Special to The Laker / Lutz News
Steve Morgan, general manager of Victory Lane Motorcars in Land O’ Lakes, loves his job because he helps people facing difficult times get financing to buy a vehicle. “Unfortunately, people have bad luck –
bankruptcy, bad health, unemployment,” said Steve. “And when their luck is down, they cannot buy a car the traditional way because they have poor credit and little money for a down payment.”
That’s where Steve and his sales manager, Harry Gooden, come in. “We’re able to get almost anyone in a car, even folks whose credit scores are as low as 400 to 500,” said Steve. “Helping someone get financing for a vehicle is often the first step in re-establishing their credit.”
Steve explains that Victory Lane is not a “buy here, pay here” car lot. “Those lots do not report a client’s credit history to the credit bureaus. And because they don’t, a loan at a ‘buy here, pay here’ lot does nothing to help someone improve their credit score,” said Steve.
Steve and Harry can usually qualify someone for financing in 15-20 minutes. “I like the challenge of helping people find the most affordable financing,” said Harry. “Once we do, within an hour, we can usually complete the sale, and send the customer home in a new car.”
Victory Lane Motorcars keeps close to 100 vehicles on its lot and rotates its inventory every few weeks. It has everything from late model year vehicles with less than 30,000 miles, to cars for as little as $1,500 to $2,000.
“You’ll see all models here, domestic and foreign, including Mercedes, Lexus, Mazda, pickup trucks and even Hummers,” said Steve.
Most customers come from Pasco County, but many travel from Tampa and St. Petersburg looking for a specific vehicle, said Steve.
“And when someone comes by, they usually stay and buy from us, because of our personal touch and genuine customer service,” said Steve. “We’re here to make it happen,” adds Harry. “It is not unusual for us to stay open after closing hours to help a customer get their car that day.”
Every car Victory Lane puts on its lot first goes through an intensive mechanical review. There is a full-time, certified mechanic on staff, and also a body shop. “Every one of our vehicles has been serviced and is ready to go,” said Harry.
Harry and Steve have been selling vehicles for a long time. Steve and his father operated M & M Used Cars in Hamilton, Ohio for 58 years. Harry has been in the car business for more than 10.
Victory Lane Motorcars is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., every day except Sunday, when the business is closed. Steve and Harry invite folks to come by to check out their huge inventory and overcome any credit issues they may have.
6600 Land O’ Lakes Blvd,
Land O’ Lakes, FL 34638
813.996.6019
