Online-based car dealership coming to Gurnee

A small, internet-based car dealership is opening in a Gurnee warehouse after receiving the go-ahead from village leaders this week.

With the approval, Syed Mubashir, owner of Sapphire Motors LLC, now can use space at 83 Ambrogio Drive just off Washington Street and Route 41 to store up to 10 vehicles for sale.

"The final thing that remains for me is I have to go out and get cars," Mubashir said.

Mubashir specializes in buying vehicles at auction and selling them. He has worked in the field for around five years, but Sapphire Motors is his first solo venture.

Under his agreement with the village, Mubashir's dealership won't have the big balloons or flashy displays that traditional dealerships use to entice passersby. Rather, he will seek to attract car buyers to his website, sapphiremotorsales.com.

Mubashir said he will record videos of each vehicle in action to provide online customers a "virtual test drive." When prospective buyers want to drive the cars themselves, Mubashir told village officials, he will limit actual test drives to main roads.

The Sapphire Motors website is up and running now but likely won't have any cars available for purchase until October, Mubashir said.