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RD Whittington is a man who likes to start his action-packed day with a plan, but before the sun rises, as a celebrity car broker, he’s working to make celebrity wishes come true and giving back to the community.
If you are a client of RD Whittington celebrity car broker to the A-listers, you won’t ever step foot inside a dealership or haggle with sales people. Simple text the man who makes it happen, and you’ll soon walk out to your driveway to test out your new wheels. Yes, that’s how RD Whittington rolls.
The go-to-guy for rare and exotic luxury vehicles, RD Whittington counts Jamie Foxx as one of his closest friends and is seen around town with the likes of Leonardo Di Caprio, Floyd Mayweather, Jamie Foxx, Woody Harrelson, The Weeknd, Migos and Scott Disick. It seems there isn’t a rare vehicle that he can’t get his hands on for his clients.
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However, he says one of his favorite people is young Sebastian, age 9, who’s his partner in delivering toys to the LA Shriner’s Children’s Hospital. He shows up in his canary yellow LaFerrari-make Ferrari, and the kids love seeing the car and getting in to pretend to drive it in front of the hospital. Whittington is there once a month, and he says that, of all his clients, being with the kids is the most fulfilling for him.
“Being with the kids reminds me of all I have to be grateful for. It’s really a bright spot in my day,” RD Whittington said.
Whittington is humble about what he is able to accomplish as a car broker. “I try to plan for every day, and I lay out my to-do list the night before. I try to go through life and business like that,” he said.
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“That’s what I love the most is making an impact with charities, and this life I’ve got gives me that opportunity,”
One elaborate request the car broker fulfilled in less than a week’s time? Finding a Prevost Bus for a client’s daughter’s ninth birthday party. It had to be completely wrapped in pink with the daughter’s name on the side and moved from Los Angeles to Manhattan to surprise the girls and their parents with a trip to Six Flags.
“It’s all about doing the impossible for your clients. My career is all about the customer service, and having that personal touch makes the unimaginable possible and then I try to go beyond that,” he said.
It’s like the day RD Whittington got a call from Travis Barker from Blink 102. He was leaving to go on tour with Lil Wayne, and he needed a car for the nanny while he was gone, requesting a matte-black Range Rover by tomorrow. Whittington sourced and delivered the car in less than 24 hours.
“It’s all about doing the impossible for your clients. My career is all about the customer service, and having that personal touch makes the unimaginable possible and then I try to go beyond that.”
One of the most memorable transactions that Whittington remembers is working with Champion Boxer Floyd Mayweather, who Whittington considers a dear friend and top client as a car broker.
“He’s very particular and very nice. He is a very serious guy who plans out everything. Someone who has accomplished what he has accomplished didn’t get there by accident. He’s very focused,” Whittington said.
One day, he got a call that Mayweather was possibly selling three of his rare Bugattis. The caller was unaware that RD Whittington knew Mayweather. Whittington called The Champ to check in on the potential sale. Almost immediately, he was on a plane from Scottsdale to Las Vegas where he was met by a convoy of cars to take him to the Mayweather mansion.
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There he saw “four of the prettiest Bugattis, ranging from $2 million to $3 million each.” Even though it was late at night, there was someone in Mayweather’s impeccable and spotless garage cleaning the extra set of wheels. “He handed me the titles, we loaded up the cars and flew back to Scottsdale all in that same night,” Whittington said.
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And the rarest car he’s ever sold as a broker?
“I have one right now. There are only 500 in inventory, and that is the 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari. It’s priced at $3.6 million and has a hybrid gas and electric motor that combine for 1,000 horsepower. It makes that car very fast,” he said. And that’s the car he takes to Shriners for Children Medical Center.
RD Whittington loves providing rare cars to his clients and says the three most exciting cars to own today are the LaFerrari Ferrari, the Bugatti Chiron and a Ford GT.
So how did Whittington get where he is today? “It had a lot to do with Jamie Fox—one of my closest friends. He has always helped promote us,” Whittington, the go-to car guy for movie productions, said.
It started with Taylor Swift’s video “Look What You Made Me Do.” Whittington got a call from the producers who wanted a Bugatti wrapped in gold.
“Well, that’s going to be expensive, but I can do it,” he told them. “It launched a whole series of deals working with all the big stars with picture cars for big time movies and tv shows.”
Photo by Kevin Wong
Did we mention they wanted a leopard in the passenger seat of the car? RD Whittington solved that by working with a replica seat and a green screen. “Otherwise, the leopard would have shredded the interiors of that beautiful car,” he said.
From rare cars to movies to brokering private jets and yachts, there seems to be no end to RD Whittington’s scope. “The expensive cars and aircraft and yachts all go hand in hand. I got my student pilots license. I’ve loved aviation all my life, and it’s great to be able to secure aircraft for my clients today as well,” he said.
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So, what’s next for a guy who was born in Florida, raised in Arizona and educated at a military academy? “I’ve got some projects going. One could be television. I’ve got a vision for something I want to do. More than anything, I love to travel and even more give back,” he said.
The guy who wrapped a Bugatti in gold also has a heart of gold. More than just a luxury car broker for big-name celebrities, Whittington also provides custom vehicles for charities in need. He’s created custom cars for auctions to raise money. Most recently, he aided a local LA charity with a van they desperately needed to transport food and supplies to poverty-stricken communities.
“What I love the most is making an impact with charities, and this life I have gives me that opportunity,” Whittington said.
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