Car On The Drive is the brainchild of Peter Bowes. An English ex-pat, living in Florida for over 25 years, Peter has become a well known face to thousands of guests as they arrive into Orlando airport.
The business started out over 15 years ago with one car to rent and an idea to become a totally unique car rental service. This idea is now baked into the core of our beliefs as we strive to offer guests a service that can’t be found anywhere else.
The news of Car On The Drive’s service spread quickly – internet forums lit up with mentions of a new ‘idea’ in travel. From Money Saving Expert, Mumsnet, Us-Info.com and Disboards – the word was spreading. The business quickly grew it’s fleet and bookings were being taken 12-18 months in advance. Peter enlisted the help of his long suffering wife, Wendy, and together they shaped the service to what we know, and love, today.
The idea of offering a rental service to a discerning traveler who requires personal service sets Car On The Drive apart from ‘regular’ rental companies and we have hosted a plethora of high profile guests over the years because of this.
Peter
The travel industry took a hit during COVID and Car On The Drive had to suspend rentals for a short time while the world adjusted. During this time Peter and Wendy discovered a love for traveling in their RV and the idea of retirement and ‘what next’ for the business started to creep into their thoughts. Over the next few years the travel industry gradually got back to speed and Car On The Drive was back to full steam. In the background the business was being re-shaped and prepared for Peter and Wendy to handover to someone new so that they could start to enjoy some (semi) retirement!
During 2024 Lisa and Stuart joined the team with the aim of running the day to day business and managing the guest experience. Lisa and Stuart were one of the first adopters of Peter’s service nearly 15 years ago. As regular visitors to Orlando (and the wider USA) they have a vast knowledge of Florida and what it has to offer. Emigrating here in 2013, with their two young children, they own and run their own successful business already and have decades of experience with client relations.
“We have been close friends of Peter and Wendy ever since that first trip to Florida. I was fascinated by the service and the idea of turning renting a car into being a ‘guest experience’. We have exchanged ideas and chatted many times over the years about how Peter would manage his retirement, whilst keeping Car On The Drive alive, and we realized maybe the answer was staring us in the face all along!”
Stuart
Fast forward and here we are – Car On The Drive is taking bookings and looking to expand on its availability to satisfy growing guest requirements. Don’t worry – Peter and Wendy are still very much part of things and you may be lucky enough to see them at the airport sometime!
