Confident the place will blow their minds, Jay Westman welcomes select visitors to The Vault. To describe it as a garage would be a disservice to the impeccably appointed collectors sanctuary on Metate Place in BIGHORN Golf Club. The glitzy entryway could serve as a stage for John Travolta to sweep Olivia Newton-John into his arms and carry her to the humble Dodge Wayfarer from Grease. But like the priceless Ferrari Monza SP2 the visitors glimpse to the right, in the main gallery, the cars inside are far more exciting.
On even the warmest of afternoons, Westman, President of The Vault and longtime BIGHORN Member, wears a custom-made bomber jacket, a gift to Members of The Vault. Barely able to disguise his jubilance, he tells the story of this one-of-a-kind garage and lounge in a gravelly Alberta brogue.
The late R.D. Hubbard was co-initiator of The Vault, which was designed by architect Kristi Hanson, a frequent and favored contributor to the BIGHORN amenities landscape. It was for “Dee” Hubbard that Westman sketched out the basic plan of an exclusive car and motorcycle sanctuary. In his Kansas drawl, Hubbard responded, “Oh, great, another Member with another damn idea.”
Proof of concept is the 24,000-square-foot space that opened in 2015. Herein reside 51 collectibles on four wheels and eight two-wheelers. There are several Ferraris and other exotics, but another car of immediate note is a wowie-zowie 1958 Chevy Impala with a wild green-and-white paint job that would stop traffic and inspire new dance steps at Pico and La Cienega boulevards in Los Angeles. It belongs to “Farmer” Sam DeKruyf and his wife, Dot, BIGHORN Members for 20 years who split their time with Newport Beach.
“Dot and I were among the first to sign up as Members of The Vault,” says DeKruyf, who stops by every few days to start his car, which has been featured in the vintage and classic car magazine Rod & Custom. When he was 17 and dating Dot, he owned a similar ’58 Impala; they’ve been married for 61 years. “It’s breathtaking — the lounge, the cars. When our large family comes down, that’s the spot. That’s the treat. At night, it really pops. It’s all Jay Westman — he’s a visionary.”
Eager to show off the latest improvements, Westman leads the way past the racing simulator that’s in its own studio off the showroom floor. “It’s a hit among Members, and it’s also a hit among their kids,” Westman says. “We get a lot of the grandkids coming in, and they want to try it.”
Grandkids who see the nearby 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, a display item that harkens back to the dawn of the automotive era, will be amazed at the definition of motor vehicle then and now.
Westman springs up the steps from the “showroom floor” to the 2,750-square-foot Redline Lounge, where the atmosphere is one of sublime ecstasy. A side table here sensationally reproduces the yellow-and-red tachometer face of Westman’s Ferrari F430. Vibrant Ferrari colors fill the space, with Bentley-inspired stitching on the custom bar seats. The logos of top European marques twinkle overhead, while two new TV screens measuring a whopping 146 and 110 inches wide deliver sporting events to patio-sitters who benefit from a redone, tiered seating arrangement for a theater-style effect with an unmatched down-valley view.
“We get quite the turnout here for Monday Night Football,” Westman says. Thanks to carefully considered airflow management, the cigar area stays almost as fresh as BIGHORN’s upper arroyos.
Hubbard spent his career building up great companies in the automotive glass industry. As a builder of houses and communities in Alberta, Westman developed a theory. “You try to commoditize the exotic,” he says. “When you can create a one-and-only, the brand stands out.”
Members enter The Vault through a large bank vault door that opens to the glimmering gallery. And just look over there! A 1974 Jaguar roadster that got a custom-design makeover! Westman steps from the lounge into the sunlight pouring into the gallery and points out a new level of overhead lighting they’re testing. Then he surveys the whole space.
“If you noticed, this isn’t heritage-themed,” he says. Indeed, unlike other car museums and collections, nostalgia items and automobilia such as vintage gas pumps and neon signs are not part of the equation. “This is what we sort of see as new age.”
A close-up view of longtime BIGHORN Member Sam DeKruyf’s 1958 Chevy Impala reveals the meticulous customization of the interior details and the exterior paint job (below).
1958 Chevy Impala.
It’s all about the details in the Redline Lounge – right down to the Bentley driving seats.
Each position on the main floor has an electrical supply for trickle-charging, just to keep the battery fresh enough to turn the massive V8 engine in yonder 1956 Ford Crown Victoria — another custom job. And there are lockers to store car covers, polishing supplies and personal accessories for each vehicle. In a room off the gallery, each Vault Member also has a personalized wine locker.
Full Members of The Vault have access to their cars or bikes any time, day or night. “They’re able to come in, grab their car, put another car in if they want — or drive out,” says Brett Haugen, The Vault’s full-time manager. (He evinces an unmistakable awe when talking about the one-of-a-kind Kaiser Sun Goddess that’s part of his flock.) Known as “Crew Chief,” Haugen assists Members as they come and go and facilitates service appointments when mechanics arrive or as cars are loaded onto flatbeds for visits to full-service centers. Members of The Vault can also bring guests to the Redline Lounge, a privilege that comes at a cost for regular BIGHORN Members.
A hierarchy of interested parties are lined up for open gallery spots, in case the 2022 Ford GT, for example, should betake itself to other quarters and leave a spot available. Although those opportunities are almost as rare as the cars themselves. “There are nearly 50 people trying to get their cars in right now,” laughs Westman. A Membership and coveted ‘parking space’ in The Vault comes with an exceptional price tag, but those who invested early saw a payoff.
2020 Ferrari Monza SP2
By design, this ultra-limited-edition speedster has no windshield or top, but Ferrari’s patented Virtual Windshield manages to gobble up and divert onrushing headwinds to keep the occupants’ coiffures intact. In theory, the faster you drive, the better it works. With a 6.5-liter V12 engine, the Monza SP2 is capable of (hold on to your hat) 186 miles per hour.
1974 Jaguar E-Type
Long and low, this Jaguar E-Type roadster came from the factory in Coventry, England gorging on a 5.3-liter V12 engine. Custom-design legend Chip Foose gave it the resto-mod treatment with a stretched rear deck and large-diameter “wire-look” chrome wheels. For greater practicality, out came the V12; in went a 525 horsepower Chevrolet V8 and automatic transmission. The Palm Copper paint is perfect against a desert backdrop.
2022 Ford GT
Any viewer of Ford v Ferrari knows the genesis of Ford Motor Company’s tradition in mid-engine super-sports coupes. The first production series for the street lasted two years, 2005 to 2006. The most recent series started in 2016 and went through 2022. The GT’s turbocharged V6 engine makes 660 horsepower, and the car can cover 3.5 miles a minute. But this denizen of The Vault shows only 31 clicks on the odometer.
1956 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria Skyliner
“My two favorite cars in here right now are Fords,” Haugen says. “I always call this color ‘root beer.’” This custom build on a rare model (only 603 Crown Victorias with the V8 engine were produced) accentuates the rooftop “tiara.” A Victoria was a certain type of 19th-century carriage ideal for outings in the park. Just in case someone else wants to get down and dirty on an El Paseo cruise night, the Crown Vic’s new 7.0-liter V8 produces 700 horsepower.
Westman compares each spot to a condominium. The first Members to buy in have doubled their money based on supply versus demand. “The pricing pressure is unbelievable because it’s so popular.”
The Vault has proved an extraordinary realization of the potential of a large, unsold lot that the Club donated as the building site. Coming back to his thought about “commoditizing the exotic,” Westman adds, “It turned out to be ideally suited for a project like this.”
This story was originally published in the 2025 edition of BIGHORN magazine.
