When Mariëlle Borst started up her own company five years ago, she knew for sure she did not want an ordinary car. Noble House carried out her search request and found a beautiful 1991 Jaguar XJS for her in Germany that would be able to withstand the hectic traffic of the Netherlands.
Mariëlle does not understand why anyone would choose a modern car, when you can acquire a much nicer classic car for the same money. This feeling stems from back when she would leaf through the classifieds and tell her father he would have been better off buying an old Aston Martin instead of that new Audi. “With my car budget for the start up of my company, I was facing the same choice. Brand new, but boring, or a car that not only makes my heart beat faster but also is faster, as well as more luxurious and more beautiful. It’s an easy choice to make!”
Mariëlle always found the XJS a particularly beautiful car. Her husband Edwin, who has a 35-year-old XJ6, was one step on her path to buying this model by taking her along to Noble House. “I always enjoyed going there, it’s just such a nice place. Very clean and organised, I noticed straight away. I love how all these men are paying such close attention to the most minute details of a car. Everything has to be absolutely perfect. One time my Jaguar was damaged by a window from my neighbour’s house falling on it. When the car was repainted, they recreated the striping, that is not available new anymore, themselves. Super! They really pamper cars here. I call Noble House a health spa for cars. No other service shop is allowed to touch my car.”
As a psychologist, Mariëlle Borst with her company Oerpad provides consultancy services in change management and leadership development. She also works as a team coach to help teams and individuals take the next logical steps in their development. Does she make it to her appointments on time in a 20-year-old Jaguar? “Oh yes! Noble House gives it its annual service and that ensures its reliability. Sometimes the car requires work and of course it costs. But when I balance that against the pleasure I have every day from my Jaguar, I still wholeheartedly stand by my choice.”
The XJS elicits many positive reactions. “Everybody likes it and loves how it looks. My favourite thing is when I arrive at the car park and see some men gathered around the car. They see me walking up but don’t make the connection yet. As I get closer they start looking vaguely alarmed. Then when I reach the car and am about to get in, they will suddenly ask me all these technical questions, about the cylinder numbers and so on. I love that.”
