owned supercars and supplement ownership with hiring Vivendi's offerings that deliver anywhere in the UK or Europe.
"You might not want to own a £400,000 Rolls-Royce Spectre, which we do, but it's a great car, and you might want to use it for a weekend away," says Williams. "Members might want to use cars for dinner in London, or use it as part of their everyday lives and an extension of their own lifestyle."
Williams says the company could have 1,000 members, which would mean purchasing more cars, but has capacity for around 220.
Auto Vivendi, which has revenues of around £2m, has around 150 members – 95% of whom are based in the UK – and buys or finances all their cars. It has included the McLaren Senna, which Williams says put Auto Vivendi "on the map".
"We are constantly pinching ourselves at what we do," Williams says of experiences that included a trip across Iceland and taking Lamborghinis off-road. "Nobody has ever done that before. It took a year to plan and to see it happening was pretty special.
Auto Vivendi offers curated road trips, such as in Croatia, pictured, exclusive events and a readymade community.
"Or it could be as simple as pulling into a petrol station in Italy with 18 supercars and letting a group of school kids sit in them and take photos."
Williams endured another personal tragedy in 2024 when his business partner also died from a heart-related issue similar to his brother.
"I learned everything from Richard," says Williams. "I was good with numbers and street smart but wasn't very commercial and it felt like I had a 10-year apprenticeship with him.
"We're not your typical private members club. Everyone pretty much knows each other. The friendship and camaraderie we have, particularly when Richard died and our world fell to bits, saw members rally around us and made the bond stronger than ever."
Williams and Thomas had paused membership during COVID and still retain a high retention rate from its customers.
Three weeks prior, they had just taken delivery of their biggest collection of Aston Martins and had a clubhouse "jam-packed with supercars" when lockdown occurred.
"When we came out the other side, events went berserk and the appetite was high to live life," smiles Williams, who recalls their 200mph challenge on a 1.7-mile runway at a military base in Rutland.
"It's about seeing members' minds being blown at the end of the experiences. We try to overdeliver."
Behind the Brand: Craig Williams on…
How to run a successful members' club
Attention to detail with your product. We live and die on our customer service and being on top of the financials. It is also your outward bound perception; it's about being very on point with social media and the image you want to portray.
Someone once said to me, 'Don't let the perfect be the victim of the great.' I am constantly at risk of that. But we also have a very small agile team and we can pivot as a small business and dream up a good idea quite quickly. It's not resting on your laurels and constantly innovating.
