The Lady Luna Rolls-Royce is available for wedding day transit and photo ops.
Mitchell Trak, whose family owns the longstanding West End restaurant The Grapevine, has been interested in classic cars since childhood. He has shared his passion for collector vehicles with close relations for nearly as long as he has been able to drive. “I’ve always had a few of them working, to drive around my friends and family,” Trak says. He’s now extended this service to the Richmond area and beyond, opening Trak Transportation over summer 2024. The chauffeur business offers a fleet of vintage luxury vehicles for hire, including a 1980s Silver Spur Rolls-Royce, 1990s Silver Spur II Rolls-Royce and 1990s Mercedes-Benz W140.
Trak developed the idea for the transportation company while assisting with weddings through The Grapevine’s catering services. “Whenever we would cater and do these events, people would say, ‘Hey, do you have any grand-exit vehicles?’ Now it really goes together. My wife [Rita Trak] is a wedding planner, we cater through the restaurant, we do mobile bars,” Trak explains. “We can really take care of the entire wedding — bar service, food, transportation — everything.”
Richmond Bride spoke with Trak about his new venture and tips for hiring wedding transportation.
Richmond Bride: What are the advantages of hiring a transportation service?
Mitchell Trak: Ease of access; they don’t have to worry about that part at the end, or anytime. It’s not like you could just call [a rideshare vehicle]; this is the extra service. Especially if it’s a formal occasion, it’s a really nice entrance and exit. When you’re doing photos, it’s a really elegant look. Our drivers come ready with the red carpet, the Champagne if requested, the signs. People decorate the vehicles, too, whether it’s a birthday or a “Just Married” sign. It’s the elegant touch that makes the difference. Some folks hire us just for photos.
RB: How much should people plan to budget for wedding transit?
Trak: We’re cheaper than a limousine service, cheaper than bus services. For a grand exit, you’re looking at a couple hundred bucks. Being an extra service through the restaurant and catering, I’m really big on taking care of [everyone], making sure they’re covered and they’re happy, and being affordable.
RB: How far in advance should people book your services?
Trak: Often, we know months in advance, but we’re happy to jump in on short notice. Luckily, we’ve got a few vehicles. The most popular, especially for Saturday wedding grand exits, is Miss Magnolia, our Rolls-Royce [Silver Spur II].
Mitchell Trak
RB: Describe Trak’s fleet of vehicles.
Trak: All the cars are old; they’re classic. They’re not the new, sleek design, but they give a little bit of history. All our cars are named after ladies, and they each have a story. Lady Luna is a two-tone Silver Spur, and then we have Miss Magnolia, … Bertha [a Mercedes-Benz] — I haven’t tested it yet, but they say it’s somewhat bulletproof. And we’ve got Isabella, that’s our shuttle bus. It’s an old vehicle, but it’s very unique inside. It’s got a lot of amenities, from the karaoke machine to the 70-inch TVs, [and] you can use it for a formal event or as a party bus. This was an abandoned vehicle. The [original] driver was [named] Isabella, and she [was formerly a zoo tour bus driver]. From a zoo shuttle to a limo bus, the conversion was really cool; it was completely transformed.
RB: What’s the vehicle person limit?
Trak: The bus is very flexible because it has bench seats. Comfortably, I would say 14 to 15. We recently did a wedding, and we carried the [bridal party] in the bus and then the bride and groom in the vehicles. We took the entire party with us. They used almost all the vehicles, which was cool. So, for one vehicle, I would say 15, and we, of course, offer discounts for more than one vehicle, and that would be around 20 [people].
RB: Are clients allowed to drive the classic cars without a chauffeur?
Trak: No, we provide a driver for insurance reasons, etc.
RB: How does it feel to offer this service for couples on their big day?
Trak: It’s making me feel so good. The restaurant that we own keeps us pretty busy, but I love it. It’s what I’ve dreamed about for a while, to have these unique cars and to have them included in people’s special days.
